# 352 - March 27th, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… In an extremely secretive service held at a location and on a date that cannot be shared, my family and brethren were honored by having the 2nd tallest tree in the Valley’s majestic Hendy Woods, at 343.6 feet high, being officially named ‘Turkey Vulture.’ Needless to say we were all deeply moved…

       Anyway, with this in mind, and in my continuing efforts to raise the intellectual level of the contents of this column, here is a short tutorial on the world’s tallest trees – and they are all right here in northern California…

       The coast redwood is one of the three sequoia tree species, together with the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) and the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) grows in a long, thin coastal area along the Pacific Ocean in the west and northwest of the US (mostly California). It is the tallest species of tree in the world.

       With its relatively slender silhouette this tree can grow even up to 60 ft taller than the tallest giant sequoias, that are nevertheless the biggest trees in the world, when looking at the volume of the trunk. The tallest known living tree in the world, named Hyperion, is 379.46 ft (measured in 2006) tall! This gets close to the 390’ to 425’ range that, according to a 2004 biological study, is the maximum attainable height of a tree.

       In Anderson Valley we are extremely fortunate/honored to be the home for six trees at 340 feet or taller. These are all in Big Hendy Grove in the Hendy Woods State Park, with the tallest being Polysprout at 344.6’. After the 2nd-placed Turkey Vulture, and tied for third, are Backloop and Humboldt both at 342.5’. The fifth tallest is Butress at 341.6 and in sixth it’s Whirlaway at exactly 340.’ I am indebted to Valley resident Patrick Miller for leading me to this invaluable research carried out by the Native Tree Society. The Society’s members have complied a list of the 222 confirmed Coastal Redwoods over 350 feet. Plus a list of those in the 340’ class – in which the six above appear. Here are the current top three and past tallest:

1. 379.46ft - Called ‘Hyperion’, in the Redwood National Park, listed as the World’s Tallest Tree since 2006.

2. 376.41ft – ‘Helios’, in the Redwood N.P., and ranked as the world’s tallest tree from 7/1/2006 to 8/25/2006.

3. 372.3ft – ‘Stratosphere’, in Humboldt Redwoods State Park and world’s tallest tree from 2000 to 2006.

4. (Now ranked 11th tallest) 368.2ft ‘Mendocino’, in Montgomery Woods State Reserve, and world’s tallest from 1996 to 2000.

5. (Now ranked 34th tallest) 362.8ft ‘Libby’ (A.K.A. Tall), Redwood N.P. and the titleholder for world’s tallest from 1963-1996.

       Fascinating ‘stuff’ eh?... Check out all this and much more at either

www.landmarktrees.net/tall.html or

http://www.ents-bbs.org/viewtopic.php?t=4440&p=18791

       Inevitably there is only one area to delve into for your Quotes of the Week on this occasions – that of “God’s First Temples” – a phrase used to describe groves of trees by William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post… There is this from American poet, Lucy Larcom (1824-1893), “He who plants a tree, plants hope”… A ludicrous comment from former President Reagan, pretty much summing him up despite what revisionist history’s views of this man may have you believe – “If you’ve seen one Redwood tree, you’ve seen them all”… And let’s finish with a far more intelligent comment from Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music, becoming the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, who observed, “Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven”…

       Moving humbly on… Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #652 - The Vets from Mendocino Animal Hospital will return to the Farm Supply tomorrow – Thursday, Mar 28. If you have left it to late on this occasion, be aware that if you are a previous client you can call them 48 hours in advance (462-8833) to ensure that your pet’s charts are brought ‘over the hill’ and also order any medications your pet might need. New customers and their pets are always welcome. They will be back twice in April – on Thursdays 11 and 25… #653 – The A.V. Lions Club will resume their annual fund-raising activities on Sunday March 31 when their Easter Breakfast will take place from 8am – 11am in The Apple Hall at The Fairgrounds in Boonville. This year’s event will benefit the Future Farmer’s of America (F.F.A.) and will be followed at noon sharp by the Easter Egg Hunt for kids from pre-school thru’ 4th-grade in the lawn area behind the Hall…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the next week at the Senior Center at the Veterans Hall in Boonville… The Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches… Tomorrow, Thursday, March 28, the lunch, served at 12.15pm, will be Lemon Chicken, Wild Rice, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach & Strawberry Salad, Triple Chocolate Dessert … Then next Tuesday, April 2, the lunch served by Marti Titus and her crew will be Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Rolls, Wild Rice & Arugula salad, Raspberry Gelatin, birthday Cupcakes... 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 get together and share their thoughts about Valley life…

… The ‘All that Good Stuff’ store has moved and is open for business in the SoBo district of downtown (next to firehouse)…

… Here’s a few of my ‘objective’ selections for various Valley honors that were shared with 3-Dot regulars over the past week… The Valley’s Best Cesar Salad is served at Lauren’s Restaurant – I may not have tried everyone’s but it just is … Worst Valley ‘hobby’ – letting your dog run alongside your truck on as you drive along the backroads – the somewhat inevitable result has occurred too many times… Best fresh-laid ‘real’ eggs – at the A.V. High School Ag class… Best draft Guinness – The Buckhorn… Hardest working volunteer – a very competitive category but I have to go with Sheri Hansen of both the Senior Center and A.V. Historical Society… Best Annual ‘Valley Folks’ event – the two crab feeds… Most Irritating Valley phrase – “Oh, I don’t watch television”… Runner-up – “He/she did a poor job but he/she is such a nice person”… Most Pleasing Valley phrase – “If there is anything I can do to help, let me know”…

… A number of Three-Dot regulars are wondering why none of the winery’s frost protecting ‘helicopter-like’ fans have been heard this spring. Obviously the wineries have had relatively few frosts to deal with but there have been some cold nights and yet no deafening fans waking up the ‘neighborhoods’… Perhaps the wineries have installed new fans or even changed their frost protection techniques? I don’t know what the answer is, but either way the result is a far more civilized way to co-exist…

… Talking of wineries, and bearing in mind the recent additions and subtractions, here is my most recent Tasting Room Count… My research leads me to believe we shall soon have 30 tasting rooms between Yorkville and Navarro… As an occasional wine-sipper and friend of many folks in the industry at various levels, I sincerely wish each of them success… However, there must be concern that this density of tasting rooms will work against all of them surviving over time – unless of course somebody builds a motel in the Valley to house the guests needed to support them all… But that’s a discussion for another time…

       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…

# 351 - March 20th, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… It’s the first day of Spring! Anyone feel like prancing through a meadow like a young gazelle? Oddly enough, I don’t… In fact, following a heavy weekend-long St. Patrick’s Day celebration I actually feel more like lounging on the sofa like an aging sloth… But that’s just me – go ahead and prance if you feel the need…

       And while you’re doing that, maybe enjoy thinking about these words on the subject of Spring, which I present as your Quotes of the Week… First let’s turn to Margaret Atwood (1939-?), the Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist who wrote, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt”… And how about this from author/journalist Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) who remarked, “When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself” – I couldn’t have put it better myself, Ernie… Next we go to a comment with which I and many others no doubt strongly agree - wise words from baseball ‘man and maverick’, Bill Veek (1914-1986) who very accurately commented, “The true harbinger of spring is not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of the bat on the ball”… Then there is this from distinguished Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), “Spring is the time of plans and projects”… And this from non other than Sitting Bull (1831-1890), tribal chief of the Lakota Sioux, who observed, “Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!”… And finally, perhaps the most ‘poignant’ of all, from actor/comedian Robin Williams (1951-?), “Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party!”…

       Moving on… Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #652 - The Vets from Mendocino Animal Hospital will return to the Farm Supply next week – Thursday, Mar 28. If you are a previous client you can call them 48 hours in advance (462-8833) to ensure that your pet’s charts are brought ‘over the hill’ and also order any medications your pet might need. New customers and their pets are always welcome… #653 – The A.V. Lions Club will resume their annual fund-raising activities on Sunday March 31 when their Easter Breakfast will take place from 8am – 11am in The Apple Hall at The Fairgrounds in Boonville. This year’s event will benefit the Future Farmer’s of America (F.F.A.) and will be followed at noon sharp by the Easter Egg Hunt for kids from pre-school thru’ 4th-grade in the lawn area behind the Hall… #654 – As already discussed, Spring is here, and things are very busy in the A.V. High School Agriculture Dept. The laying flock of chickens is doing its job and they are providing about a dozen eggs per day. These are free-range fresh eggs and they are selling for $4.00 per dozen. Call the Ag Dept at 895-2514 or 895-3496 Ext 116. They actually taste like eggs – imagine that! They are delicious and, as I may have said before, trust me on this - you can thank me later…

As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the next week at the Senior Center at the Veterans Hall in Boonville… The Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches and for the dinners it is $6 and $8 respectively… Tomorrow, Thursday, March 21, the lunch, served at 12.15pm, will be Lasagna, Vegetable Mornay, rolls, Dried Fruit & Ferro Salad, 3 Bean Salad, Hawaiian Carrot Cake … Then next Tuesday, March 26, at 6pm, the dinner served by Marti Titus and her crew will be Beef Stroganoff, Butter Noodles, Carrots, rolls, Strawberry Gelatin, Wheat Berry Salad, Italian Cream Cake…This is also Game Night so bring your favorite game to play or hang out and visit with friends… Hope to see you there…

       The Three-Dot Lounge has been closed for the past week to cater the private St. Patrick’s Day function so we have nothing to report in the way of “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley where people get together and share their thoughts about Valley life… However, our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, has managed to pull himself together and here are his thoughts for this week… “There is NO truth whatsoever to the unfortunate rumor that the Animal Rescue of Anderson Valley, the wonderful organization that has done so much for the Valley’s (and County’s) pets and animals over the years, has folded. I spoke at length to founder Cheryl Schrader and following her departure to the Sierra foothills to be closer to family, the local Animal Rescue operation in Boonville has closed, although they are continuing to do as much as ever to help animals in need but for now it is being run out of their Ukiah office. Cheryl continues to respond to phone calls and Ember Koski, a major volunteer and organizer for the group, is as good a person as any to talk too. The two numbers to contact A.V.A.R. are 707-895-3785 (Cheryl's voice) and 707-621-2912 (Ember's voice) and the organization’s website/Facebook page is www.facebook.com/andersonvalleyanimalrescue. In the upcoming months fund-raising efforts will take place and the operation will re-organize. They will survive, but some new leaders/volunteers locally would certainly help – after all, if this group goes under then it would be as clear a sign as any that the Apocalypse is upon us…”

       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. Hi, Silver Swan – behaving yourself? Hopefully not!

p.p.p.s. On the sheep, Grace…

# 350 - March 13th, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… By the way, for those of you operating on ‘Deep Boonville Time’, the clocks went forward last week and I guess it’s about time you were made aware of this… Meanwhile, here is this month’s list of ‘Birthday Boys and Girls’ – “Many Happy Returns!” to each and every one - Berna Walker, Bob Spears, Francis Vandervort, Joy Frazer, and last but by absolutely no means least, Willis Tucker…

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #651 - St Patrick’s Day is this coming weekend and in celebration there will a special corned beef, cabbage, and potato dinner on Saturday, Mar 16 at The Apple Hall in Boonville to benefit the Senior Center. With Green Beer and Irish coffees, music from Chorus Eight Voices, and a no host bar, tickets are $20, Kids under 12 & Seniors $15. Available at A.V. Senior Center, Laughing Dog Books, Lemons Market, Rossi Hardware, and Rancheria Reality… … #652 - The Vets from Mendocino Animal Hospital will return to the Farm Supply later this month – Thursday, Mar 28. If you are a previous client you can call them 48 hours in advance (462-8833) to ensure that your pet’s charts are brought ‘over the hill’ and also order any medications your pet might need. New customers and their pets are always welcome… #653 – The A.V. Lions Club will resume their annual fund-raising activities on Sunday March 31 when their Easter Breakfast will take place from 8am – 11am in The Apple Hall at The Fairgrounds in Boonville. This year’s event will benefit the Future Farmer’s of America (F.F.A.) and will be followed at noon sharp by the Easter Egg Hunt for kids from pre-school thru' 4th grade in the lawn area behind the Hall…

       And with farming in mind, here are a few comments on that noble profession for your Quotes of the Week… First, let’s turn to these words from President Eisenhower, “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field”… And a cynical point of view, that might be aimed at some naïve and idealistic ‘brightlighters’ who might well be the owners of ego-vineyards, comes from S.J. Perelman (1904-1979), the American humorist, author, and screenwriter who said “A farm is an irregular patch of nettles, bounded by short-term notes, containing a fool and his wife who didn’t know enough to stay in the city”… On a far more positive note let’s go with Bharati Mukherjee (1940-?), the award-winning Indian-born American writer, currently a professor in the department of English at the University of California, Berkeley, who commented, “A farmer is dependent on too many things outside his control; it makes for modesty”… And finally, a very uplifting perspective from Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), the American essayist, lecturer, and poet who developed ideas such as individuality, freedom, the ability for humankind to realize almost anything, and the relationship between the soul and the surrounding world. It was Emerson who said, “The first farmer was the first man; all historic nobility rests on the possession and use of land”… Precisely…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the next week’s lunches at the Senior Center in the Veterans Hall in Boonville… The Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches… On Thursday, Mar 14, the lunch, which is always served at 12.15pm, will be Vegetable Beef & Barley Soup, Garlic Bread, Arugula Salad, and Toffee Pudding Bars for dessert… Then next Tuesday, March 19, Marti Titus and her crew will be serving Citrus Cod, Polenta w/ Red Peppers, Green Beans, Citrus Barley Salad, and Chocolate Cherry Torte for dessert… 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 get together and share their thoughts about Valley life…

… A number of curmudgeonly regulars missed the Variety Show this year commenting that an ‘over-18’ version of such an event is long past due. For the first time in many years, I also failed to make the show, and in a Valley relatively quiet on the quality adult entertainment scene, their remarks certainly have a ring of truth. However, now the talking has to stop, the walking must begin, and someone just has to organize it!...

… Mixed reactions at The 3-Dot to the plans for filmmakers to ply their trade in the Valley in the form of a movie entitled ‘Need for Speed.’ It is apparently based on a video game in which young folks drive fast cars as they compete in ‘underground’ road races. Sounds boring and many local folks will feel it is hardly the thing we need to support around here and our kids do not need to be exposed to this kind of ‘stuff’, but some would say it will bring much-needed cash to the Valley for local businesses and if we don’t do it some other ‘valley’ will. Besides, these folks point out, the kids here already have access to such ‘thrills’ with the ludicrous amount of time many of them spend on video games of a similar nature... To air your opinions the film’s producers have invited the community to attend a ‘Town Hall Meeting’ tonight (Mar 13) at the Fairgrounds from 4pm – 5.30pm…

… The move of popular local store, ‘All That Good Stuff,’ from the Farrer Building to ‘Benntraub Square’ in SoBo by the fire house, is no doubt taking place as I write and a number of regulars were looking forward to a celebratory opening party of some sort. I hope to keep you posted on a date and time…

       I’m outta here… 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.p.s. Skylark – read any good books lately?

# 349 - March 6th, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… And even if you are “sitting comfortably,” then any discussion of last week’s farcical developments at the local high school would no doubt soon put an end to that… This may not be the appropriate place for such a serious topic but The Old Buzzard did want to chime in with a comment at the end of this column in his ‘Signs of the Apocalypse’ piece… Read on…

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #761 - The Vets from Mendocino Animal Hospital will return to the Farm Supply in the Valley twice this month – tomorrow, Thursday, Mar 7 and then on Mar 28. If you are a previous client you can call them 48 hours in advance (462-8833) to ensure that your pet’s charts are brought ‘over the hill’ and also order any medications your pet might need. New customers and their pets are always welcome… #762 – St Patrick’s Day is approaching and in celebration there will a special corned beef, cabbage, and potato dinner on Saturday, Mar 16 at The Apple Hall in Boonville to benefit the Senior Center. With Green Beer and Irish coffees, music from Chorus Eight Voices, and a no host bar, tickets are $20, Kids under 12 & Seniors $15. Available at A.V. Senior Center, Laughing Dog Books, Lemons Market, Rossi Hardware, and Rancheria Reality… #763 – The 22nd annual Variety Show is this weekend, Fri/Sat Mar 8/9, curtain at 7pm each evening…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the next week at the Senior Center… The Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches, and $6 and $8 respectively for the evening meals. On Thursday, Mar 7, the lunch, always served at 12.15pm, will be Pineapple & Pepper Chicken, rice, Cauliflower, Wheat berry Salad, and a Raspberry Whip for dessert… And then next Tuesday evening, Mar 12, at 6pm, Marti Titus and her crew will be serving a dinner featuring Oven BBQ Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, Broccoli, Rolls, Quinoa Salad, Orange Gelatin, and Pineapple Dream Cake - a feast that will be followed by Bingo at 7pm… 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 get together and share their thoughts about Valley life…

… Local gift store and so much more, ‘All that Good Stuff’, is planning to move on Sunday (March 10)… Owners Leslie and Claudia are leaving The Farrer Building, where the business has resided for the past 23 years, to their new location in SoBo, next to the fire house, where they will re-open on Wednesday, March 13, with a Grand Re-Opening Party to follow – details of which are to be announced next week…

… As for the space left at The Farrer Building, rumors abound… Some folks are of the opinion that initially it will host the expansion of the Farmer’s Mercantile Store from next door. In the future, and should the expansion not work, it is anyone’s guess what will happen there, although a pharmacy, a real pizzeria, a bank – things the community would really benefit from, or a carrion deli, stocked with a wide range of decaying animal flesh, are all unlikely. This is a business space and it needs to make money. Even if it ends up being a place selling costly items to people with the money to spend on such things there is nothing wrong with doing that… But I do know a few folks who would agree that a carrion deli would be a lovely addition to the downtown commercial district… 

… With summer approaching, I am informed that the tasting room count in the Valley has hit thirty!... For them all to succeed, it must be hoped that the tourists are particularly thirsty this year, not to mention locals and certain birds of prey too… See you among the vines…

… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs of the Apocalypse’… Buzzard reports, “Well it certainly seemed to some folks that the Apocalypse had arrived this past week when events at the high school took on an almost circus-like appearance. In the uncomfortable atmosphere of an edgy School Board meeting, held at the school cafeteria on Monday evening and attended by yours truly and over 100 other members of the public, a series of faculty members, clearly in favor of Mr. Jim Tomlin staying on as Principal, unanimously sang his praises, with just a couple of conflicting opinions coming from a parent and former teacher, both in favor of his tenure being ended. Many folks believe Tomlin to be a decent man, but as a Principal of the high school a number of Valley people obviously feel the school can do better and the result, made by a Board clearly not swayed by this heavily-weighted gathering, was 3-2 vote in favor of the decision to fire Mr. T…. A major part of discussions behind closed doors was probably based on whether his tenure as Principal was providing continuity or was it creating a comfort zone of complacency. The majority of the Board, three members who represent a wide range of the community, obviously thought the latter was the case, along with, one has to assume, other shortcomings in Mr. T’s performance. These were not spoken of by the Board at this time with the result that, as night fell over the Valley, the faculty was not happy and there were rumblings of some form of protest.

        “Unfortunately for them, and other supporters of the beleaguered Principal, early the next morning, Mr. Tomlin, apparently having decided that this whole process had become personal, seemed to take leave of his senses and saw fit to fire the high school baseball coach Ben Anderson - the same Ben Anderson who was one of the three Board members to vote in favor of Tomlin’s termination the previous evening. Reverberations were immediately felt around the Valley, covering a range of emotions from confusion and incredulity to anger and disgust. Any sympathy for Jim felt by his opponents evaporated and by lunchtime on Tuesday, following some rapid back-peddling by school administrators, Anderson was back in the dugout, Tomlin was on ‘sick leave’, the faculty was assumed to be reeling at the behavior of their ‘leader’, and the series of events was being held in head-shaking disbelief on the streets and in the gathering places of the Valley. If this ‘plot line’ had been presented on a daytime soap, it would have been regarded as implausible, if not downright ridiculous… Now we hear that some of Mr. T’s supporters are pushing for a recall of the three Board members who voted for his dismissal. I have a feeling this may be a fruitless endeavor. This is our school, not a soap opera, and one would hope that the firing fiasco could quickly be put behind us, the vote of the Board adhered to, and the new opportunities that have arisen be seized upon as a chance for a positive and enlightened move forward with the backing of the community as a whole.”

       Oh, dear, has the Buzzard upset somebody? Surely many people agree with his comments? O.K., just in case, I’ll get him out of here and escort him back up into the hills… But before doing that, and until we talk again, remember to – ‘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…