# 164 - June 24th, 2009

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... And let’s get straight in to some important Public Service Announcements... #183 - It’s that time again – the final weekend of the month means that The Barn Sale will take place at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville. It goes from 9am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, June 27th and 28th – I’ll be the one evaluating the new bbq grill masters (serving 11am – 2pm) in the tried and trusted manor – by eating excessively!... #184 – Tomorrow, Thursday, June 25th, will see the monthly visit by the Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital to Dig Landscape and Garden Supplies, north of Philo on Hwy128. If you have some pet needs please go along and support this wonderful service from 2pm – 3.30pm...And finally this week, #185, a heads-up for next weekend’s Olde Time 4th July Celebration at the Fairgrounds from noon to 4pm – parades, games, music, food, drink, and a tug-of-war – what more could you possibly want?...
We have a special visitor to the Valley this week, my Goddaughter, Grace Goshawk, who will be staying at The Nest and hopefully learning a thing or two about carrion and sheep stomachs from yours truly – a little bit more interesting than the usual Goshawk diet of bats, possums, and rabbits, wouldn’t you say? Anyway, unlike most Goshawks, she does not have a fierce expression on her face and is actually very friendly, so if you see us around town please give a wave – she will not peck your eyes out, I can virtually assure you...
On to the topics under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge - yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite bar/restaurant in the Valley at a location known only to those ‘in the know’... Reviews of the A.V. Theatre Guild’s recent production continue to be expressed around The 3-Dot and most are positive, the vast majority suggesting that Director Rod Basehore, the cast, and the crew all did a great job. However, many of those same reviewers believe that the choice of play (‘A Thurber Carnival’) was a big reason for the disappointing attendances and, for those who did make it to The Grange to see our local thespians tread the boards, the material was found to be frequently not that ‘entertaining’ - the real attraction was to witness the acting of friends and acquaintances. That’s too bad, but this kind of feedback and constructive criticism may prove to be useful and perhaps a more accessible choice of play, appealing to a wider range of people, will be shown next year – easy for me to suggest, I’m sure... Following further investigations, I have it on good authority that Dick Sands was indeed fired from his job as the driver of the Seniors’ bus after twelve years of service. He made a mistake, a serious one but one that could have been forgiven, and now he has paid a very hefty price. Perhaps there were other reasons, may be there were liability issues; may be the ‘powers-that-be’ wanted him out anyway. He says it might be a good thing for him but, having spent a little time with him since the firing, one cannot help but think that deep down he is bitterly disappointed and hurt. Meanwhile, all at The 3-Dot wish him well... And now a few “quickies’... The I.C.W. (Independent Career Women) is not a ladies drinking club – a myth that needs to be dismissed a.s.a.p. (By the way, their monthly gathering is this evening, June 24th at Frida Fox’s. Bring a bottle - - - I’m kidding!)...It is felt that Principal J.R. Collins will not be leaving the High School anytime soon...There will be at least one football team at the High School this fall...Wineries situated in the Yorkville area are not invited to the A.V. Pinot Festival...More seniors would have received scholarships at the Graduation ceremony if they had simply applied for them!... There are no sawmills in the Valley for the first time since 1860! Not a rumor, that’s a fact; and for many Valley folks a very sad state of affairs indeed...
And that leads me to The Quote of the Week...It’s from former President Ronald Reagan who somehow has had the revisionist historians applauding his term in office as one of the best ever, conveniently forgetting all the crazy stuff he did and said. For example, he was responsible for the classic, “If you’ve seen one redwood tree, you’ve seen ‘em all.” Not the brightest of fellows was he, and surely not one of the Top Ten Presidents of all-time, as some would have us believe!?
Before I go, I’d like to pass on to you, under the heading ‘Life Lessons’, a little more advice you may find useful at some point – ‘The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are
laughing WITH you.’...Does this mean that Reagan was a big drinker?
Oh, dear, have I upset somebody? - I’ll get my coat and leave shall I?... Be careful out there, stay out of the ditches; think good thoughts, and may your god go with you...Remember, it can get hot out there so please keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle....Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”… Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net