# 340 - January 2nd, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… Perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on the passing of these Valley folks who left us in the past fifteen months or so – they are gone but are no doubt fondly remembered by many. (I sincerely apologize for anyone I may have missed)... Walter ‘Shine’ Tuttle who was born in May 1915 and at 96 was the oldest person in the Valley when he passed last spring… Bobbie Hiatt… Efren Mendoza… George Bennett… Cleo Hixon… Harold Hulbert… Bruce Longstreet… Bobbie Peterson… Jamal Essayeh……………

         And for your Quotes of the Week, here are some heart-warming thoughts on the passing of loved ones... First it’s these words from Helen Keller, the deaf/blind author, political activist, and lecturer, who said, “What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us”... And there is this wonderful thought proposed in an Eskimo Legend – “Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy”... And finally, the anonymously written but poignant, “Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near; still loved, still missed and very dear”...

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #813 – The Vets from Mendocino Animal Hospital will be making two trips to the Valley on Thursdays in January – both the 10th and 24th… #814 – As mentioned last week, the Valley’s two Crab Feeds are coming up!! Yes, folks, a couple of the most popular events of the year are just around the corner and both will certainly sell out. The first, to benefit the Senior Center, is on Saturday, Jan 19 followed just two weeks later, on Saturday, Feb 2, by the event to benefit the Catholic Church organized by the irrepressible Gloria Ross. For tickets to the first of these events call 895-3609, and for the second it’s 895-3071... #815 - The Senior Center has been closed for the holidays but they will re-open for lunch tomorrow Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 12,15pm when Marti Titus and her crew will be serving Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Rolls, Brussels Sprouts, Bean Salad, Green Salad, Mixed Fruit, Birthday Cup Cakes... #816 – The A.V. Unity Club will present a special gathering on Thursday, Jan 10 at the Fairgrounds in Boonville. There is a lunch served at noon followed by a discussion topic entitled ‘Volunteerism runs the Valley’ – should be quite a crowd…

       The Wine of the Week… This has to be the superb Syrah from Bink Winery that I enjoyed at The Mad Magpie’s house last week. When served with a delicious elk steak dish it was, as I’m sure you can guess, positively orgasmic, and would go perfectly with any red meat – trust me on this; you can thank me later… As for the Whine of the Week, it is one that has often surfaced at this time of the year for someone like me, who enjoys a tipple at a local hostelry wherever that may be, and that is – annoying amateur drunken bastards. Fortunately the boorish behavior here in the Valley is fairly rare at this point in time, particularly this year when we were without a community party to go to (see below). The parties I attended on Monday night saw many people enjoying a civilized drink and convivial conversation, albeit increasingly full of gibberish as the evening moved along, but there is nothing wrong with that, certainly if it was me speaking! There were a couple of ‘sloppy’ folks but nothing too obnoxious at all. Most people are only out for four or five hours at the most whereas I remember in my days in San Francisco, for many it was a serious session of drinking lasting many, many hours. This was particularly true among the Europeans who started drinking at the time when the clock struck midnight to welcome in the New Year in their home country – in California, that’s just 3pm for those from continental Europe or 4pm for the Brits and Irish – they would not be a pretty sight a few hours later, I can assure you!... However, most people are pretty well behaved and for many it is a wonderful and moving event of course. Me included, even though when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame – briefly… I then look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver’…

       Moving very 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…

… Although there will not be an A.V. Film Festival this year, a number of regulars at the 3-Dot are very excited by the news that the A.V. Film Club, an offshoot of the Film Festival Committee, are putting together a series of movie nights in the Valley. The first of these is on Sat, Jan 5 at Lauren’s Restaurant at 8.30pm when the film ‘Under African Skies’ (2011) will be shown. This documents Paul Simon’s return to South Africa for the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of his Graceland album recorded there. Free admission, food and drink available…

… A couple of 3-Dot locals spoke very favorably of the warm welcome and delicious spicy pork lunch at Anel’s Mexican Restaurant in Boonville – just the latest in a series of very positive comments on the recently opened venue…

… Although there were a number of private and semi-private gatherings that took place on Monday evening, many Valley folks have commented how there is something very disappointing about there being no Valley gathering for New Year’s Eve… I have to agree…

… The Old Buzzard is on vacation but he did call in with an apology for a mistake that appeared in last week’s edition of his insightful series – ‘The Approach of the Apocalypse’… Buzzard reports, “I must correct the error in last week’s column when I referred to mass murderer Leonard Lake as Charles Lake – briefly confusing his first name with that of his diabolical partner in crime, Charles Ng. I will not confuse my serial killers again”…

       Well now I think it’s time to take my leave… May some of your dreams come true in 2013 and until we talk again – ‘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 <turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net>

p.p.s. On the sheep, Grace…

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

p.p.p.p.s. Keep on humming, Hummingbird…