# 357 - June 5th, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… It’s going to get very warm - I could be wrong of course, and my weather guru Dave Gowan is no longer around these parts to consult with, but I think last week’s day of rain and drizzle might be just about our lot for the next four months or so. With many creeks almost dry already and most pastures and hillsides already brown, the water prospects in the Valley are not good. Hopefully the wineries and pot growers will take heed and leave some for the rest of us…

      Talking about thinking of others, as I flew up and down the Valley over the Memorial Day weekend, observing the activities at the various restaurants, stores and wineries, at my first stop, the Evergreen Cemetery on A.V. Way, there was a small group of maybe 20 Valley folks gathered at The Wall of Remembrance for the short but very relevant Memorial Day service put on by the Veterans. Certainly there had been a few showers earlier, and more rain was threatening but, to be honest, this service to commemorate those who had given their lives serving in the military deserved a better turnout. After all, those who perished had to deal with far more than a few raindrops I am sure.  It seems that the weekend saw most folks busy living their lives and enjoying the ‘holiday’ with family and friends, which is fine, and has great merit of course, but it would certainly have been heart-warming to see a better turnout. Oh, well, it is what it is… 

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #561 – The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will return to the Valley just once in June - from 2pm to 3.30pm on Thursday, June 13 at the A.V. Farm Supply just north of Philo on Hwy 128... #562 – the A.V. Grange Local Food Pancake Breakfast is at The Grange from 8.30am to 11am this coming Saturday, June 9… #563 - the monthly Community Drum Session is next Wednesday, June 12 – contact Rob 3897 or Andy 3020 for further details… There’s not much else on the social calendar to report over the next week in the Valley and near points beyond, but later in the month all sorts of events will be taking place. These include The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival – June 21-23; The Kate Wolf Music Festival – June 28-30; the Bite Hard Bicycle Road Race – June 29; the Senior Center Guest Chef Dinner – June 29; and the ‘Sing-along-a-Liddy’ Community Singsong – June 29... Then in July it really gets busy - looks like your calendar is going to be full…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the next week at the Senior Center… For lunches, the Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors, and $6 and $8 respectively for the evening meals. On Thursday, June 6, the lunch, served at 12.15pm, will be Fish & Chips, Corn Bread, Tarter Sauce, Cole Slaw, Tabbouleh Salad, and Banana Split Cake for dessert… And then next Tuesday evening, June 11, at 6pm, Chef Marti Titus and her crew will be serving a dinner featuring Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce, French Bread, Cauliflower & Broccoli, Carrot Salad, and Dessert - a feast that will be followed by Bingo at 7pm… Hopefully you will be able to attend, and remember – ALL ages are welcome!…

       Moving 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 (and often Reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley where people get together and share their thoughts about life in A.V.…

… On my travels out and about in the Valley on Saturday evening, I was very pleasantly surprised by the ‘top notch’ appearance of many high school students in their Prom outfits as they ‘wined and dined’ at their pre-Prom gatherings at various Valley eateries. I had no idea those boys could look so smart and handsome! Inevitably they were somewhat upstaged by the girls, who were absolutely radiant, but the boys did the school proud and our gender even more proud (or is it prouder?)…

… Old friend and owner of the Buckhorn pub in Boonville, Tom Towey, popped into The Three-Dot for a drink or five the other day and after catching up on each other’s news and confessing that his golf game was as inconsistent as ever, he reminded me that his fine establishment continues to offer their popular Prime Rib special on Thursday evenings. He added that in the next few weeks the pub would also be introducing a Karaoke Night, Fresh Fish Fridays, and the ‘Summer under the Stars’ series of live music performances on the patio… I’ll keep you posted…

… A few of our Three-Dot regulars are delighted that the General Knowledge and Trivia Quiz resumes its summer and fall schedule this week… That means the popular event is once again every Thursday at Lauren’s Restaurant in Boonville, with question time beginning at 7pm… An evening of delicious food, fine wine, and good beer; plus lively banter with friends and an exercise of the mind – what more can you possibly want from a night out?!...

… The decision on the next High School Principal will hopefully be made in the next week or so, and hopefully by that time all five members of the School Board will have participated… As mentioned by A.V.A. Supreme Leader Bruce Anderson in last week’s issue, certain members may have felt somewhat excluded from the selection proceedings. That may or may not be true – anything is believable given the events over the past few months on the stage at the local soap opera / high school campus… More importantly, in the minds of many regulars at the Three-Dot, hopefully any members who possibly did feel that way have by now thrust themselves, welcome or not, into the decision-making process and offered their thoughts and opinions on this very important matter…

… The ‘Potluck Season’ is officially underway – you know, the period of Valley gatherings when guests are invited to “Come to our house and bring something to eat and/or drink”… Having attended many of these gatherings I can say, somewhat knowledgeably, that a few people will bring very little and eat a lot, and others will bring plenty and eat their fair share… Of course, some folks think it refers to something else entirely and turn up simply because they think that with a bit of ‘luck’ they’ll get some ‘pot’. If this happens, these folks do tend to then proceed to eat quite a lot - you have been warned…

      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; 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 humming, Hummingbird…