# 486 - 25th November, 2015

Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Once again, let’s first get you sorted out with the Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #542 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on two occasions in December - that’s next Thursday, December 3rd and also the 17th. As always they will be at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, just north of Philo from 2-3.30pm… #543 - I am told that there is a ‘fantastic opportunity’ to learn polyrhythms and dances of Guinea (West Africa) from Amadou Camara, master drummer/gifted teacher and Mariah Soumah, previously with the National Ballet and Guinea Circus. This will take place at The Grange on Tuesdays beginning on December 1. Classes will be weekly (except for the 3rd Tuesday of each month). Drum class is 6-7pm, followed by the Dance class from 7-8:30pm (The 1st class will be a donation to support our cultural ambassadors). After that it will be Drum $15, Dance $12, $20 for both… #544 - On Saturday, November 28, it’s the Open Mic at Lauren's Restaurant in downtown Boonville. Dinner served from 5-9pm before the Open mic starts at 9 pm. All are welcome - musicians, singers, poets, writers, impressionists, magicians, comedians, actors, fire-eaters, pole dancers, sword swallowers, ventriloquists, raconteurs, exotic dancers, animal callers, etc. No clowns - apparently they would scare any kids who might be there, and no mimes, please - they scare almost everyone else! For more information call 895-3869… #545 - If you are looking for a local spot for some Xmas shopping bargains then stop by at the final Barn Sale of the year on Saturday/Sunday, December 5/6 at The Big Barn on A.V. Way… #546 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market continues every Saturday at its winter venue, outside The Boonville General Store, from 10am-12:30 pm. For more info call Cindy at 895-2949… #547 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, December 1. 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… #548 - The A.V Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1-4pm. 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 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… However, tomorrow, Thursday, November 26, the Senior Center will be closed for Thanksgiving…Then, next Tuesday, December 1, the lunch served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon will be Meatloaf & Mashed potatoes with gravy, with 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…
…I enjoyed a number of conversations a few years ago with Bite Hard Cider founder, Brooks Schmidt, during the early days of his venture to produce a quality cider right here in Anderson Valley, a place where apples have been grown for over 150 years. One of the things that struck me about him was his passion about the project and the ‘art’ of cider-making and, being a hard cider drinker for more than forty years, I had high hopes for his efforts. Those hopes were realized and the product was very good, with particular kudos earned for his local sourcing of the Valley’s delicious heirloom apples. However, in my humble opinion, in recent times the product is simply not as good and one cannot help but question whether the majority of the apples are still even from Anderson Valley… One may also speculate if either or both of these disappointing developments are connected to Brooks’ departure from the company? If so, I would suggest that his exit has been a significant loss…
… A few of our more ‘mature’ regulars at the Three-Dot were in deep discussion this week about the Leonard Cohen song that they generally agree does accurately list the stages that men go through regarding the changing levels of their attractiveness to the opposite sex… I’ll leave it you you to deliberate further among yourselves but it apparently goes like this - irresistible, resistible, invisible, transparent (not exactly invisible but as if you are seen through old plastic), repulsive, and finally cute… I couldn’t possibly comment any further…
… School Board update… Following last week’s meeting the Board now has its five members in place and expectations are high for the school’s future development. The Gang of Five features Dick Browning, Erica Lemons, and the three new members Eric Arbanovella, Wynn Crisman, and Natalie Matson - all of whom are parents of children at the school, which, while it should not be viewed as necessary, is seen by many as a criteria that is potentially very important and valuable. All of us here at the Three-Dot send our best wishes for a rewarding and effective tenure to one and all…
… Our high school girls’ volleyball team had a marvelous season once again and won their regular season title. However, they were finally beaten in the North Coast Section Final by what was undoubtedly an extremely talented S.F. Waldorf team. The A.V. girls had easily handled the previous opposition in getting to the Championship Game but Waldorf won in three straight sets and sometimes you simply lose to the better team… Nevertheless, Coach Kendra McEwen and her girls have had a season to be proud of and can certainly join the ver successful football and boys soccer teams as examples of the tremendous student athletes who have represented A.V.H.S. this fall…
… Many of you have been asking about the opening of the new restaurant at The Floodgate in the Deep End, the location formerly occupied by the very popular Coq au Vin. I have been trying to follow developments and I was informed a month or so ago by the owner/chef Janelle that it would be ‘late fall/early winter,’ which by my reckoning would be about now… However, apart from the ‘selected guests’ welcomed for their special event on November 5th, in which Maple Creek winery paired their wines with items off the new restaurant menu, the rest of us continue to wait… Meanwhile, the other local restaurants continue to do a fine job in their different ways and I encourage you to support them as tourist numbers dwindle and business drops off at his time of year…

    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave; besides I’ve got see a man about a sheep… Anyway, that’s enough for now, “please 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…

# 485 - 18th November, 2015

Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Given that my brain is a little slow this morning, it’s probably easiest for me that we go straight to the Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s) while I drink more coffee, nibble on this freshly squished squirrel and warm up… Calendars and pens at the ready… #544 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on one more occasion this month - that’s tomorrow, Thursday, November 19 at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo from 2-3.30pm… #545 - There’s Karaoke at The Buckhorn tonight - Wednesday, November 18. The show is hosted by Sarah Songbird Larkin of The Real Sarahs and it runs from 9pm until close… #546 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market is now gathering every Saturday from 10am-12:30 pm at its winter location, outside the General Store in Boonville. For more info call Cindy at 895-2949… #547 - 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… #548 - The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals!  The number for the Dump is 895-3569 and checking first to see that they are open is probably well worth the small effort. F.Y.I., the Recycling Center in Boonville is open Wednesday-Saturday, 9-4pm (489-2033)…
    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, November 19, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, and Rum Cake for dessert… Then, next Tuesday evening, November 24 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Ham, Potluck Potatoes, and Pumpkin Gooey Cake for dessert. (Note - the Senior Center will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26). 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…
… School Board update… In the latest developments, and with the final decisions taking place at the meeting tomorrow evening (Thursday, November 19) at the School Cafeteria beginning at 7pm, regulars at the Three-Dot report that two current members are staying on - Richard ‘Dick’ Browning and Erica Lemons… Two recently added members to the Board, not elected and whose appointments the vast majority of the general public is completely unaware of, are apparently parents of current school kids - obviously a good thing assuming the parents are up to taking on the position. The fifth member is to be decided. Rumor has it that one of the applicants for that final position is Robert Pinoli Jr, an A.V. graduate (Class of 1996), a fine man, an intelligent man, and the owner operator of the Skunk Train in Fort Bragg. However, Robert Jr is the son of current High School Athletic Director and ‘virtual’ Assistant Principal, Robert Pinoli Sr… Perhaps the ‘rules’ state that he cannot vote on issues regarding his father but Jr’s mere presence on the Board would be influential in any voting and many discussions would inevitably include events that effectively involve Robert Sr. Surely this cannot be a good thing?…
… The success of the High School Fall sports teams continues… Following the football team’s victory in the Redwood Bowl, the boys soccer team clinched their fourth successive postseason title on Saturday with a very convincing 5-1 victory over Geyserville… Next up will be the girls’ volleyball team who play a semi-final at home tonight (Wednesday, Nov 18) in which a win will see them play for the Championship on Saturday…
… As I strolled around the ‘heart’ of Anderson Valley a couple of Sunday’s ago, I observed that the Boonville Post Office would be closed on Wednesday, November 11th, and according to the sign on the door this was for ‘maintenance’… And there was me thinking they might have done this in observance of Veterans Day, of which the notice made no mention whatsoever!?…
… Why the ridiculous extravagance of so many wine magazines? Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate, Wine and Spirits, Food and Wine, Decanter, Fine Wine, etc, etc… When will folks realize that the content really should and could be condensed into one publication entitled ‘Drunk Snob Magazine’?… Oh come on, some of you winery folks, take a laugh at yourselves - it will do you good…
… Have one of those mechanical/electrical problems with a tool, gadget, or some equipment that you just cannot work out? Then I suggest you contact Roy Laird at 895-2071 who runs ‘Small Engine Repair’ out of Blue Meadow Farm at the junction of Hwy 128 and Holmes Ranch Road…

    I’m outta here as I really do have to see a man about a sheep… So, that’s enough for now 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… And 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… On the sheep, Grace… Keep on humming, Hummingbird…

# 484 - 11th November, 2015

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin… Today is Veterans Day (Remembrance Day to those from Europe, Canada, and ‘The Colonies’)… For the last six years, my good friend Steve Sparks, with help from the A.V. Veterans, has presented a special event at the Evergreen Cemetery to commemorate and show support and gratitude for those who gave their lives or were wounded in wars of the past, and for those who have served or continue to serve so that we may have the freedoms and liberties that we continue to enjoy today. Unfortunately there will be no such event today in Boonville. Steve writes, “I am very sorry to report that, after six successive commemorations, there will not be a Veterans’ Day / Remembrance Day event in Boonville this year. I cannot imagine anyone being more disappointed than me but I have simply not had time this year to give it the attention it needs and deserves. Nobody else has mentioned it and certainly no one has offered to organize the occasion in my absence, which is understandable of course - we all get wrapped up in our lives and, in my case, unfortunately the Veterans Day event has ‘slipped through the cracks.’ Just writing this gives me a heavy heart and a wave of sadness and disappointment, and some annoyance with the way less significant things seem to unavoidably get in the way of what really matters. All too often life seems to thwart the important reasons for living… I shall do my utmost to see that this important event returns next year”…
    That is too bad, SS. Hopefully it will happen next year. While there is no service here in the Valley, for those who can make it, there will be the dedication of a Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 2pm today at the County museum in Willits. 
    In terms of taking a deep breath and thinking about what really matters, in my humble opinion, today at 11am is one of the more important moments to do so. The actual day and time mark the anniversary of the end of hostilities in World War One which took place specifically at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. ‘The Great War’ (the so-called “War to end all Wars” - if only it had been) had seen an average of 4000 (four thousand) lives lost every single day for over four years. A tragedy that is hard to even contemplate, much less to comprehend. Today is not a day to celebrate victories but rather one to take a moment for remembrance of those who fought and, in many cases, gave their lives in that war and the many others since so that our lives may be better today and in the future.
    With this in mind, I am going to step away from the usual column content and, as I did some years ago on this day, present a poem. These very moving words are entitled “Disabled”, a poem written in 1917 by World War One poet, Wilfred Owen, arguably the finest war poet of all. They express the tormented thoughts and recollections of a teenaged soldier in the Great War who has lost his limbs in battle and is now confined, utterly helpless, to a wheelchair. The subject contrasts the living death he is now facing with the youthful pleasures he had enjoyed "before he threw away his knees" and he goes on to recall the impetuous and frivolous circumstances in which he had joined up to fight in the war. He also notes how the crowds that greeted his return were smaller and less enthusiastic than those who cheered his departure, and how women no longer look at him but instead at "the strong men who were whole". In the opinion of many, it is one of the finest anti-war poems ever written. Please read on...
    “He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark,
    And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey,
    Legless, sewn short at elbow. Through the park
    Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn,
    Voices of play and pleasure after day,
    Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him.
    About this time Town used to swing so gay
    When glow-lamps budded in the light blue trees,
    And girl glanced lovelier as the air grew dim---
    In the old times, before he threw away his knees.
    Now he will never feel again how slim
    Girl's waists are, or how warm their subtle hands.
    All of them touch him like some queer disease.

    One time he liked a blood-smear down his leg,
    After the matches, carried shoulder-high.
    It was after football, when he'd drunk a peg,
    He thought he'd better join.---He wonders why.
    Someone had said he'd look a good in kilts,
    That's why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg,
    Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts
    He asked to join. He didn't have to beg;
    Smiling they wrote his lie: aged nineteen years.
    Germans he scarcely thought of; all their guilt,
    And Austria's, did not move him. And no fears
    Of Fear came yet. He thought of jewelled hilts
    For daggers in plaid socks; of smart salutes;
    And care of arms; and leave; and pay arrears;
    Esprit de corps; and hints for young recruits.
    And soon, he was drafted out with drums and cheers.
              
    Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal.
    Only a solemn man who brought him fruits
    Thanked him; and then enquired about his soul.
    Now, he will spend a few sick years in institutes,
    And do what things the rules consider wise,
    And take whatever pity they may dole.
    Tonight he noticed how the women's eyes
    Passed from him to the strong men that were whole.
    How cold and late it is! Why don't they come
    And put him into bed? Why don't they come?”

p.s. Wilfred Owen was killed in action at the age of twenty-five, on Nov 4th, 1918, a week before the war ended. Ironically, the telegram from the War Office announcing his death was delivered to his mother's home as her town's church bells were ringing in celebration of the Armistice, signaling the war’s end…
   
    Onward… Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready…
    #711 - The monthly Barn Sale is taking place at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville from 9am-3pm on both this coming Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15… #712 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on just one occasion this month - that’s next Thursday, November 19, at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo. They will be here twice in December… #713 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market resumes this Saturday, November 14 at its winter venue, The Boonville General Store, from 10am-12:30 pm. For more info call Cindy at 895-2949… #714 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, November 17. 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… #715 - The A.V Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1-4pm. 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’… #716 - There’s Karaoke at The Buckhorn a week from today - Wednesday, November 18. The show is hosted by Sarah Songbird Larkin of The Real Sarahs and it runs from 9pm until close… #717 - The Food Bank is open on the 3rd Tuesday, November 17 - 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… #718 - I am led to believe that the ‘Second Wednesday Drumming Circle’ will be taking place at The Grange tonight, Wednesday, November 11 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 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, November 12, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Vegetable Beef Barley Soup, and Bread Pudding for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, November 17, the lunch will feature Honey Mustard Chicken, with Pecan Bars 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… 

    Well now I think it’s time to take my leave as I do have to see a man about a sheep… That’s enough for now, “please 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…

# 483 - 4th November, 2015

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Many local people will no doubt be disappointed to hear that forty-year Valley resident, Diane Herron, will soon be departing to be with her family in Medford, Oregon. Diane has been a significant contributor to Valley life over those years in numerous ways. She was one of the bartenders when The Buckhorn Saloon first opened in 1987 and for many years was the representative here for Tri-Chem Embroidery home parties and later the Valley’s Avon representative. She was at The Buckhorn, and later the Brewery tasting room for seventeen years  in total before winding down to retirement with a part-time stint at the Rookie-Too gallery. She was involved with a number of Valley groups and organizations, including the founding days of the Valley’s branch of the ICW (Independent Career Women) Organization, of which she was the President at one time; the American Legion Auxiliary; treasurer for the Meadow Estate Water Company – the local water board for the subdivision where she lives; and an active member of the Unity Club, and the Boon Town Players; not to mention a frequent presence on the Valley social scene, whatever the occasion.
    Five years ago, Diane said to me, “In the 1990s I became good friends with a local man, Jim Bowen, and we were close companions for  a number years until he passed in 1998. I ‘inherited’ his son Jim Jr., of ‘All-Phase Electric’, and Jim’s daughter Michaela, who calls me ‘Grandma.’ My own son Steven has two children, my granddaughter Melissa who is twenty-five and my grandson Louis, twenty-one. Steven lives in Medford, Oregon where he originally moved with his job at Georgia Pacific, and where he now works as manager of a manufacturing plant... I really enjoy the company of my close friends here in the Valley - Carolyn Eigenman, Liz Dusenberry, and Jeanne Nickless, amongst others, and should also mention Cindy and Kirk Wilder, Larry and Janet Lombard, Jim and Jeanne Nickless, Jerry and Barbara Bowers, and Ross and Joyce Murray. I am lucky to have good neighbors here, particularly Frank Wyant and Lucille Estes.”
    Perhaps somewhat prophetically, certainly poignantly, she added, “I do miss my family and if I could somehow gather my friends with me I’d move us all to Oregon and have the best of both worlds”… Well, with that in mind, I’m sure Diane would love to welcome any number of people to her new home as she begins her next adventure… The very best wishes of many Valley folks are with you, Diane!…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #336 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be visiting the Valley on just one occasion this month - that’s Thursday, November 19 at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo. They will be here twice in December… #337 - This Saturday evening (Nov 7) sees a special film presentation at The Grange with a couple of shorts shown from 6pm followed by the main event at 7pm - The Growing Garden - a documentary spanning twenty years about what determines the direction of our lives - many of you may have seen the original film with such an idea - ‘7-Up’ and it’s several sequels. The filmmaker is attending and there will be a Q and A with her afterwards. Admission is donation-based and all proceeds go to the Europe Refugee Relief Fund… #338 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market is off this Saturday but will return the following week, Saturday, November 14 to its winter venue, The Boonville General Store, from 10am-12:30 pm each Saturday. For more info call Cindy at 895-2949… #339 - 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… #340 - The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals! (see below**). F.Y.I., the Recycling Center in Boonville is open Wednesday-Saturday, 9-4pm (489-2033)… #341 - The Anderson Valley Grange is having its regular second Sunday Pancake Breakfast on November 8 from 8:30-11am. Prices range from $5-10 - kids through hungry folks, for a delicious, locally-sourced breakfast. Choices include pancakes (gluten-free is available; no gluten-extra I am disappointed to report), eggs, and bacon, with a choice of juice, tea or coffee included… #342 - Next Wednesday, November 11, 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… #343 - The monthly Barn Sale held at The Big Barn on A.V. Way is set for Saturday/Sunday, November 14/15…
    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, November 5, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Sesame Chicken, with Kahlua Cake for dessert… Then, next Tuesday evening, November 10 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Pineapple Pepper Chicken and Wendy’s Oatmeal Cookies 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…
**… A couple of regulars at the Three-Dot expressed their frustration at loading up their trucks with trash and recycling and then driving to the County Dump in the hills a little west of Boonville on Mountain View Road only to find it closed last Saturday afternoon… I guess that’s another phone call one has to make before making plans - last week I talked about the advisability of calling first about the sometimes broken fresh water dispensing machine at Lemons Market in Philo. Oh, well, country life, I guess… The number for the Dump is 895-3569 and checking first is probably well worth the effort - meanwhile, the Dump opening hours appear in the P.S.A.’s above…
… I spotted many Valley folks dressed up in odd attire and out on the town for Halloween last weekend. Unfortunately, a couple of those whom I complimented on their outfits were not pleased with my remarks - they claimed that they were not in costumes… Oops…
… A.V. High School sports play-offs begin this week with the Boys’ Soccer team attempting to win their fourth successive postseason Championship for small schools… In the quarter-final, the team will face San Francisco Waldorf School at Tom Smith Field in Boonville on the afternoon of Saturday, November 7 with a 2pm kick-off - your support would be greatly appreciated. Should they be victorious in this game, the semi-final would be next Wednesday, same time and place… Meanwhile the Football team will play their final game of the year in the ‘Redwood Bowl’ at Upper Lake after finishing the regular season tied with the Cougars. Kick-off is 2pm… The Volleyball girls will get their seeding and play-off draw next week after another excellent season has been completed…

    I’m outta here - I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, 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. Missing the Venerable Pheasant everyday… On the sheep, Grace… Keep on humming, Hummingbird…