# 317 - July 25th, 2012

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... Two old-timers sadly passed recently and condolences go out from many Valley folks to the families and loved ones of both Cleo Hixon, who was remembered last week, and Harold Hulbert, whose memorial is this coming Friday, Aug 27th at noon in the Apple Hall at The Fairgrounds in Boonville … 

       “So what do you do up there in Anderson Valley?” is a question I am frequently asked by Brightlighters who cannot imagine that there is vibrant life beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. Well, in terms of variety and sheer enjoyment last Saturday evening here in the Valley would be on a par with anything the great City of San Francisco could offer, I’m sure. As I zoomed manically up and down Hwy 128 I managed to take in some of these events that were being enjoyed by hundreds of folks on a beautiful evening in the Valley. There was Amanda Hiatt’s wedding at The Fairgrounds at which she tied the knot with Jaime; the first anniversary party at The Madrones for Bink Winery and their delicious wines; top class live music provided by Roy Rogers at the Navarro Store’s amphitheatre; Mateo La Campagna’s 10th Birthday Party in Perry Gulch, a very lively affair hosted by parents John and Andrea; and a special benefit held at The Grange for Efren Mendoza who is fighting cancer. Each event was well attended and I cannot imagine many people were at home on such a night of great activity.        

The always-smiling Efren is one of the most popular gentlemen in our Mexican community – as evidenced by the large turnout, and the following afternoon, I stopped by the Mendoza house on Philo and spoke with him as he sat with wife Dary, father Juan, and son Michel, amongst the beautiful roses he so lovingly cares for. He remarked that he had been overwhelmed by the crowd that had shown up at his benefit the previous night and told me that he was “going to beat this thing.” No doubt the many, many people who have been affected by Efren’s warm heart and generosity over his thirty or so years in the Valley will be willing him to do so.

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready... #127 – Last call for the Guest Chef Dinner on Friday, July 27 for which a few tickets remain. Jared Titus is the chef and he’ll be serving an Italian Summer Grill featuring salads, grilled chicken and shrimp, and canolis. This is an outdoors event on the lawn at the Senior Center with Dean Titus and Susan Clark providing live jazzy music, with fire pits adding to the ambiance of what should be a lovely summer evening. $30/person, which includes your donation and a complimentary glass of wine… #128 – On Saturday, July 28, The California Wine Tasting Championships take place at Greenwood Ridge Vineyard. Call 895-2002 for further details… #129 – The “Not-so-Simple Living Fair” will return once again to The Fairgrounds in Boonville over the weekend of July 27 thru 29. This event celebrates rural living skills and features workshops, demonstrations, local food, etc. Check out www.notsosimple.info or call 895-2949… #130 – The Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, July 31. They will be stationed at Floodgate from 1-1.45pm, Philo 2-2.45pm, and in Boonville at the Apple Building 3-3.45pm… #131 – Heads-up on the next Barn Sale – moved from the last weekend of the month to the first weekend, so it’s Saturday/Sunday, Aug 4 & 5, from 9am to 3pm each day… #132 – The annual A.V.H.S. Soccer/Futbol Alumni Tournament is set for Saturday Aug 11 at Tom Smith Field at the high school from 2pm to 5pm. Teams will include graduates from 1995 to 2012 plus the current school squad…

       Moving quickly on to a few of the topics and Valley events 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 where people gather and share their thoughts about Valley life...

… It was unanimously agreed by every 3-Dot customer that if you owe someone money, and repeatedly promised to pay them back but haven’t, then perhaps you should. Today would be a good time to accept the responsibility, ‘do the right thing,’ and take care of this… I am just saying…

... PawFest 2012 raised approximately $4,000 for A.V. Animal Rescue and had many of the 3-Dot regulars gushing with praise. Their most common remarks were centered on the facts that firstly it was wonderful to see so many dogs and their owners together in one place, and secondly that the delicious bbq prepared by A.V. Lions’ Judy Long, Olie Eriksen, and Bill and Robin Harper went perfectly with the Poleeko Gold Pale Ale generously donated by the A.V. Brewery… Yer gotta like that!!...

... Loretta Houck of Laughing Dog Books in downtown Boonville tells me that e-book readers can now shop locally by going to LaughingDogBooks.com. Loretta comments, “We've been dragged - kicking & screaming - into the 21st Century, developing an on-line presence.  The site is brand new and a total "work in progress" that will include information about local book clubs, upcoming local events, and oh - "Great Reads" available in the store”… All serious readers no doubt wish this project well…

... From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series - ‘The Approach of the Apocalypse’... Buzzard reports, “There is also no truth to this past week’s rumor that effigies of Animal Shelter Cops, George Hodgson and Torsten Werner, were set alight following last weekend’s very enjoyable PawFest 2012 to benefit A.V. Animal Rescue. Such rumors are perhaps inevitable as these two ‘wannabe real cops’ have jobs that involve arresting dogs and cats, and euthanizing quite a few of them - with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm, some have said. In fact, believe it or not, Werner is an unpaid volunteer cop for this line of work! I couldn’t possibly comment further other than to say that, in my humble opinion, having domestic animals killed by people who are not even in a position of paid employment for doing so, is surely one more sign that the Apocalypse is fast approaching.”

       Oh, dear, have I upset somebody? In this case - too bad. Nevertheless, I’ll get my coat and leave... So until we talk again - ‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; stay out of the ditches; think good thoughts; please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle; 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 <turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net>

p.p.s. Keep on wagging that tail, Fred…