# 132 - October 15th, 2008

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…Let’s start with a Valley Quiz!...Answers at the end…
1. Who is the P.A. announcer/commentator for our high school football games at the Fairgrounds?
2. Whose is that voice on the message if you call the A.V. Brewery?
3. Who is the announcer of the Sheep Dog Trails at the Mendocino County Fair?
…Which leads me to…The final Sheep Dog Trial of the season took place this past weekend at The Johnson (Stanley) Ranch in Yorkville. The summer-long competition of twenty trials held in the Mendocino/Lake/Sonoma region, organized by The Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association (R.E.S.D.A.), has been dominated by shepherds and dogs from out of the Valley in recent years. However, with the fine runner-up performance at The County Fair by Kevin Owens and his Border Collie, Bren, together with the small group of eager shepherds and dogs, currently working together a few times a week at the field alongside The Barn Sale building (just north of Boonville alongside Hwy. 128), perhaps there will be a local shepherd and dog who can bring back the glory days to A.V. sheep-herding in the not-too-distant future…p.s. check out www.resda.com for further details…
Talking of the relationship between man/woman and dogs, how about this little gem from poet and novelist, Rainer Maria Rilke for our Quote of the Week…”God sat down for a moment when the dog was finished in order to watch it…and he knew that it was good, that nothing was lacking, that in body and mind it could not have been made better in any way”…I can’t argue with that…
Public Service Announcement # 377: As I flew over Gowan’s Oak Tree and Fruit Stand on Hwy.128 last Saturday lunchtime I noticed quite a crowd of people had gathered for the “U-Pick Pumpkins and Wagon Rides” event. And the good news is that it takes place again this weekend (October 18th/19th) from 11am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday…
Now on to # 378: The public radio station, KZYX & Z, begins its weeklong Fall Pledge Drive this coming weekend – October 18th. Please give generously, many good people work there and they do a fine job overall, plus the excessive political correctness emanating from their suburban Philo H.Q. seems to be abating a little. Furthermore, with the departure of Vance “Smooth-Talking” Crow, it doesn’t feel like you’re giving to a used car salesman…I’m merely trying to help…
And, while we’re all gathered here, what about #379?...I can now confirm that the locally filmed “Pig Hunt”, in its final full length version, will definitely be screened at the A.V. Film Festival, to be held at The Grange in January, 2009. Produced by Robert Mailer Anderson, written by Zack Anderson, and directed by Jim Isaac, the movie is described by Mitch Davis, the executive director Fantasia Film Festival as “the wildest American horror movie of the year”…Should be a wild night in Bedlam!!!...
It would seem, based on reader comments, that the recent “Whines of the Week” have been a little ‘nastier’ of late; “cruel yet fair” even, although quite tame compared to what is being said by certain politicians as the election campaigning reaches new lows. It appears that nothing is off limits and, with that in mind, perhaps neither should be a complaint by your wine-guzzling, hypocritical correspondent about the wineries in our fair Valley.
Now I realize that the recent frosts can do damage and there is probably little that can be done other than to continue with the use of the fans currently employed, but do they have to be that loud? Talk about noise pollution! It’s ridiculous that everyone within a mile or so has to endure what sounds like several helicopters hovering above the neighborhood for hours on end through the night. I wonder if any of the winery owners/managers are also trying to sleep within ear distance of this racket? I think we should be told…
Talking of frosty mornings reminds me that some of you would perhaps like to know that we Turkey Vultures can be seen on such mornings ‘sunbathing’ in a tree or on top of a power pole with our wings spread out. This is done to increase our body temperature after a cold, and frequently sleepless (!) night…And whilst I’m sharing some “interesting and informative” (well I like to think it is) “Jive Turkey”, did you know that we are not related to any other birds of prey...Yer gotta like that!…
I’m outta here – time for a glass of de-frosted late harvest Riesling, I think…Be careful out there, stay out of the ditches, 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, Independent Career Women! Am I invited to the meeting this month?!”
p.p.s. Former Valley dweller (and a very rare visitor these days) and self-proclaimed “King of Boonville” – John Buckner, was in town with lovely wife Paige and kids Camille and Anderson, this past week. They hosted a party at their for-sale home and, as the day wore on, some guests might well have said, not for the first time, “'Jester of Boonville' would be far more appropriate"…Either way, best wishes to them all!...
You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at …turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net
Quiz Answers…
1. Ernie Pardini is the “Keith Jackson” of Panther football…
2. That baritone voice that greets phone-callers to the Brewery belongs to Dan Houck (W Dan of KZYX fame). He does a great job and one can only hope that he receives royalties now that he no longer works for ‘King’ Ken…
3. The knowledgeable words that describe the ‘action’ at the Sheep Dog Trial are those of Guido Pronsolino – long may he continue…