# 79 - October 3rd, 2007

Greetings one and all…And let’s get straight into the T.V. Quiz…
1. The Corners and Kendall City are the two former names of which Anderson Valley town?
a) Boonville b) Philo c) Navarro
2. Not long after World War II there were about fifty of them. Since 1968 there has been just the one. What am I referring to?
3. Barney Flats is the Boontling (our local dialect) name of the Oatmeal Stout brewed by the Anderson Valley Brewery. It is also the name of a specific place in the Valley. Which one?

Moving on… I spotted the following in the Personals this week: “Bad tempered, foul-mouthed old bastard, living in a barn on the outskirts of Boonville, seeks attractive brunette female beauty…Must be a very wealthy thirty-something, with a lovely chest and a love of riding”…Good luck, Old Bastard, I think you’ll need it…
As I did my rounds in the heart of Boonville on Saturday night it was like a ghost town. There was virtually no traffic after 9pm and the social scene was unusually quiet. Where was everyone? Was there a potluck going on that I had not been invited to and at which the food would soon run out? Was there a parade of emergency vehicles that I was missing out on being deafened by?...Or was it simply a case of the last Saturday of September signaling that the summer fun is over and it’s time to hunker down in the hills? I hope not - I would miss seeing the “usual suspects” out and about, meeting and greeting one another…On the other hand, with the cooler weather upon us, it means that I can stop defecating on my feet in order to cool them off, something we Turkey Vultures do all summer long in case you didn’t know. It’s true and that’s just a little ‘Jive Turkey’ for you to share with friends…
At about 11pm I spotted a grey-bearded elderly fellow standing besides the road in the center of town with a couple of sheep at his side. Hummingbird asked what he was doing here at such an hour hanging out with two sheep. She is so sweet and naïve at times but she needs to know these things, so I told her, “He’s the local pimp, my dear”…
Moving quickly on…It has come to my attention that all was not harmonious backstage at the recent John Lee Hooker Jr. show at the Navarro Store. Apparently “Ragtime” Rick Blaufeld and fellow bluesman, John Brandeburg, had been booked to support Hooker. Indeed I had noticed numerous flyers around The Valley advertising such an event. However, moments before their show was to begin, biker band The Black Horse Blues Band turned up and, with many of their followers in the audience, “it was decided” that they should play instead. Navarro Store owner Dave Evans did the right thing and paid “Ragtime” and John and the bikers began their excellent set. The usurped duo was not too happy but what could they do? It is believed that two middle-aged bluesmen have never yet won an argument with a large gathering of younger, bigger, stronger bikers and this was not the time and place to test this theory…
Local Business report…Two very big ‘claws up ‘ this week for the excellent ‘stuff’ on sale at three local food and refreshment establishments. One Horse Espresso, in new and improved surroundings next to the Drive-In in the heart of Boonville, continues to provide excellent coffee and new items such as big pretzels and breakfast sandwiches; Mosswood Market, just down the street still has the best pannini sandwich in town; and, despite some people thinking otherwise, I believe the carnitas (fried pork) super burrito from Moya’s Taco Stand at the south end of town, is definitely a hungry person’s best deal for miles. Trust me on all this; you can thank me later…
As you can tell I do not have much to report this week as I’ve been at home a lot lately preparing The Nest for winter. However, I’ll be out and about this weekend so do say hello if you see me…Now I must go, but first, let us prey…Humbly yours…Turkey Vulture…..
You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at…turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net
Quiz Answers…
1. Answer a) – They are former names of Boonville.
2. A mill – just the one on the edge of Philo remains.
3. Hendy Woods, alongside the river north west of Philo...