# 146 - January 21st, 2009

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…Let’s get straight down to business with The Valley Quiz - answers at the end of the column...
1. Who will be the guest speaker and presenter of the awards at the upcoming Film Festival on the final afternoon - Sunday, Jan 25th?
2. Who catered the memorial for Hans Kobler, formerly of Lazy Creek Vineyards, that was held at Lauren’s Restaurant a week or so ago?
3. Who is that cheerful, helpful, and always knowledgeable person who works the Friday shift at Rossi’s Hardware in Boonville – Rossis themselves not withstanding...
As mentioned above, this coming weekend (Thursday, Jan 22nd – Sunday, Jan 25th) sees the 3rd Annual Anderson Valley Film Festival, benefiting The Grange, The Lions Club, The A.V. Animal Rescue, and The A.V. High School Film Class. It all takes place at The Grange on Hwy 128 and for full details and screening times check out www.andersonvalleyfilmfestival.org...There’s draft and bottled beer, local wines, tacos from Alicia’s, pastries and snacks from Mosswood Market, locally-made films, films from the high school’s film class, movies from other film festivals, short films featuring dogs herding sheep, political documentaries about current issues, movies with women in thongs, socially-aware features, films about pig hunting, films featuring a naked Barbie doll, and rumors of a performance by legendary blues-harp man Charlie Musselwhite on the Saturday night...and it’s all for deserving local causes – I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t be there!...
The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital were in town this past week, unbeknownst to me or I would have informed you. In the future they promise that they will let me know so I can pass the news on. In the meantime, they have already announced that their visit in February will be on Thursday 12th at 2pm. I’ll remind you closer to the time and if your pet has some needs hopefully you will take advantage of this excellent service...
Whine of the Week...As I stood talking with Uncle Donn Jaeckle outside the Pick ‘n’ Pay last Friday afternoon we simply could not continue our exchange of wise words after three Harley riders had started up their engines parked a few feet away outside The Boonville Lodge. They were the usual nerds-without-a-cause that seem to dominate the Harley fraternity these days. You know – the investment bankers, computer geeks, soccer mums, and art gallery owners from Marin and its environs out for a bit of “bad ass craziness”, or may be just a shrimp salad and a glass of wine out on the coast. The level of noise was ridiculous. Imagine Donn and I going to their Harley Davidson bike shop and preventing them from conducting their business by depositing a steaming turd or two at the entrance to the store. What’s the difference? Both acts are extremely anti-social in my view...May be it’s time to start feeding the pigs on Ornbaun Road some shiny new leather and nerd flesh?...
On to a better and brighter topic...This past Monday was the day we observed Martin Luther King’s birthday and with the world facing so much chaos and uncertainty, and witnessing hatred, cruelty, and conflict in so many places, it certainly seems as appropriate as ever to pay heed to his words, “We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools”…Then yesterday it was Inauguration Day and no doubt M.L.K. was somewhere joining in with the feelings of positive expectation that exists not only this country but around the world as the new “Lincoln/Roosevelt/Kennedy” takes control. I have a feeling he may be the best of the lot despite the enormous hurdles he faces - one can but hope as we finally enter the 21st century for real...
Many congratulations to the organizers of the Senior Center Crab Feed that was held at The Apple Hall in Boonville last Saturday evening. It seemed to go very smoothly and everyone I spoke to had a wonderful time, with many positive comments about the freshness of the crab and the efficient service provided by Ben Anderson’s High School Baseball team who played particularly good attention to my own ‘special needs’ in the crab and bread department. The usual suspects prepared and ran the show as competently as ever with special mention to Eddie and Gina Pardini, The Wyant Crew, Gloria Abbott, Harold Hulbert, Tom Lemons, Howard Morse, Melissa Davis, Cherie Matthias, Jim Schneider, and Ernie Pardini, with apologies to anyone I have forgotten...By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that Bill ‘Big Thighs’ Teague ate more crab than I did. It was close for a time but ultimately there was only going to be one winner – just ask the baseball players who kindly cleaned up after us...
Perhaps I should go now - I’ll get my coat shall I?...Be careful out there; think good thoughts; support your local businesses; and may your god go with you…Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”…Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net…
Quiz answers...
1. It will be star of stage, screen and t.v....and local resident - Rene Auberjonois...
2. The caterers were Cory Morse and Diana Charles – great job by all accounts...
3. That would be non-other than Mike Crutcher, or ‘Cruncher’ to the Boont-speakers amongst you...

# 145 - January 14th, 2009

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…The wonderful weather continues and we are faced with the dilemma of needing far more rain but in the meantime wishing to enjoy the beautiful days that we are currently experiencing here in the Valley...There’s no pleasing some is there? As humorist Jerome K. Jerome said, “We shall never be content until man makes his own weather and keeps it to himself.” - and that’s your Quote of the Week...
Talking of wonderful times to be in the Valley, this coming Saturday night sees the first of our two upcoming crab feeds. This week it’s the benefit for the Senior Center, which is taking place at the Fairgrounds in Boonville. For advanced tickets ($25) you can go to Lemons in Philo or All that Good Stuff in Boonville, or for more info call Gina at 895-3609. The ‘social drink’ begins at 5.30pm and dinner will be served from 6pm...I’m looking forward to it very much as I am a strong believer in the wise words of English diarist Samuel Pepys (pronounced ‘Peeps’) who over three hundred years ago said, “A good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody” – things haven’t changed I’d say...By the way the next ‘Feed’, the one that has been going a little longer – for the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, is on Saturday, Feb. 7th...
Meanwhile, let’s have The Valley Quiz - answers at the end of the column...
1. Who is the Junior High basketball coach for the current season?
2. Who is the secretary of the A.V. Lions Club?
3. And why we’ll asking such questions, who is the treasurer of the Independent Career Women’s (I.C.W.) group that meets here in the Valley?
Whilst we’re on the subject of the Valley Quiz, I am indebted to Tex Sawyer of Scharffenberger Cellars and his comprehensive knowledge of the Valley’s wine history for the following comment that addresses an oversight on my behalf, “Mr. Vulture, I enjoy your columns and the Valley trivia. The quiz answers in a recent column in the AVA left out one of the early vineyards/wineries of the 3rd renaissance of grapes in the Valley. You will find that Dr. Donald Edmeades planted his grapes in 1964 (Edmeades Folly) and his son, Deron, made wine in 1972. Tony and Gretchen Husch planted grapes in 1968 and made wine in 1971. Lazy Creek and Navarro were indeed next...A very informative history of grape growing in the Valley can be found at www.avwines.com, look under history...Cheers, Tex”...So Edmeades was certainly one of the first three modern wineries that I was asking for in the Quiz. Thanks, Tex – you will go far in this business!...
With a shorter column this week I will just throw out a few things for your perusal that have been discussed over the past week at my favorite bar in the Valley, The Three-Dot Lounge. It’s what I hear, not necessarily what I think - but it might be...Everyone seems to agree that we need the presence of a second sheriff but the choice of Dennis Miller is receiving very mixed reviews...The A.V. Film Festival upcoming at The Grange (Jan 22nd – 25th), and benefiting local charities, is creating a buzz – not the least of which is surrounding the screening on Saturday, Jan. 24th of ‘Pig Hunt’, filmed locally and featuring some familiar faces. Rumor has it that legendary blues-harp player Charlie Musselwhite, who has a small part in the movie, might make a surprise performance at the screening...Meanwhile, Gschwend Road’s D’Ann Wallace, formerly the owner of The Horn of Zeese Restaurant in Boonville, and a ‘crew’ of local girls/women/socialites went ‘over the hill’ on Hwy 253 last Saturday to celebrate D’Ann’s Birthday – despite my exhaustive investigations apparently “what happens in Ukiah stays in Ukiah!”...Senior High School student Cassidy Hollinger will be going to Vassar College in the fall – one of the country’s better colleges – a great achievement! I always thought that the ‘leader’ of the Sombrero Six would show her melodramatic critics that a little harmless fun on a school trip to Mexico would not be detrimental to her future...The building that formerly housed The Highpockety Ox remains closed and so by my reckoning that’s nearly a year’s worth of rent lost by ‘King’ Ken Allen who apparently continues to insist he will not sell the water rights to the building as part of any future deal – some might say he is being very greedy; others might say he is just being ‘Ken’...According to many of those who might actually know, the most authentic Mexican food in the Valley is served at Alicia’s Restaurant in Boonville...Pughs Plus won the Trivia Quiz at The Boonville Lodge last week. The team consisted of Terry Ryder and mother Muriel, along with Jeff Pugh, wife Donna Pierson-Pugh, and son Jim. Does being part of this victory mean that Donna, currently the Elementary School Principle, has the inside track to the High School Principal position whenever this becomes open (assuming she wants it)? I couldn’t possibly comment but in my humble opinion, it can certainly do her no harm...
Perhaps I should go now - I’ll get my coat shall I?...Be careful out there; think good thoughts; support your local businesses; and may your god go with you…Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”…Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
p.s. Many thanks to Silver Swan and Ducklips for my Christmas ‘bonus’ – you made a Turkey Vulture very happy!...
You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net…
Quiz answers...
1. Ben Anderson, son of Bruce, is calling the plays for the young ‘ballers.
2. Joanie Clark does the administrative ‘stuff’, etc. for the Lions - no relation to Christine Clark, who is the President.
3. Arline Bloom manages the money matters for the I.C.W.

# 144 - January 7th, 2009

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…Hopefully you are fighting off the post-holiday blues and are looking forward to a happy, healthy and overall damn good 2009...To help get you through any temporary doldrums that you may be wallowing in, let me remind you that in the next few weeks we have two Crab Feeds (on Jan 17th and Feb 7th, both at The Fairgrounds in Boonville) and a Film Festival (Jan 22nd thru’ 25th at The Grange), not to mention The Variety Show in early March (6th and 7th) to rehearse for. So there’s plenty to look forward to and, for an appropriate Quote of the Week, I turn to President Kennedy who said, “We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes”...At this point I just fear that there may not be enough crab for the rest of you – but I hope there is!
In the meantime there is always the Valley Quiz to keep you going - answers at the end of the column...
1. What was the primary crop in the Valley in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s?
2. What is the nickname of the Greenwood/Signal Ridge area of the Valley?
3. What were the first three modern wineries to open in the Valley in the early 70’s – in order please!...
This column is called “A Bird’s Eye View” simply because from my various vantage points, and through my many contacts and undercover reporters, I try to watch and report on many of the goings-on in and around The Valley and to share my observations with the captivated readers, whether they are good, bad, or just plain ugly – the ‘goings-on’ that is, not the ‘captivated readers’!...Anyway, this past New Year’s Eve celebrations perhaps highlighted the fact that despite all the blending of the various cultures, groups, and sub-groups in the Valley over the years, when it comes to a ‘Big Night Out’ people still want to spend time with their loved ones and their closest friends, in a place where they feel comfortable and/or at home, and being surrounded by other like-minded individuals – why wouldn’t they?...The Valley seemed to be split into three somewhat distinct components on this night. Of course there are numerous people who fall into none of these and furthermore, this is just a few brief generalizations from by a bird of prey studying Sociology 101 so what can you expect – Darwin?...
Anyway, one group was centered around the annual ‘Boontberry Bert’ Party and later gathered at Lauren’s Restaurant where the Peanut Butter Jam Band played – generally these were people who have moved to the Valley at various times over the past thirty years; another group saw fireworks, ‘bombs’, and a fun-filled evening of mask-wearing and merry-making at The Boonville Lodge – a gathering of folks whose families typically have been in the Valley for forty years or more and many of whom attended the local High School; whilst a third group, the Mexican community, were generally at their homes or those of friends and family, enjoying their own scene, also often involving fireworks plus plenty of home cooking. Each group seemed to have a marvelous evening without any unseemly incidents to report...There is obviously nothing wrong with any of this of course – it’s a great thing in fact – but it does indicate that the polarizing of communities still exists in these parts at times, despite what some might say...To me it shows that the wonderful ‘melting pot’ of cultures, belief systems, and backgrounds that makes up Anderson Valley, and which exists as a strength of the Valley’s well-being each and every day both at work, school, and often in other social situations, can at times be poured off into its various components and can still be equally as strong and beneficial. In my humble opinion, this form of polarization continues to be real and present and is not a bad thing at all...
Moving on...This has just arrived from my top political correspondent, Balding Eagle, who is spending the final few weeks of the Bush Presidency embedded with Onion Magazine at The White House...Eagle reports, “President George W. Bush is becoming unusually reflective in the final weeks of his administration, taking time during speeches and press conferences to look back on key decisions, expound on his legacy, and tout his role in paving the way for the nation's first African-American president by serving eight years as its first openly gay president. "I'm inspired by our great country's willingness to look past the color of a man's skin—or, in my case, his overt homosexuality—and elect him based on his ability to lead," Bush told reporters following his meeting with president-elect Barack Obama on Dec. 29th. "I've always been proud of my homosexuality, and I am so proud of the United States."...Bush added, "Thank you, America, for taking a chance on an openly gay man from Texas: tight jeans, cowboy hats, and all."...Recalling how he worried during his first campaign that voters were not ready to put a gay man in the White House, Bush said he was "shocked and overjoyed" to win in 2000, and could not have done it without homosexual adviser Karl Rove, his strong base of closeted gay ultra-conservative supporters on the Christian right, and his "best friend" Laura.”.... Thanks for your insightful report, Eagle, I must say Bush had me fooled for a time, but ultimately it became quite obvious...
Perhaps I should go now - I’ll get my coat shall I?...Be careful out there; think good thoughts support your local businesses, and may your god go with you…Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”…Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
p.s. R.I.P. Hans Kobler, founder of Lazy Creek Winery – “by their fruits ye shall know them”...Wonderful job, Hans...
You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net…
Quiz answers...
1. Hops were the main cop with apples taking over from the 1930’s to the 1960’s.
2. Vinegar Hill (or sometimes Vinegar Ridge) – so-called for one of two reasons, both of which have validity. Firstly, because during Prohibition people would say they were trekking to the ridge to get some “vinegar”, or secondly, perhaps, because unripe and/or rain-and frost-damaged grapes often went into the wine, making it ‘vinegary’...
3. Husch (1971), Lazy Creek (1973), and Navarro (1974)...