# 129 - September 24th, 2008

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…And what better option to start with than The Valley Quiz…I thought we’d go with a sports theme this week…Answers at the end…
1. What was the name of the now defunct Navarro adult baseball team?
2. Who is currently coaching the A.V.H.S. Football teams?
3. Who coached the school tennis team to their very successful season last semester?
Quote of the Week…In light of those unexpected yet quite heavy rain showers last Friday morning, I thought perhaps I should offer a few words of commiseration to our local farmers. This one is from nineteenth century American author, poet, and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson…”The good rain, like a bad preacher, does not know when to leave off”…Hopefully, not too much damage was done…
As I flew over Boonville on Saturday morning I was greeted by the wonderful sight of throngs of kids running around on the school playing fields. At first I couldn’t work out what was going on but then I zoomed down and on closer inspection I could see that they were involved in three soccer matches, and upon further investigation discovered that it was the first day in the Valley’s Youth Soccer schedule. With the departure of longtime administrator Adam Springwater, local soccer mums Bronwyn Hanes and Nicole McLain are running the program with help from various volunteer coaches and referees. “Good job, guys” - the enthusiasm amongst kids and parents alike was infectious and there was clearly lots of ability on view, which all bodes well for the future High School teams. The tamales and lemonade provided by “futbol madre”, Antonia Perez, were pretty good too!...Talking of High School sports, I’m sure the football teams’ first games of the season on Friday night will be covered elsewhere in this issue but I would like to point out that the fact that we have teams at all this year is due in no small part to the sterling efforts of the coaches whose names appear at the end of the column - as the answers to quiz question 2…
Heads up! It’s time for The Barn Sale once again – this coming weekend (27th/28th from 9am to 3pm) at The Big Barn behind the St. Elizabeth Seton church rectory off A.V. Way…Bargains galore, Holcomburgers on the grill, and perhaps some border collies working the sheep in the field alongside, including recent County Fair runner-up – Brenn of Yorkville – yer gotta like all that…
‘It’s The Time Of The Year To…#14 - Bare Your Breasts’...Two sightings last weekend must mean that this delightful time of year has finally arrived - a little later than usual but a welcome addition to Valley life at any time…The most recent sightings of “The Girls” were firstly provided by a well-known Bareologist in Boonville who flashed her mountainous mounds on Saturday night at The County Fair right in front of the stage to musician Dean Titus as he played his set with the Coyote Cowboys…Then, the very next afternoon, as County Sheriff Tom Allman waved to the crowds from his perch on a float in the Parade, he was confronted by two very similarly voluminous ‘Girls’ when a Fair “Exhibitor” bared her all right before his startled eyes. He tried to keep a straight face but bystanders could clearly see that he could not prevent a guilty smile…Meanwhile, don’t be bashful out there - “carpe diem” - I look forward to more sightings before this year’s ‘season’ comes to its inevitable end when the first frosts arrive…
Moving quickly on…The ‘inevitable end’ comes to us all of course and there will be a gathering at the Apple Hall in The Fairgrounds this coming Saturday (September 27th) at 1pm to remember Richard Reitz, the recently deceased husband of Amy Bloyd. It’s a potluck and flyers giving the details for this memorial event can be seen at the Valley’s post offices and other locations. Richard, by the way, seems to be doing quite well, as evidenced by his appearance, in the form of ashes in a black box adorned with The Lodge logo, with Amy, family, and friends for a drink on Thursday evening…
I’ll get my coat shall I?...Be careful out there, remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle, try to enjoy life despite the fact that living sometimes gets in the way, think good thoughts, and may your god go with you…Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”…Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
P.S. “Hi, Silver Swan and Duck Lips, ‘Congratulations’ - a little bird tells me that you were runners-up at The Lodge Trivia Quiz contest last week!!”
You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at
turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net
Quiz Answers…
1. Using one of Navarro’s several nicknames, the team was called the “Iteville Clams”…
2. Panther football is being run by Head Coach Pastor Bill Nobles with assistants, Logo Tevasu and John Toohey – no doubt under the watchful eyes of Jack Graves and Woody at the Life Works group home…
3. The tennis coach is Dick Browning, who on his day could still probably take a point or two off Federer – so he tells me!!