# 403 - April 23rd, 2014

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… There are many events in the Valley in the next week or so as summer approaches. With that in mind let’s begin with…

       Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #345 - The first in this year’s series of Guest Chef Dinners, that will take place every two months to benefit the Senior Center, is coming up in less than two weeks - Friday, April 25 to be precise. Happy Hour is at 5.30pm, followed at 6.30pm by a feast presented by the Elder Home Board that will feature Leg of Lamb and other Greek/ Mediterranean fixings that include Tsatsiki and hummus appetizers and Baklava for dessert. Tickets will certainly sell out so call Gina at 895-3609 to reserve yours, or pick them up at Rossi’s Hardware, A.V. Market, or Lemons’ Market in Philo… #346 - The monthly Community Sing-along at Lauren’s Restaurant is at 8.30pm on Saturday April 26… #347 - The annual Wild Flower Show is back again! It will take place this coming weekend, Saturday/Sunday, April 26/27 from 10am-4pm each day. Call Robyn at 895-2609 for more details… #348 - This Sunday, April 27, Anderson Valley Arts (A.V. Arts) will be holding a fundraising event, “Pie in the Sky”, at Lauren’s, from 3 - 6p.m. There will be live and silent auctions that will feature pie-themed artworks donated by local artists and delicious real pies from local bakers. There will be food, drink, and musical entertainment by Patty Liddy. Proceeds will benefit the A.V. Arts’ “Arts in the Schools” grants for supplemental arts education classes and activities, as well as scholarship programs for Valley students in grades 3-12 who are interested in attending visual and performing arts workshops, classes, and other activities. Scholarships are also provided to graduating seniors who will be attending college courses in the arts or art education. Tickets for the event are available at Lauren’s, All That Good Stuff, Rookie-To Gallery and at the door. For more information, call 895-2204 or visit A.V. Arts’ website at www.av-arts.org…. #349 - There will be a Bus Trip organized by the Senior Center on Wednesday, April 30 that will feature a lunch and tour of Black Bird Farms in Philo (the old Highland Ranch). Pick-ups are available from your home or from the Senior Center with arrival at Blackbird Farm at 11:45am. After lunch there will be a tour around the property, looking at the gardens, flowers, strawberry patch, livestock, pond etc. Cost for lunch and bus is $16 and seats are limited. Call Tamara at 489-1175… #350 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be making two Valley visits next month - on Thursdays, May 8 and 22… #351 - On Saturday May 10, Stoney Bottom Gardens in Boonville will be open to the public to benefit the Garden Conservancy. This spectacular private 6-acre garden in the heart of the Anderson Valley features Japanese maples, peonies, rhododendrons, azaleas, conifers, a large container vegetable garden/fruit orchard, dogwoods, and unique and charming garden sculpture, and will welcomes the public between the hours of 10am - 4pm. Entry is a $10 donation. Stoney Bottom is located at 13400 Anderson Valley Way, Boonville.  Further information can be found by calling 895-9424 or on the Garden Conservancy website…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the Community lunches and dinners over the next week at the Senior Center in the Veterans Hall in Boonville… The Center asks for a $6 donation from Seniors for both lunches and dinners and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches and $8 for the dinners… Tomorrow, Thursday, April 24, the lunch, always served by Marti Titus and her crew at 12.15pm, will be Moroccan Chicken Stew, Sweet Potatoes, Couscous, Faro Salad, and Strawberry-Lemon dessert… Then next Tuesday, April 29, the dinner menu, served at 6pm, will feature Rosemary Pork, Garlic Red Potatoes, Carrots, Faro Salad, with Texas Sheet Cake for dessert... Remember, all ages are welcome!... 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 (and surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley where people get together and share their thoughts about life in A.V.…

… Let’s hope that Sheriff Tom Allman’s unopposed third term in office works better than the ball-point pens he handed out at a fundraiser I attended. It was a very good event and clearly he is a very popular Sheriff, but everyone’s gift pen failed miserably. Just a small complaint but…

… A real wisenheimer at the Lounge asked if The A.V. Chamber of Commerce was the Valley’s best-kept secret! Some customers laughed at this harmless and mildly amusing comment, some humorless types leapt to the defense of The Chamber, and some simply nodded knowingly. I didn’t know what group to join, although it appears that some additional events have made it on to the Events page since I last checked...

… We folks at the Three-Dot have certainly got some mileage out of the winery bashing in recent weeks, all of it justified in my humble opinion. However, credit where it is due and two of the Valley’s wineries in particular continue to give generously to various Valley organizations. Both Navarro Vineyards and Greenwood Ridge Winery are always at the forefront when it comes to donations and neither blows its own horn about doing so. So let me do it for them and on behalf of the A.V. Senior Center and the A.V. Historical Society pass on sincere gratitude and appreciation…

… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, “ Hey, you Veggie-manicas, before you next raise your disapproving eyebrows when you see or hear about Turkey Vulture or myself devouring a squashed squirrel or sheep’s stomach take note…Vegetarians may have a lower BMI (body mass index) and drink alcohol sparingly, but vegetarian diets are tied to generally poorer health, poorer quality of life and a higher need for health care than their meat-eating counterparts.

       “A new study from the highly regarded Graz University in Austria finds that vegetarians are more physically active, drink less alcohol and smoke less tobacco than those who consume meat in their diets. Vegetarians also have a higher socioeconomic status and a lower body mass index. But the vegetarian diet — characterized by a low consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol that includes increased intake of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products — carries elevated risks of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders. Vegetarians were twice as likely to have allergies, a 50 percent increase in heart attacks and a 50 percent increase in incidences of cancer.

       “Overall, vegetarians were found to be in a poorer state of health compared to other dietary groups. Vegetarians reported higher levels of impairment from disorders, chronic diseases, and ‘suffer significantly more often from anxiety/depression.’

       “Subjects who consumed lower amounts of animal fat were also linked to poor health care practices, such as avoidance of vaccinations and a lack of preventive care. The researchers conclude: ‘Our study has shown that adults who consume a vegetarian diet are less healthy (in terms of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), have a lower quality of life, and also require more medical treatment.’

       “I rest my case… Time to go but I hope you all get to enjoy some juicy skunk brain this weekend, or at the very least a gopher burger - it appears that they’re good for you!”…

       Thanks for your input, Buzzard, see you at the possum bbq… Well now I think it’s time to take my leave - I’ve got see a man about a sheep… 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 - pleased in the knowledge that the wise old hare has returned safely to his burrow…

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. Skylark – read any good books lately?

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

p.p.p.p.s. Everything cool with you, O.J.? Of course it is…