# 344 - January 30th, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… I must sadly inform readers of the passing of Harold Perry at the grand old age of 96, the Valley’s oldest resident. Harold was born in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma in 1916 and lived here for over sixty years. For a detailed look at his long and stories life, see Steve Sparks’ interview with Harold, reprinted in this issue. F.Y.I., my research shows that the oldest Valley resident now is Freda Fox (born 3/26/18) who will be 95 in March, while the second eldest, and the oldest man, is Ross Murray (9/16/18), who will turn 95 years young in the fall... 

     

       For the rest of us, life goes on… The second of the Valley’s annual Crab Feeds takes place this coming Saturday at The Apple Hall in Boonville. This one benefits the Catholic Church and, let’s be honest, perhaps even more importantly to most, it provides the kind of event – with the community sitting down to eat together - for local folks to get together and have a great time. It doesn’t get much more civilized than that! These two events are arguably the most A.V. community-based happenings in our busy social calendar, with the vast majority of the 325-plus who will be in attendance living here in the Valley and representing all walks of Valley life. It’s all-you-can-eat crab and so showing some ‘Greed at the Feed’ is totally acceptable. In fact such behavior coupled with the wine, beer, and Margarita’s, and of course the stimulating social banter, all go to make this an event not to be missed… Enjoy and be responsible…

         And now for some related Quotes of the Week… From Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), the French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe (a man of the dark side himself), let’s have, “It is the hour to be drunken! To escape being the martyred slaves of time, be ceaselessly drunk. On wine, on poetry, or on virtue or vice, as you wish” – very well put, wouldn’t you sat?!... Miguel De Cervantes, author of ‘Don Quixote’ and Spain’s greatest literary figure, offers a more serious and certainly more sensible point of view - “Drink moderately, for drunkenness neither keeps a secret, nor observes a promise”...Wise words of advice but I may have some difficulty in following them – oh, well... Then we have novelist and short story writer, W. Somerset Maugham (‘Of Human Bondage’ (1915)), who wisely observed, “Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.” – good stuff, William... Now let’s hear from Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), the English writer regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century, who knowingly commented, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” - I think ‘Ginny’ must have been at a few Valley Crab Feeds in her day… And of course I must finish with the classic comment on this topic by William Blake, who provides the following mantra for any self-respecting Turkey Vulture with “The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom” – precisely…

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #213 - the Crab Feed taking place this coming weekend in Boonville is sold out, and has been for about a week! However, Gloria Ross informs me that they do get cancellations and you could call her at 895-3071 to be put on a waiting list… #214 – There is a Super Bowl party planned at The Buckhorn in Boonville this Sunday. Owner Tom Towey tells me they will have a pizza buffet and specials from the appetizer menu, plus an 8’ screen with ‘Surround-sound’ for the big event!… #215 – The Vets from Mendocino Animal Hospital will next visit the Farm Supply in the Valley on two occasions later in February - Thursdays, Feb 21 and 28…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the upcoming week at the Senior Center… The Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches… Tomorrow, Thursday, Jan 31, the lunch, always served at 12.15pm, will be Tostadas – Chicken or Beef, Cheese, Lettuce, Avocados, Black Beans, Corn, Salsa, Fruit Salad, Green Salad, Mixed Berry Nachos and then next Tuesday, Jan 5, Marti Titus and her crew will be serving Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Corn, Quinoa Salad, and Birthday Cup Cakes… Hope to see you there...

       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…

… A number of regulars have commented on the continuing presence of the Christmas lights on the large tree in the Boonville Hotel’s parking lot – and they like them! So do I – they brighten up downtown and make it look as if there is a ‘scene’ going on… Which there often is, of course…

… Another regular and his buddies commented that the wine-pairing ‘rules’ of red wines with red meats and white wines with fish, chicken, etc, should not be written in stone, as it were. A couple of them were at Aquarelle in Boonville on Saturday night and raved about the pairing of the Edmeades Zinfandel which they sipped while enjoying the delicious Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion~Apple Chutney, Balsamic Glaze, Mashed Potatoes and Braised Greens. I absolutely agree with their comment about the pairing guidelines. Who doesn’t like a zesty sauvignon blanc with grilled sheep’s eyes or a full-bodied cabernet with a half-bodied squirrel?...

… On the same topic, I personally cannot speak highly enough of the Guinness and burger pairing at Lauren’s Restaurant. For a Friday evening Happy Hour treat, in my humble opinion, this is hard to beat…

… Many regulars are looking forward to the upcoming move of Leslie Hummel’s and Claudia Jimenez’s ‘All that Good Stuff’ store from their current location in the Farrer Building to SoBo, just south of downtown Boonville, where a new building has been constructed at the Weintraub/Bennett property, a location that is already home to other small businesses. The move should happen in the next few weeks and a ‘community celebration and moving party’ is in the works. I shall keep you informed…

… Super Bowl feelings around the Three-Dot see the 49ers beating Baltimore by more than the 3 or 4 points they are favored by. I concur and suggest you place a crisp $100 bill in the hands of your friendly neighborhood bookie and give the points. Just joking, as it would be illegal to do so…       

       Well now I think it’s time to take my leave... So, 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 humming, Hummingbird…