# 153 - March 18th, 2009

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…Woe is me! Sorry folks but the column will be shorter than usual because I have been stricken with...“the thing that is going around,” Not only that but it meant that I was unable to make it to the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner to benefit the A.V. Senior Center at the Apple Hall in Boonville on Saturday evening – I hope it was a success. It was the first one I’ve missed for years and can only drown my sorrows and cheer myself up with the thoughtful words of Irish ‘philosopher’ Brian O'Rourke who sagely observed, “When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!”...It’s quite difficult to argue with such wisdom, isn’t it? And that’s your Quote of the Week...
They’re back! Following a three-month hiatus during which they took a well-deserved break yet still managed to put together a superb crab feed in Boonville and a St. Patrick’s Day event in Elk, The Barn Sale Crew, led by Gloria Ross and the Holcombs, will soon return to The Big Barn, behind The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville. It’s from 9am to 3pm, both Saturday and Sunday, on the weekend of March 28th and 29th...Bargains galore will be on offer and I am assured that Bill’s excellent Holcomburgers will be sizzling on the grill awaiting your healthy appetites. Why wouldn’t you be there?
The Wine of the Week...A week or so ago, as I sipped the Claudia Springs Zinfandel and devoured the various sausages laid out before me, I couldn’t help but think, “it doesn’t get much better than this.” The sausages were three proto-type varieties produced at Bay Creek Farm on Ornbaun Rd in Boonville (895-2013) where the pigs are organically raised, fed, and butchered under the expert eye of Alan ‘my sausage is better than yours’ Thomas. They were all very good indeed – the sausage with pesto and walnuts; the hot Italian sausage; and the sausage with bacon inside – yes, you read that correctly!! With the hearty Zinfandel (an excellent wine with many beef or pork dishes) to wash them down, I have to say, perhaps rather predictably, that I felt I was in hog heaven – not a bad place to be, I can assure you...
Of course that can only bring us to The Whine of the Week – although not so much a whine, but more of a concern...Potentially disturbing news came to my attention this week when some customers at The Five-Dot Lounge informed me that their dog had to have both a tooth pulled and a cyst removed last week. The vets they had always used, like many other pet owners around here, including myself, were those at the Mendocino Animal Hospital – often positively reviewed in this very column. However, those guys quoted a price for these procedures of $1300! The pet owners thought this was way too much and called other vets. For exactly the same treatment they were quoted $600 by the vets at Yokayo Veterinary Center on North State Street in Ukiah. They went ahead with the less expensive work and were very satisfied with the care and attention the dog received for less than half the price. I have always said that the Mendocino Animal Hospital vets are extremely professional, very caring, and also provide a wonderful service by visiting the Valley on a monthly basis, albeit somewhat inconsistent in terms of the actual day. I have also said they are expensive and charge for every single little thing they do. In these times of economic cutbacks for many, perhaps it is time to shop around for your pet’s needs, particularly if this incident is an example of their current pricing policy...
I should go now – I’ve got medications to take and a man to see about a sheep...Be careful out there; think good thoughts; 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