# 430 - October 29th, 2014

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… After all the hullabaloo of the past few weeks regarding the trials and tribulations at the A.V. Health Center, I think we need a little ‘love’ to be spread around the Valley so let’s start this with some appropriate Quotes of the Week. There are obviously many, many comments on this topic but here are a few of my favorites…

       For the first of these I am indebted to A.V.A. regular contributor Steve Heilig, who recently signed off a message to me with ‘Yr fan’, and shared this classic remark by John Lennon (1940-1980) - "Did you heard that ‘Love Story’ movie theme saying 'Love means never having to say you're sorry'? Bollocks - love means having to say you're sorry every five minutes!"… Well, that’s Mr. Lennon for you - must have been before he met Yoko and got in touch with his sensitive side… Anyway, let’s have a far less cynical comment from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), the American poet and educator, who said, “Love gives itself; it is not bought”… And then there’s this from Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), the American Congregationalist clergyman and social reformer known for his support of the abolition of slavery, who remarked, “I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love”... It was the long-time Poet Laureate of Great Britain, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), who famously said “It is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all”… But let’s finish with a couple of more irreverent, yet perhaps equally as valid observations. First, this from Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957), the British poet and author of ‘Under the Volcano’, who insightfully remarked, “How alike are the groans of love to those of the dying”… And finally, coming full circle and returning to a more cynical view, we have this classic from Woody Allen (1935-), who wisely observed, “Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it”…

       Moving on… Here are this week’s Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #915 - Tomorrow, Thursday, October 30, the A.V. ElderHome is hosting a Community Meeting at the Senior Center at 6pm to explain future plans and to get community feedback… #916 - This weekend sees the monthly Barn Sale take place at the Big Barn on A.V. Way just north of Boonville. It’s Saturday/Sunday, November 1/2 from 10am to 3pm each day - is it too early to think about Christmas gifts?… #917 - The Mendocino Bookmobile next visits the Valley on Tuesday, November 4. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for 30 minutes); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details… #918 - This Friday, October 31, sees the Dark Carnival Halloween event take place at The Grange (not at The Shed as in previous years) from 6pm to midnight. It’s titled ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ with an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme for your costumes… #919 - No more visits to the Valley by the Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital can be announced at this time. Hopefully they will be back in December…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the Community lunches over the next week at the Senior Center at the Veterans’ Building in Boonville… The Center asks for a $6 donation from seniors and charges $7 for Non-seniors… Tomorrow, Thursday, October 30, the lunch, always served by Marti Titus and her crew at 12.15pm, will be Smothered Steak, Rice, Brussels sprouts, Rolls, Quinoa Salad, and Sugar Cookies for dessert … Then next Tuesday, November 4, the menu will feature Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Peas, Rolls, Quinoa Salad, and Birthday Cup Cakes... 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, a location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about life in A.V. and where we subscribe to the Winston Churchill philosophy that “A lie will get halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put on its pants”… So I’ll put my pants on and continue…

… Update on Justin Lee Schultz and Lola - these are the names of a young man and his dog whom I mentioned in this space a couple of weeks ago as they were on their way to San Diego. You may recall the reason for my doing so was that they were on a very basic motorbike, with Lola traveling in a open crate on the back, and they had been on the road for two months since they left Nebraska!... They were inseparable and my heart was greatly warmed by the connection between ‘man and dog’ and the adventure they were having together… Anyway, Jason Lee contacted the Three-Dot and writes, “I’ve called an end to my trip down the west coast - kind of. The plan was to drive Hwy 1 all the way down Oregon and California to San Diego but my sweet little pup, who means the world to me, came with a surprise. She had puppies on the way - five of them! I changed plans and headed to my brother’s in Scottsdale, Arizona so my girl can nurse her puppies in the comfort of a stable home. Bidding on the puppies will start at $8 million a piece! Well, Lola had the pups earlier than I thought but we made it there with a whole lot of help, including a nearly 500-mile tow from my big brother across the great American desert for my motorcycle, Lola, her 5 puppies, and me!! Now I get to hang out with my brother and the lovely Heidi Helena Cada until they kick me back to the highway”… The adventure continues…

… The Oktoberfest event to benefit the Senior Center resulted in a wonderful evening spent at the Big Barn located at the A.V. Farm Supply. The sausages, sauerkraut, and warm potato salad dinner, followed by the apple/nut dessert, all washed down with fine ales in the appropriately decorated location made for a great time and those who were not there are advised not to miss out next year… ‘Well done!’ to the hard-working Senior Center Board and their team of volunteers!...

… The following day saw a number of 3-Dot regulars visit the ElderHome Open House in Boonville and they were very pleased to see the progress that has been made in upgrading the building. The next step is to get some local seniors living there and I am reliably informed that in the next couple of months two of the units will be occupied by such folks!...

       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; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; 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”… Sometimes poking, often stroking, but always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture - pleased in the knowledge that the 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. On the sheep, Grace… Keep on wagging that tail, Fred… Everything cool with you, O.J.? Of course it is… Carry on humming, Hummingbird…