# 260 - May 25th, 2011

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... Despite my quite substantial weekly intake of wine, primarily for health reasons as you know, I didn’t really take part in any of the Pinot Festival activities that took place here in the Valley last weekend. No doubt the many experts in town for the three-day festival aired their oenophiliac views endlessly, pontificating on the grape at great length, and turning quite short stories into very long ones. Call me a philistine if you like, but I would like to think that if it tastes good and pairs well enough with what you are eating to give you that orgasmic sensation of which I have spoken before, then what more do you need to know? I see it as a little like art in the sense that all that really needs to be said is ‘I don’t know wine but I know what I like’, and then shut up and sip a little more...
Public Service Announcements… Lots of Memorial Day Weekend Events to tell you about... #176 – It’s the final weekend of the month so that means time for another Barn Sale. As always it takes place at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville, from 9am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, May 28th/29th... #177 – This Friday evening will see opening night of the A.V. Theater Guild’s annual production at The Grange. This year’s play, entitled 'Southern Hospitality', is written by the same author as last year's popular show, and the curtain will go up at 7pm on Friday and Saturday evenings, both May 27th/28th and June 3rd/4th. With director Rod Basehore at the helm, and his ever-improving ensemble of actors 'walking the boards', I imagine it will be a 'must see' event on this year's Valley social calendar... #178 - the A.V. Senior Center Flea Market is all weekend long (Friday thru’ Monday) at the Veteran’s Hall parking lot – there’s bargains galore and snacks too. For further information call Gina at 895-3609... #179 - the A.V. Art Guild Open Studio Tour is Saturday thru’ Monday. You are invited to visit the artists in their creative spaces as they work on painting, glass, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics and more. Call Peggy to find out more at 895-2493... #180 – The Lion's Club ‘Chicken and TriTip Barbeque’ (yes, there will be chicken too) to benefit the AV ElderHome is on Sunday, May 29th from 5pm to 8pm at the Redwood Grove in the Fairgrounds! This special event includes a silent auction with a well rounded assortment of services and products from our local merchants, restaurants and artists including a picnic table, private lunch/brunch in the garden at the hotel for 6 to 8, Sierra Nevada tickets, yoga classes, etc, etc... #181 – And finally, please give serious consideration to attending the Memorial Day service at the Memorial Wall in the Evergreen Cemetery on A.V. Way on Monday, May 30th at noon. This is ultimately why this upcoming holiday weekend exists and a special and quite short event is being put on by the A.V. Veterans to commemorate those who have died while serving in the military. With U.S. servicemen and women continuing to perish in various theaters of war, a good turnout would surely be a sign that their efforts have not been in vain and are deeply appreciated by those of us who live on. And with that in mind, for the Quote of the Week, let’s turn to Francis A. Walker, American economist, statistician, journalist, educator, academic administrator, and military officer in the Union Army, for his words “We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them”...
Moving on to a couple of the topics under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge - yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley...
... Many regulars continue to rave about the inspiring sight of the two horses and their foal in the field alongside Hwy 128 next to Breggo Cellars. Nature is a wonderful thing...Not so many regulars, although I would be one of the few, were praising the job done by my brethren at the end of Holmes Ranch Road where a small fawn was devoured by several Turkey Vultures in about three hours last Wednesday afternoon – hey, that’s nature too and it was simply Nature’s Garbage Collectors doing what they do best...
... Hard to believe but several regulars pointed out that this past Saturday saw our wonderful local book store - Laughing Dog Books - celebrate its first birthday. There was quite a gathering at the downtown venue and with owner Loretta Houck at the helm pouring the champagne, and the whole inventory 20% off, I imagine everyone had a splendid time - great job Loretta!...
... Egg News... I find myself continuing to rave about the delicious and large free-range eggs available from Jennifer’s 100 Chickens in Philo. They are just too good for me not to mention, and I can assure you I have no financial gain or ‘egg-bonus’ for doing so! They can be found in the little refrigerator a few yards off the west side of the road at 7900 Hwy 128, about ½-mile north of downtown Philo, just past and opposite the 22.34 mile marker. I suggest you call Jennifer at 895-2585 before stopping by... Oh, and for previous customers, she asks that you drop off your egg cartons, please...
Well now I think it’s time to take my leave... With the hot weather almost with us, please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle... Otherwise, ‘Keep the Faith’; 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”… As always, humbly yours, Turkey Vulture...
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net

# 259 - May 18th, 2011

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... Well, ‘The Turkey Vulture has landed’ as someone very famously once said... Yes, I’m back here in ‘paradise’ after a very large dose of the ‘real world’ that is out there. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you are aware, some of it isn’t pretty... Meanwhile here in the Valley, a scene that might not have been pretty was the annual Beer Fest. However, once again it was relatively trouble-free with very few arrests and, despite the vast quantities of alcohol consumed, people generally behaved themselves. Some locals thought ahead and had arranged designated drivers to get them home from downtown Boonville – two of these drivers were A.V Elementary school teacher Val Smith and former High School principal, J.R. Collins – good job on every front I’d say...
First up this week, let’s have the Public Service Announcements... #339 – This coming weekend (20th-22nd) sees the annual A.V. Pinot Festival here in the Valley with the technical conference on Friday; wine tasting at Golden Eye Winery on Saturday afternoon followed by winemaker dinners in the evening; and open houses and special tastings at various wineries on Sunday. Call 895-9463 for further details... #340 – the Boonville Farmer’s Market is in full-swing now and is once again taking place at the Boonville Hotel parking lot from 9.30am to noon on Saturday (21st)... #341 – The Boonville Big Band is appearing in town this weekend. They will be on stage at 9pm on Sat 21st at Lauren’s and as usual I imagine a good time will be had by all who attend... #342 – There is still time to get your tickets for an upcoming event benefiting the Anderson Valley Ambulance Service. It’s ‘James Taylor Roberts’ Tour of His Home & Garden’. Nationally renowned for outstanding design, Jim has been featured in Island Home, House & Garden, Trends and Options Magazines. This event will feature wine pairings with small tastes and local artisans will be displaying and selling their ornamental garden oriented sculptures, pots and totems on the central lawn. It takes place on Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 1pm to 5pm; $40/person, sales limited to 250 tickets. For more information call Ginger Valen at 707-895-9424...
Memorial Day Weekend is just round the corner (May 27th-30th) and I’ll have all the details next week but for now let me tell you that it will feature the opening of the A.V. Theater Guild’s annual production at The Grange; the A.V. Senior Center Flea Market; the A.V. Art Guild Open Studio Tour; and the Lion’s Club BBQ to benefit the Elder Home – yes, folks, it’s going to get a little crazy around here!... Having said that, it would be very heart-warming if there were to be a good turnout for the one event that actually commemorates Memorial Day and the reason why we all get the long weekend to enjoy these events. I’m talking about the service put on by the A.V. Veterans that will be held at the Memorial Wall in the Evergreen Cemetery on A.V. Way on Monday, May 30th at noon to commemorate U.S. soldiers who have died while serving in the military. This day was first enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War and it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars. With U.S. servicemen and women continuing to perish in various theaters of war, a good turnout at this short ceremony would surely be a sign that their efforts have not been in vain and are deeply appreciated by those of us who live on... Hope to see many of you there...
With this in mind how about a couple of Quotes of the Week that would be appropriate with this important day approaching?... It was Joseph Campbell, the American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion, covering many aspects of the human experience, who said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” And the poignant line from the Reverend Aaron Kilbourn, “The dead soldier's silence sings our national anthem”...
Moving on to a few of the topics under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge - yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley...
...The big topic of conversation was the rumor that, as a result of certain people’s behavior at recent Grange events, every function at which alcohol was to be sold at that venue would now see two professional security guards present. Anderson Valley community gatherings to be over seen by an out-of-town ‘militia’?!!?? – ‘Say it ain’t so’... It did not seem right, so for further investigation I turned to my ace crime reporter, Balding Eagle... It turns out that this rumor is not true. The main problem has been that a very small number of people have been taking drinks outside, while others have taken their own alcohol to events and smuggled it in, with the joint result being that some underage drinking has ensued. Furthermore there has been a couple of altercations at recent events, again induced by excess alcohol... Now the Grange Committee has to come up with some plan to stop this but they will not be introducing such draconian measures as described above. In order to ensure people take responsibility for their actions, and to foster a greater sense of community, some sort of in-house ‘policing’ will have to be arranged by the organizers of each event . I’m sure the Grange Master, David Norfleet, and his Grange committee will come up with a fair and reasonable way of doing this that will both prevent the problem from continuing and yet at the same time not involve ‘Big Brother’ being invited to come along and watch over us...
... Many regulars agreed that it was great to see that the couple of Canada geese have once again returned Bill Hill’s Big Hole – the huge pond on Hwy 128 opposite Breggo Cellars that otherwise would not be a popular landmark...
... Many thanks to ‘Anonymous’ who took me aside and commented on a recent column of mine – ‘You got great points there, that's why I always love checking out your column.’ Yes, I’ve always thought that Anonymous was a smart fellow and he was only on his fourth beer when he spoke...
Well now I think it’s time to take my leave... With the hot weather almost with us, please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle... Otherwise, ‘Keep the Faith’; 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. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at
p.p.s. Hi, Silver Swan – behaving yourself? Hopefully not!
p.p.p.s. On the sheep, Grace...

# 258 - May 11th, 2011

Greetings, one and all, if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... My absence continues in a far off land although I hope to return next week to resume my 'Bird’s Eye Views'... In the meantime, I have been encouraged by the many messages sent by loyal readers and in response, although I cannot report on local affairs at this time, I can certainly pass on a few Public Service Announcements to my faithful readers who need to know...
No. 103 - Good news from Lauren's Restaurant in downtown Boonville - the Summertime Lunch has returned! It is served from Thursday through Sunday from 11.30am to 2.30pm and is certainly something I highly recommend... No. 104 - Having said that, just down the road in the heart of town, there is a the delicious brunch on offer at The Buckhorn on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 4pm. From the chicken fried steak and eggs to the wonderful omelettes and Eggs Benedict dishes, accompanied by a mimosa or two, I would suggest it doesn't get much better than this... No. 105 - It's Beer Fest time! This coming weekend sees the 15th such event at the Fairgrounds in Boonville from 1pm on Saturday (14th). As part of the celebrations, the A.V. Senior Center is presenting a Spaghetti Feed on the evening of Friday (13th) at the Veterans Hall - not something to be missed I can assure you... No.106 - The monthly Grange meeting is next Tuesday at 7pm - at The Grange believe it or not!... No. 107 - And finally a 'heads-up' for the end of the month production of this year's play by The Anderson Valley Theatre Guild. It's by the same author as last year's popular play, entitled 'Southern Hospitality', and the curtain will go up at 7pm on the Friday and Saturday evenings, both May 27th/28th and June 3rd/4th. With director Rod Basehore at the helm, and his ever-improving ensemble of actors 'walking the boards', I imagine it will be a 'must see' event on this year's Valley social calendar...
'That's all for now folks', I have to see a man about a sheep, a dog, a few pigs, and definitely a flight outta here!...‘Keep the Faith’; 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. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at

# 257 - May 4th, 2011

Greetings, one and all, I hope you are sitting comfortably because I am still not... My absence continues in a far off land although I hope to return in a week or so to resume my 'Bird’s Eye Views' at that time... In the meantime, I have been encouraged by the many messages and in response I just wish to pass on a few Public Service Announcements to my loyal and faithful readers...
No. 75 - The Bake Sale resumes on the porch at Lemons Market in Philo at 10am on Saturday, May 7th. All proceeds will benefit the Philo Methodist Church and Pat Hulbert’s cookies, Zuke bread, Huckleberry and Apple pies, and tarts, are not to be missed – they will sell out, I’m sure...No. 76 - It's that time once again - Opening Day of the Boonville Farmer's Market! This exciting occasion will feature all the usual goodies plus the Spring Plant Sale. It's this coming Saturday (7th) from 9.30am until noon in the Boonville Hotel parking lot.. No. 77 - Heads-up for The Boonville Beer Festival the following weekend, at 1pm on Saturday, May 14th. As part of the celebrations, the A.V. Senior Center is putting on a Spaghetti Feed on the evening of Friday (13th) at the Veterans Hall - not something to be missed I can assure you...
'That's all for now folks', I have to see a man about a sheep, a dog, a few pigs, and definitely a flight outta here!...‘Keep the Faith’; 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. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at