# 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…