# 482 - 28th October, 2015

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin… And surely an important place to do that would be to remind you that this weekend sees the end of Daylight Savings Time and therefore the clocks will go back… So, when it is almost dark on Sunday evening, it will be 6pm, not 7pm…

    And writing of ‘time,’ how about staying with that topic for some Quotes of the Week?… Here we go… First, these words from Josh Billings, the pen name of 19th-century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw (1818-1885) who in the latter half of the 19th century was a famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States, perhaps second only to Mark Twain, “Time is like money; the less we have of it to spare the further we make it go”… And next is this observation from Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), the American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian, etc, who said, “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity”… Then there is this thought from American author John H. Aughey (1828-1911), “Lost time is never found again”… And let’s finish with this piece of wisdom from Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790) one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and much more, who commented, “Dost though love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of”…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #475 - On Halloween (which this year is October 31st), the Handmade Carnival presents: A Woodland Adventure. They tell me that the Anderson Valley Grange will be transformed into a woodland paradise to raise money for the Valley Fire Relief Fund. The event, beginning at 5pm, is family friendly with lots of handmade games to play, prizes, dancing, and local food and drinks for all ages. The main stage will feature live music from Valerie Kim, The Ukeholics, The Raging Grannies, and a special guest headliner! The outdoor "Side Show Stage" will feature Jeremy Meyer and friends along with hip hop acts and an open mic (sign-up at 5pm). Kids games and prizes open until 8.30pm when the costume contest will be judged. Beer and Wine will be served by the Anderson Valley Grange. and alcohol proceeds will go to support the Grange.  $10 admission. Kids 12 and under are free… #476 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on one more occasion this month - that’s tomorrow! -Thursday, October 29 at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo from 2-3.30pm…#477 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, November 3. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 minutes); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details… #478 - The A.V Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1pm-4pm. Situated in The Little Red Schoolhouse next to the Elementary School on A.V. Way, this is a perfect thing to do in the Valley when you have a couple of hours spare on a weekend afternoon. It is not without reason that it is generally regarded as ‘The Best Little Museum in the West’… #479 - From local professional drinker, beer maker, and personal friend, Jack Ridley, comes this invitation… “Thanks for letting me discuss home-brewing and beer fermentation at the Fermentation Fest at the Grange recently. As I mentioned in that session, I'll will be brewing a simple “malt extract" beer (probably a clean, drinkable Pale Ale) on Saturday November 7 at my place to support "National Learn to Brew Day”. I'll start at 10 am, finish by 3pm. Anyone interested is invited. Address: 12040 Anderson Valley Way. Look for the Ridley Vineyards sign on AV Way, turn down dirt road, first drive on left, address on tree next to drive entrance. Attendees could bring some light munchies to share. I'll have plenty of beer samples. No RSVP necessary. Cheers, Jack” - Note - this will not be an alcohol free event…

    As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the Community lunches over the next week in 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 29, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Beef Stew and Pineapple-Cherry Dumps Cake for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, November 3, the lunch will feature Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes with gravy, and then Birthday Cupcakes for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal - it maybe the best $7 you’ll spend all week!  Hopefully you will be able to attend, and 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 (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley, a somewhat secret location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about life in Anderson Valley and often far beyond, 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, with that in mind, I shall quickly put my pants on and continue…
… A couple of regulars expressed disappointment that the Aquarelle Cafe and Wine Bar has already closed for the winter. It seems very early but, given that the owner (and tremendous chef) Christina Jones has recently had a baby and finding a replacement at her level for the kitchen is far from easy, then perhaps it is not… One positive result has been the significant increase in business at two other downtown Boonville eateries - The Buckhorn and Lauren’s Restaurant… Maybe the Redwood-Drive-In and The Boonville Hotel too - I do not know… With Libby’s Restaurant in Philo presumably closing for their usual extended winter break sometime soon, and Stone and Embers at The Madness continuing to tease us by opening for just 16 hours a week (and not at all in the evenings), it seems that the Valley is going to be a little short on dining options before, during, and following the holidays (apart from all the Christmas parties of course)… It will leave folks bewildered (and hungry) if the new restaurant at the Floodgate - The Beguiling Pig, does not get its doors open soon to take advantage of this situation…
… It was unanimously voted that any party where the hosts place a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey on the dining table, with an open invitation for the guests to help themselves, is a very good party indeed…
… Several regulars were of the opinion that the need to have Sheriff’s Deputy Craig Walker patrolling the highways and backroads of Anderson Valley after midnight, when 99% of the Valley is in bed, was hardly a good use of his time. Surely he would provide a greater service to the community if he was around in the daytime and into the evening until around 10pm or so, with perhaps some weekends excepted? Are you still reading my column, Sheriff Tom Allman? We’re just sayin’…
… School Board update… Well, three of the five members will be leaving in November, either because their terms are running out and they are not applying for reelection, or because they no longer wish to carry on - Martha Bradford, Patti Wilson, and Stacy Soboleski… There are two members staying on - Dick Browning and Erica Lemons… These changes have resulted in two new members being decided upon somehow, while one place still remains to be filled… I do not know who is involved in these developments, and those members of the public in general whom I have asked are even less informed than me…
    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave… Besides I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, that’s enough for now, “take me drunk, I’m home,” and until we talk again – ‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; 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 almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture - saddened but ultimately comforted in the knowledge that the old hare has safely moved to his new burrow in the sky…
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at
p.p.s. Skylark – read any good books lately?… Hi, Silver Swan – behaving yourself? Hopefully not!… Everything cool with you, O.J.? Of course it is…

# 481 - 21st October, 2015

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Knowing that my readership ranges from the 20-something know-it-alls and many enlightened young ravens to the fifty-plus know-it-alls and a large number of wise owls, I thought everyone might enjoy the following piece - well, particularly the latter group… Looking back on how the world has changed, let’s consider how things used to be from the perspective of a good friend of mine - one of the wisest of owls…    
    “First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/ or drank while they were pregnant - well, not all of us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then, after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires, and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. Why?
    “Because we were always outside playing - that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, As long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day and we were O.K. Our parents were not frequently checking in on us, playing a part in our lives that was not necessary… And they frequently told us ‘No’ and did not cater to our every whim…
    “We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes… We did not have i-Phones, X-boxes, play stations, etc, etc. There were no video games, no 250 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. We talked face-to-face with each other!… Yes, face-to-face!!!…
    “We had friends and we went outside, found them, and played with them. We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from those accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!… You graduated from high school and college - not kindergarten, 6th grade, and 8th grade too!…
    “That earlier generation produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 60 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, we were not excessively indulged, self-absorbed, or unable to deal with being held accountable for our actions - and we learned how to deal with it all….”

    Onward… Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #339 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on just one occasion this month - that’s next week, Thursday, October 29 at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo from 2-3.30pm… #340 - There’s Karaoke at The Buckhorn tonight, Wednesday, October 21. The show is hosted by Sarah Songbird Larkin of The Real Sarahs and it runs from 9pm until close… #341 - The A.V. Foodshed Farm-to-Table Dinner is taking place this coming Saturday, October 24 at The Shed behind Paysanne - for more information call 684-9662… #342 - On the same evening, the Annual Oktoberfest fundraiser presented by the A.V. Senior Center is set for 5pm (dinner served at 6pm) at its usual excellent venue - The Barn alongside the A.V. Farm Supply on Highway 128, just a little north of Philo. Tickets are $30 each which covers the dinner, dessert, a beverage, and your donation to the Senior Center… #343 - Open Mic at Lauren's Restaurant in downtown Boonville is this Saturday, October 24. Dinner is served from 5-9pm and the open mic sign-ups been at 8.30pm. All styles and expressions welcome (except mimes). Call 895-3869 for more details… #344 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market continues for just two more Saturdays before moving, I assume, to the General Store across the street for its winter stint. For now they remain in the parking lot at the Boonville Hotel, from 10am-12:30 pm. For more info, call Cindy at 895-2949… #345 - The A.V. Lending Library run by The Unity Club is open at The Fairgrounds on Tuesdays 1.30-4.30pm and Saturdays 2-4pm… #346 - The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals!…

    As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the Community lunches and dinners over the next week in the Senior Center at the Veterans’ Building 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, October 22, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be ‘Breakfast For Lunch’ and Cinnamon Roll Cake for dessert… Then, next Tuesday evening, October 27 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Buttermilk Chicken with Apple Cake for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal - it maybe the best $7 or $8 you’ll spend all week!  Hopefully you will be able to attend, and 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 (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley, a somewhat secret location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about life in Anderson Valley and often far beyond…
… Flu shots work!… Don’t believe the fear-mongering and clichéd conspiracy theories, take the opportunity to get yours at the Senior Center next Tuesday afternoon, October 27, from 4-6pm… You can thank me later…
… Many Three-Dot regulars were commenting that it had been quite a Homecoming 2015!… Yes, this past weekend saw our local school’s Homecoming celebrations take place and in the world of high school sports it could not have gone any better… First, we had the girls’ soccer team earning their first victory of the season against Upper Lake; then the next day the girls’ volleyball team extended their unbeaten run to 15-0 on the season with a comfortable win against Point Arena; this was followed by the Boys’ Soccer team beating previously unbeaten rivals Roseland Prep 3-0 on Friday afternoon; after which the football team beat Calistoga 44-24 in a game they had to win if postseason play was to be a vey good possibility… What a great series of performances - Go Panthers!!!!…
… Last week’s General Knowledge and Trivia Quiz (held at Lauren’s Restaurant every Thursday evening at 7pm) was won by The Bar Team, an eclectic group who sit at the bar and on many occasions in the past have won this keenly fought contest. However, victories have been few and far between in the last few months and rumors had suggested that their collective brain power was withering. But no, the naysayers were wrong, and on this occasion they were clearly back to their best as the team, featuring Geoff Thomas, Fred Wooley, Kim Howland, Brian Snelling, and Matt Barnes, managed to get one of the highest scores in recent memory. Yes, this is a smart and informed group - do not let appearances deceive you…
… Several Three-Dot regulars remarked on the strong aroma of marijuana emanating from a significant number of young folks in the Valley in recent weeks, many of whom have never been seen around here before… It is a mystery…
    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave - besides I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, that’s enough from me - “take me drunk, I’m home,” and until we talk again – ‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; 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 almost always 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
p.p.s. On the sheep, Grace… Keep on humming, Hummingbird…
Missing the Venerable Pheasant everyday…

# 480 - 14th October 2015

     Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin… And sometimes I think there is no better way to do that than by going straight to the Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)…        
     Calendars and pens at the ready… #336 - The annual Oktoberfest fundraiser presented by the A.V. Senior Center is set for 5pm, Saturday, October 24th (dinner served at 6pm) at its usual excellent venue - The Barn alongside the A.V. Farm Supply on Highway 128, just a little north of Philo. Tickets are $30 each which covers the dinner, dessert, a beverage, and your donation to the Senior Center. The menu will feature Pork Sausage, Beer-steeped Sauerkraut, German-style Warm Potato Salad with Bacon and Onions, Dessert, and local beer and Wine, with non-alcoholic beverages also being available… #337 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on just one occasion this month - that’s Thursday, October 29 at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo… #338 – The quarterly (?) visit to the Valley by the County HazMat vehicles will be on Friday/Saturday, October 16/17 at the County Fairgrounds in Boonville from 9am to 1pm each day. I urge you take the opportunity to get rid of your nasty rubbish as these guys will take virtually anything that you cannot take to the County Dump, including batteries and toxic materials, but not dead animals - please leave those to me and my relatives! Call 895-3011 for further details… #339 - The Food Bank is open on the 3rd Tuesday, October 20 - gardeners, farmers and produce growers of all kinds, remember to donate your extra produce. It will be greatly appreciated. Please drop off on the Monday before, behind the Boonville Methodist Church.  If you need someone to glean your produce to take to the Food Bank, contact Valerie Kim at valerie.h.kim@gmail.com. Denisse Mattei is the Food Bank director. You can reach her at 895-3763… #340 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, October 20. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 minutes); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details… #341 - The A.V Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1pm-4pm. Situated in The Little Red Schoolhouse next to the Elementary School on A.V. Way, this is a perfect thing to do in the Valley when you have a couple of hours spare on a weekend afternoon. It is not without reason that it is generally regarded as ‘The Best Little Museum in the West’…
    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 15, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Tamale Loaf, and Chocolate Zucchini Cake for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, October 20, the lunch will feature Moroccan Chicken Stew with Cherry Crisp for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal - it maybe the best $7 you’ll spend all week!  Hopefully you will be able to attend, and 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 (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley, a somewhat secret location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about life in Anderson Valley and often far beyond, 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, with that in mind, I shall quickly put my pants on and continue…
… Following the visit of the President to the Oregon town of Roseburg where the nine students were killed a week or two ago, a motion was unanimously passed among the Three-Dot regulars that the protesters in the town who ‘greeted’ Obama with shouts and placards suggesting he ‘Go back to Kenya’ are not the smartest of folks… Meanwhile, those residents asking that he allows them to keep their guns and, as one woman said, ‘to stockpile as much ammunition as she can get her hands on’ are merely expressing their Second Amendment rights or, in my humble opinion, actually misinterpreting them with regards to the 21st century…
… A Three-Dot regular informs me that two of the current five members of the A.V. School Board are leaving when their terms end in less than a month - Martha ‘Marti’ Bradford, who, after so many years service, to paraphrase an old Three-Dot joke, apparently will not be carried out of the boardroom in a box after all, and Patti Wilson… Richard ‘Dick’ Browning’s term is also up, but I am reliably informed he wishes to return and nobody has applied to oppose the sprightly 80-year old’s tenure at this point in time… The two other members - Stacey Soboleski and Erica Lemons, each have a couple of years to go in their terms… So, looking past the general public’s perception, right or wrong, that there is a somewhat cloak-and-dagger vagueness to how the Board seems to operate when it comes to elections and seemingly behind-the-scene appointments, I believe this means there are two places to be filled. I have heard one of them already has a nominee. There is a Board meeting this coming Thursday evening, November 15, so if anyone is interested in moving the school forward in a positive way and who can help to bring some enlightened and perhaps alternative views and energy to the group then this might be the last chance you get for another two years…
… A quick recap on Country Life - Rule 8: ‘If a property has open gates and/or broken fences, this will invariably result in dogs and livestock getting out.’ Commons sense, I know, but not for everyone apparently… And a further result might well be dogs being shot by farmers believing them to be a threat to livestock, or livestock themselves straying on to roads and causing accidents… All worth thinking about I’d say…
… Talking of dogs, and pets in general, the Anderson Valley Farm Supply is changing its inventory of pet food supplies and would like input from local pet owners as to their preferred products with regards to this. You are invited to all 895-3884 and let them know your pet needs…
… Looking for an excellent taqueria on one of your visits to Santa Rosa? I suggest Los Hermanos on Burt Street just off Santa Rosa Avenue, south of Highway 101 exit 487 - Yolanda Avenue/Hearn Avenue… There are many taquerias in the town of course but the fine food and excellent and warm service of this family run business is just about the best I have come across after years of research…
… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, … “Turning to events beyond these shores, our well-informed regulars agreed that the West’s main ‘ally’ in the Middle East, Turkey, is in serious peril of imploding as it approaches a ‘perfect storm’ scenario following Saturday’s bombings of a peace rally in the capital of Ankara that left over 100 dead. The situation there features deep political and social divides; the bubble of economic success on the brink of bursting; an impending confrontational election with the possibility of even greater violence; the threat of I.S. on its doorstep; over 2 million neighboring Syrian refugees already in the country with more on the way; and now to top it all off, there are Russia fighter jets invading their airspace… Certainly a framework for an approaching apocalypse, and one we should all be aware of, and yet ignorantly I’m focussed on the bewildering amount of time it is taking The Besotted Pig restaurant to open at the Floodgate… “

    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave… Besides I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, that’s enough, “take me drunk, I’m home,” and until we talk again – ‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; 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 almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture - saddened but ultimately comforted in the knowledge that the old hare has safely moved to his new burrow in the sky…
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at
p.p.s. Keep on wagging that tail, Fred… Hi, Silver Swan – behaving yourself? Hopefully not!… Keep up the good work, Round-eyed Robin

# 479 - 7th October, 2015

 Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    The A.V. Foodshed has reminded me of their ‘C’mon home to eat’ presentations in October, focussing on local foods featured at local eateries… They wish to remind you to take advantage of the opportunities and encourage your friends to do so as well. Here is a list of some of your options in the Valley...
*Special crepes all month at Paysanne
*Friday soup specials at Mosswood Cafe
*Weekly specials at the Boonville General Store
*A new local special at Lauren’s Oct 10
*A special local lunch at the Senior/Community Center Oct 15
*Yorkville Store special lunch Oct 17
*Boonville Hotel dinner featuring their garden and the Apple Farm Oct 29
*Boonville General Store pizza & pumpkin carving Oct 30
*AV Market Costeaux and Roundman tasting Oct 31

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #543 - The annual Oktoberfest fundraiser presented by the A.V. Senior Center is set for 5pm, Saturday, October 24th (dinner served at 6pm) at its usual excellent venue - The Barn alongside the A.V. Farm Supply on Highway 128, just a little north of Philo. Tickets are $30 each which covers the dinner, dessert, a beverage, and your donation to the Senior Center. The menu will feature Pork Sausage, Beer-steeped Sauerkraut, German-style Warm Potato Salad with Bacon and Onions, Dessert, and local beer and Wine, plus non-alcoholic beverages will also be available… #544 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on just one occasion this month - that’s Thursday, October 29 at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo… #545 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market continues every Saturday in the Boonville Hotel parking lot, 10 am -12:30 pm, featuring locally grown and produced vegetables, herbs, fruit and meat, as well as crafts and the last of the plant starts for your garden.  You will also find knife and tool sharpening some weeks, music and conversation every week, plus other featured events throughout the summer and fall.  For more info, call Cindy at 895-2949… #546 - The A.V. Lending Library run by The Unity Club is open at The Fairgrounds on Tuesdays 1.30-4.30pm and Saturdays 2-4pm… #547 - The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals!… #548 - The Anderson Valley Grange is having its regular second Sunday Pancake Breakfast on October 11 from 8:30-11am. Prices range from $5-10 - kids through hungry folks, for a delicious, locally-sourced breakfast. Choices include pancakes (gluten free available, but no gluten extra I am disappointed to report), eggs, and bacon, with a choice of juice, tea or coffee included… #549 - Next Wednesday, October 14, I am led to believe that the ‘Second Wednesday Drumming Circle’ will be returning to The Grange from 7-9pm. To confirm, perhaps call Andy at 895-3020…

    As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the Community lunches and dinners over the next week in the Senior Center at the Veterans’ Building 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, October 8, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Smothered Steak with Apple Crisp for dessert… Then, next Tuesday evening, October 13 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Chicken Gloria and Banana Pudding for dessert. As this is the 2nd Tuesday of the month, the dinner will be followed by Bingo at 7pm… All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal - it maybe the best $7 you’ll spend all week!  Hopefully you will be able to attend, and 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 (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley, a somewhat secret location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about life in Anderson Valley and often far beyond, 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, with that in mind, I shall quickly put my pants on and continue…
… Many folks continue to hungrily await for the almost irreplaceable Coq au Vin to be replaced at the Floodgate location by a new restaurant, The Bewitching Pig. It has been a long process, in fact almost ‘bewildering’ in its length and now it is looking like a late fall/ early winter opening… Nevertheless, as a devourer of fine foods, my expectations are high and I am looking forward to receiving my invite to the ‘soft’ opening any day now…
… Still on the topic of food, ‘The Porkie’ served at the Navarro Store on Saturday and Sunday afternoons by Grill Master Guy Kephart is surely one of the Valley’s finest offerings… Pulled pork wallowing in bbq sauce and served with cole slaw on top, inside a lightly toasted sourdough bun - it just makes a perfectly serene Sunday afternoon amongst the Deep End redwoods even better…
… At the time of writing, the drinking water machine at Lemons’ Market is still not working. Before you make the journey there to fill up your water jugs, may I suggest that you first contact the Market to see if they have it fixed by calling 895-3552… You may save some time, as I learned to my annoyance...
… The Barn Sale, held each month at the Big Barn at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville, will be open on the first weekends of both November and December when Christmas items will be available…

    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave. Besides I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, that’s enough for this week - “take me drunk, I’m home,” as the saying goes, and until we talk again – ‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; 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 almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture - thinking you should now that we Turkey Vultures are monogamous and mate for life and sometimes, to prove our loyalty, we like to indulge in an ‘erotic’ display dance on our nesting grounds…
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at
p.p.s. Missing the Venerable Pheasant everyday… Keep on humming, Hummingbird… On the sheep, Grace…

# 478 - 30th September, 2015

Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Following the events of the horrendous Valley Fire not too far away from here in recent times, the irrepressible Judy Long, President of the A.V. Volunteer firefighters Association, made a presentation to our local ICW (Independent Career Women’s) organization last week with this in mind. These are some of her suggestions on preparedness in case a similarly awful event occurs in the Valley, along with some ideas from ICW members who were present… A plan on where you will go; information on a key person to contact; keys in your vehicles, gas too; cash on hand - small bills if possible; tinned food items; water, pet food, warm clothing, tent, and sleeping bags ready to go; a file with copies of your important documents and, for your insurance company, photographs of your important belongings so that claims can be dealt with efficiently and effectively; a camp stove; a couple of pots, frying pan, and cooking utensils; paper eating-utensils; fire extinguisher; personal hygiene items; cell phone, phone charger, and local phone book; first aid kit (including bug spray); tool kit; collapsible pet carriers; inclement weather clothing and heavy-duty footwear; a whistle; a Swiss Army knife or similar tool; a battery-operated radio and extra batteries; flashlight (and extra batteries), solar lights, and glow sticks; and no doubt more items you can come up with yourselves… ’Heaven forbid,’ but it could happen here, and adherence to this list will probably be of great assistance if it does…

    Since the Fair ended it has been a slow-ish week on my social calendar so let’s go to the Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #543 - The Barn Sale returns this coming weekend for its monthly opening at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville. It is open from 9am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4… #544 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on just one occasion in the next few weeks - and unfortunately, due to staffing levels, it’s not until Thursday, October 29… #545 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, October 6. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 minutes); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details… #546 - The A.V Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1pm-4pm. Situated in The Little Red Schoolhouse next to the Elementary School on A.V. Way, this is a perfect thing to do in the Valley when you have a couple of hours spare on a weekend afternoon. It is not without reason that it is generally regarded as ‘The Best Little Museum in the West’…

    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 1, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes with gravy, and Birthday Cupcakes for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, October 6, the lunch will feature Potato- Kielbasa Skillet, with Texas Sheet Cake for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal - it maybe the best $7 you’ll spend all week!  Hopefully you will be able to attend, and 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 (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley, a somewhat secret location that sees people get together and share their thoughts about life in Anderson Valley and often far beyond, 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, with that in mind, I shall quickly put my pants on and continue…
… The A.V. Lions raised/earned over $900 in tips for their efforts on the beer booth at the County Fair. They have now decided to take these funds and supplement them with an additional amount from their frequently opened reserves to make a total donation of $1500 to the Lake County Lions as that organization continues in its efforts to help those in need following the tragic Valley Fire, which saw so many lose so much… For the umpteenth time, I find myself saying, “Well done for doing the right thing, A.V. Lions!”…
… Is there a better version of Huevos Rancheros served to the public in the Valley than that offered at The Buckhorn, Boonville, for weekend brunch from 10am to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday?… I didn’t think so… And it’s particularly good with a cool Pacifico beer, or three…
… Writing of a delicious meal, I am reminded that a number of local folks have recently asked about the opening hours of Stone and Embers (at The Madrones complex just south of Philo). I can inform you that they present their wonderful pizzas and other delights from noon to 4pm from Friday thru’ Monday - which is not enough for those of us who like a pizza done differently and with great quality…
… Locals were also wondering about the progress of the high school’s Varsity sports teams so far this year. They are all about half-way through their seasons and football is 4-0; boys soccer 9-1-1; and girls volleyball 9-0 - all three of them well on the way to play-offs… Girls soccer has a losing record but there may not be a team that tries harder…
… With winter approaching (although I am still not convinced) maybe its time to get some winter wear? The Frosted Owl in SoBo (south Boonville), just past the fire department going south, has a number of sweaters and the such-like at very generously discounted prices… A cozy top for just $2? Ya gotta like that… With a range of items - new and ‘experienced’ clothing for men, women, and kids; up-cycled clothes; unique gifts and jewelry; handmade arts & crafts; and a mending/sewing service - it is well worth the visit. They are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am-7pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm…
… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, “Royalists and commemorative-china merchants will have rejoiced recently when Elizabeth II notched up her 23,226th day on the throne of Great Britain, overtaking her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Republicans, or anti-Monarchists, are as heavily outnumbered as in 1952, when the 25-year-old queen began her reign. However, much else about Britain is unrecognizable from those days. It has been transformed from the world’s factory into its factotum, with manufacturing jobs replaced by those in financial, legal and business services, and arguably leading the way in many aspects of modern culture. Immigration has increased the non-white population from 75,000 to around eight million. Gays can marry, while fewer straights bother: nearly half of children are born out of wedlock against 6% at the start of Elizabeth’s reign (unwed couples are no longer barred from her annual garden party). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved governments, and English cities’ powers are growing. Calls from the provinces for independence from London and from the country as a whole from the EU are louder. If less glorious, Elizabeth’s domain has become a happier yet more divided kingdom. Governing such an entity will be a test for whoever is the political party in power. The days of a ruling monarch ended over three centuries ago and for some that was the apocalypse - they believe that Elizabeth II might well have done a decent job in modern times, certainly when compared to some of the recent politicians in particular… ”

    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave - inevitably I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, that’s enough - “take me drunk, I’m home”… Until we talk again – ‘Keep the Faith’; be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; 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 almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture - saddened but ultimately comforted in the knowledge that the old hare has safely moved to his new burrow in the sky…
p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at
p.p.s. Hi, George – hope you and Sheila are well… Is that ‘lafter’ I hear, Carroll?… Bobwhite Quail - keep up the knitting!