# 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?