# 512 - 25th May, 2016

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    With so much happening here for the Memorial Day weekend, perhaps we should reflect for a moment on the reason why we get this holiday to enjoy all of these events in the first place. It is to commemorate U.S. soldiers who have died while serving in the military. This day was first enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War and it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars. With U.S. servicemen and women continuing to perish in various theaters of war,  and whether you agree with the country’s foreign policies or not, I humbly suggest we all take a moment to think about this and ensure that their efforts have not been in vain and are deeply appreciated by those of us who live on…
    Moving on… Regular readers will be aware that during the summer I post a reminder in my closing remarks every week about leaving your dogs/pets in your car and making sure the windows are cracked open a little - hopefully I don’t have to remind people to do so with their kids. Anyway, last week in Canada, the awful results of not doing so came about when a paid dog-walker left six dogs in her car as she ran some errands. It was a hot day and yet she did not crack her windows. All six died… As an experiment I sat in a car in the sun and closed all the windows. Within about five minutes it was difficult to breathe and I felt I was suffocating. It was a horrible feeling and I let myself out. The dogs had no such choice…

    The 19th Annual A.V. Pinot Festival took place this past weekend throughout the Valley and apart from the fact that I failed to beat or even match my record number of lamb chops (eight two-biters and a little bone sucking) devoured at Balo Winery’s tasting room, everything else more than met my expectations… Full report next week (probably)…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #556 - The Independent Career Women (I.C.W.), a splendid organization, and in some senses one of the most powerful here in the Valley, will host their annual ‘Open House’ tonight Wednesday, May 25. This will be held at the A.V. Brewery Visitor Center at 6.30pm. Small plates / hors d’oeuvres will be served and all Valley women are welcome, members and otherwise. Males are not invited for reasons that remain unclear… #557 - Disappointingly, Yorkville’s Rockin’ Shepherd, Kevin Owens, and his band Reverb, will be unable to perform at The Buckhorn on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend, May 27 due to the serious illness of one of their members who lives in Ukiah… #558 - On Saturday, May 28 , it’s the Open Mic at Lauren's Restaurant in downtown Boonville. Dinner served 5 to 9 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… #559 - Also on Memorial Day weekend, on Sunday, May 29, it’s the Elder Home / Senior Center Fundraiser hosted by the A.V. Lion’s. This will feature a Tri-Tip and Chicken BBQ from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Redwood Grove at the Fairgrounds. In addition to the great food (including a vegetarian option) and a big silent auction, music will be provided by The Ukeholics & The Tiny Orchestra of Boonville. Tickets, available at AV Market, All That Good Stuff & Lemons' Market, are $18 at the door, $15 in advance & $12 for kids & seniors… #560 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have have no more visits to the Valley this month. They will however return on two occasions next month - Thursdays, June 2 and 16… #561 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley next Tuesday, May 31. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 minutes before heading out to Comptche); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details… #562 - 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 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, May 26, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Sesame Chicken with Triple Lemon cake for dessert… Then, next Tuesday evening, May 31, as always on the final Tuesday of the month, it’s Bunco Night. The dinner, served at 6pm, will feature Chicken Diane, 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! Tai Chi is now available every Tuesday at 11am, while on Thursdays it is Easy-stretch Yoga, also at 11am… Hopefully you will be able to attend some of these events and certainly the lunches and dinners, and remember – ALL ages are welcome! Hope to see you there…

    The Three-Dot Lounge is closed for renovation this week but our 3-Dot regular and intrepid reporter and social observer, The Old Buzzard, never sleeps and here is another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, “With nowhere for our local ‘menfolk’ to buy clothes in the Valley, many head to Ukiah and no doubt to the large department stores. That would be mean missing out on a real gem in MacNab’s Menswear, located in downtown Ukiah for 76 years and counting. That’s a long time in retail. John Hambly MacNab opened the original shop in 1940 and today his direct descendants are still the owner/operators. The 1960s saw high schoolers like Sandy Mac Nab and younger brother Bill started working in their dad’s clothing store and today the third generation of MacNab’s is working there… Robert MacDougall, who as a kid grew up next door to the MacNab family was working in the woods as a logger back in the 1980s. Looking for a little extra cash, Robert hired on to work a Mac Nab’s Summer Sidewalk Sale. The following Christmas season he worked a few weeks at the shop to earn extra holiday cash. Impressed, store owner John Mac Nab offered him a full-time job. Robert has been standing next to the big brass cash register ever since. Yet, deep into his fourth decade at the store, Robert remains the rookie in the Mac Nab lineup. The store, at 111 North State Street, stands directly across from the courthouse, in a building that is more than a hundred years old (the red brick south wall collapsed in the ’06 earthquake, if that’s any indication of vintage). But the real lure of Mac Nab’s is in the clothing. It isn’t the place to look if you are in the market for haphazard piles of cheap t-shirts, white socks wrapped in packs of a dozen, or plaid “shorts” that terminate six inches from the floor. It doesn’t stock much in the way of gangsta-style apparel. No bling either. MacNab’s focuses on a handful of high quality brands like Pendleton, Carhartt, Woolrich, Burlington Mills, Wolverine and Chippewa boots, and a few others. Pondering the future, Sandy MacNab said it won’t be easy. He, Bill, Robert and everyone else knows the city of Ukiah continues to make life difficult for small businesses when it invites big box stores to town. This Approach of the Apocalypse is a threat to many small family-owned business. The retail field isn’t level, but the small shops are forced to compete against the megastores as if it is. Treat yourself to top customer service and some fine men’s clothing by dropping by. Trust me on this - you can thank me later…

    Thank you, Buzzard - and may I say how well-dressed you are today… Enough of the flattery, I’m outta here - I’ve got see a man about a sheep… So, until we talk again - be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; stay out of the ditches; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; show love to your pets, they will be faithful and true to you to the last beat of their hearts; think good thoughts; ‘Keep the Faith’; 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…

# 511 - 18th May, 2016

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    The Unpresidential Race for the Presidency - Part 10… The next six months of political discourse in this country promises to be very ugly. Even if Donald Trump’s demeanor becomes slightly more presidential (it could hardly be any less so), he will no doubt continue to provide us with many bizarre and baseless pronouncements that seem to give many of his followers great delight despite frequently provoking harmful conflict and often come without any regard for the facts… His misogyny and racism will remain not far from the surface even if he tones down the crassness, and his ideas on economics and foreign policy continue to cause concern for informed economists and those abroad who are dismayed by his geographical and diplomatic ignorance… He will need to win about 65 million votes to become President and surely there are not that many people here who can make such a blunder… However, his likely opponent Hilary Clinton is no stranger to criticism among many of her own party and its followers. She will be called a crook and a liar many times in the next few months and, as any student of history will know, if something is said often enough many people start to believe it. She is not loathed by as many people as Trump is, but the share who view her unfavorably is far higher than is usual for presidential nominees… It is a far from satisfactory situation for the voters and, in a two-horse race, the chances of a close finish are well above zero…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #556 - The Independent Career Women (I.C.W.), a splendid organization, and certainly here in the Valley one of the most powerful, has announced it’s annual ‘Open House’ will take place next Wednesday, May 25. This will be held at the A.V. Brewery Visitor Center at 6.30pm. Small plates / hors d’oeuvres will be served and all Valley women are welcome, current members and otherwise. Males are not invited for reasons that remain unclear… #557 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have just one visit this month to the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo. That is tomorrow, Thursday, May 19 from 2-3.30pm. To avoid a line perhaps go around 3pm - you will definitely be seen. New customers and their pets are always welcome and previous visitors should be aware that they can call 462-8833 and the vets will bring your pet’s charts with them - making this an even better service than it already is! They will return on two occasions next month - June 2 and 16… #558 - The Elder Home’s Community Garden started construction at their plot behind the Elder Home yesterday, Tuesday, May 17, and it continues today. They will have raised beds and in-ground plots available by the end of the month. Plots are open to all in community and are available for the small annual fee of $20. This is a joint effort with A.V. ElderHome, A.V. Food Shed, and NCO's Garden Project. Contact AVEH 895-3889 or AVEH@pacific.net for further information… #559 - The annual A.V. Pinot Festival is on Saturday/Sunday, May 21/22 throughout the Valley… #560 - Want the opportunity to enjoy live music of high quality? Then get yourself to the show by Yorkville’s Rockin’ Shepherd, Kevin Owens, and his band Reverb, who will be performing at The Buckhorn, starting at 8pm, on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend, May 27… #561 - Also on Memorial Day weekend, on Sunday, May 29, it’s the Elder Home / Senior Center Fundraiser hosted by the A.V. Lion’s. This will feature a Tri-Tip and Chicken BBQ from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Redwood Grove at the Fairgrounds. In addition to the great food (including a vegetarian option) and a big silent auction, music will be provided by The Ukeholics & The Tiny Orchestra of Boonville. Tickets, available at AV Market, All That Good Stuff & Lemons' Market, are $18 at the door, $15 in advance & $12 for kids & seniors… #562 - The Boonville Farmers’ Market continues every Saturday in the parking lot of the Boonville Hotel, 9.30am-Noon. For more information, call Cindy at 895-2949… #563 - If you need a Burn Permit, the A.V. Fire Department is no longer offering them but you can still obtain one from Cal Fire situated on the southern outskirts of Boonville - at the prison-like complex past the gravel pits…. #564 - The A.V. Lending Library run by The Unity Club is open Tuesday and Saturday at The Fairgrounds - Tuesday 1.30pm-4.30pm and Saturday 2pm-4pm… #565 - 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 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, May 19, the lunch, always served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Ham or Turkey Sandwich with Peach Cobbler dessert… Then, next Tuesday, May 24, the lunch will feature Beef Tacos and Buried Treasure 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! Tai Chi is now available every Tuesday at 11am, while on Thursdays it is Easy-stretch Yoga, also at 11am… Hopefully you will be able to attend some of these events and certainly the lunches and dinners, 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…
… Pat Hulbert, very knowledgeable Valley historian and ‘Keeper of the Flame’ at the Hulbert Ranch, informed us that her bone cancer has returned and she may have to have her hand amputated. I suggest that Pat, a woman of faith who prays for the Valley’s well-being and that of many of its residents, is now in the prayers of many of you, to whatever god is of your choosing… Meanwhile, Pat shared her thought of the day, informing us that if you start walking every day can at seventy, this will add enough minutes to your life to enable you at eighty-five years old to spend an additional six months in a nursing home at a cost of $5,000 per month… Thanks for the wisdom, Pat…
… Adult soccer has returned to the Valley. The A.V. School board voted unanimously to allow them to return to playing home games at the school field after the ban on such matches was imposed last year - following an incident that involved a different team to the one now reinstated… Justice was done and hopefully such unsavory events will not be repeated… Go Laguneta!!!
… Talking of sports in the Valley, many folks are no doubt sending their best wishes to former high school football coach Danny Kuny for his speedy recovery from the serious accident that the long time expert logger suffered while working in the woods in the Sierra foothills… Danny is as strong as an ox and a very healthy man and these factors apparently played a big part in restricting the injuries to various broken bones - serious though they are. It could have been much worse. Here at the The Nest we wish the coach the very best on the comeback trail and hope to see his smiling face sometime soon…
… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, “While this topic may not meet the apocalyptical levels of some of my reports, for those who like to wine and dine in the Valley, and for those who provide the locations to do so, this is getting to be an issue… With the addition of a number of new eating establishments in the Valley over the last few months, a problem being faced to varying degrees among them all is staffing. The owners are all very talented and in the opinion of most customers they are providing excellent food up and down the Valley. It is a very ‘tasty’ situation indeed for those locals who enjoy eating out, myself included, and for Valley visitors too, of course. For a few years now there has been a distinct shortage in the number of reliable and conscientious restaurant workers available for hire in the Valley, and now with the new eateries opening this problem is causing significant concern. In fact, I am hearing from some restauranteurs that with an expected busy summer almost upon us, a point will soon be approaching where finding enough staff is so difficult that any ‘warm body’ will be hired… It would appear to be a classic case of too many chefs and not enough indians…”

        I’m outta here - I’ve got see a man about a sheep… Besides, that’s enough for now, so “please take me drunk, I’m home”… Until we talk again – be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; stay out of the ditches; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; show love to your pets, they will be faithful and true to you to the last beat of their hearts (and remember to keep your windows cracked if you leave them in your vehicle for any amount of time); think good thoughts; ‘Keep the Faith’; 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…

# 510 - 11th May, 2016

Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    The Unpresidential Race for the Presidency - Part 9… The presidential race is all but set. John Kasich, governor of Ohio and contender for the Republican presidential nomination, followed the Texas senator Ted Cruz by dropping out of the race. Donald Trump said he would unite his divided party and spent the next couple of days lambasting Hillary Clinton. An average of recent opinion polls gives the Democratic Party’s front-runner a 6.5% lead… I checked back to last summer, July 22 to be precise, when I wrote here, “So, according to the latest Newsweek poll, Donald Trump leads the Republican pack for his party’s nomination?! Unbelievable! Come on - behave yourselves!”…  Now look what a fine mess you’ve got us in to - Clinton v Trump - such a great country deserves so much better…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #556 - The Independent Career Women (I.C.W.), a splendid organization, and certainly here in the Valley one of the most powerful, has announced it’s annual ‘Open House’ that will take place on Wednesday, May 25. This will be held at the A.V. Brewery Visitor Center at 6.30pm. Small plates / hors d’ouevres will be served and all Valley women are welcome, members and otherwise. Males are not invited for reasons that remain unclear… #557 - With regards to last week’s P.S.A.’s, I was incorrectly informed that there would be a Barn Sale last weekend. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond almost everyone’s control, it was postponed, and will now take place this weekend, Saturday/Sunday, May 14/15 from 9am-3pm at The Big Barn next to the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville… #558 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have one visit this month to the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo. That is on Thursday, May 19 from 2-3.30pm. They will return on two occasions next month - June 2 and 16… #559 - Nahara will be performing live at Lauren’s Restaurant on Saturday, May 14 at 9pm…#560 - As  mentioned last week, the ‘Second Wednesday Drumming Circle’ will be taking place at The Grange tonight, Wednesday, May 11 from 7-9pm. To confirm, perhaps call Andy at 895-3020… #561 - The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley next Tuesday, May 17. They are here on alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at each of these places and times: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 minutes before heading out to Comptche); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details… #562 - 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’… #563 - The Food Bank is open from 8-10am on the 3rd Tuesday of each month - which is next Tuesday, May 17. They will also be open the Monday evening before (May 16) from 4-6pm. Gardeners, farmers and produce growers of all kinds, remember to donate your extra produce and drop it off on the Monday 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…
    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, May 12, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Parmesan Crusted Cod with Chess Squares for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, May 17, also at noon, the lunch will feature Beef Stir Fry and Strawberry Whip 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! Tai Chi is now available every Tuesday at 11am, while on Thursdays it is Easy-stretch Yoga, also at 11am… Hopefully you will be able to attend some of these events and certainly the lunches and dinners, 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…
… As I discovered upon a recent visit, the Yorkville Market has come a long way since opening last year. I was very impressed with all that is offered in terms of their menu and wine, in fact the whole place looks very well organized and welcoming to any customer… I hope they continue to prosper - their efforts so far would certainly deserve to…
… The A.V. School board meets this week to discuss whether or not to allow adult soccer to resume here in the Valley after last season’s incident which led to all three local teams playing all games on the road. Two teams subsequently folded but one, La Lagunetta (not the one that was involved in the unruly behavior), survived this difficult period and now wishes to play home games at the school soccer field in the upcoming season. I for one believe they should be given permission to do so, assuming they understand what a privilege it is and will do their utmost to see that a similar situation does not arise…
… Featured in this year’s Mendocino Film Festival magazine/program, there is a series of photographs of chefs whom are referred to as the region’s “culinary celebrities,” who will be present at the upcoming event’s opening night on Friday, June 3. It is a group that includes many of the well-known chefs from restaurants mainly on the coast . Also amongst this congregation of gastronomic glitterati, is Matt Barnes of the Valley’s Stone and Embers restaurant, where he and chef Patrick Meaney are doing a wonderful job since the restaurant’s re-opening in March. However, I had no idea Matt was now a “culinary celebrity”! I guess he should be congratulated. However, I’m not going to do that because as a current friend and, more importantly, one from the days when he was the ‘housekeeper’ at a ‘gentlemen’s retreat’ on the Mexican border, I need to keep him grounded… You’re welcome, Matt - I’ll have a Guinness…
… More Valley ‘Carrion’ News… Summer brunch has just resumed at Lauren’s Restaurant in Boonville from 11.30am-2.30pm on Thursdays thru’ Sundays (Dinners as always 5-9pm Tuesday to Saturday)… Just down the street in downtown Boonville, live music will on the ‘menu’ for the upcoming holiday weekends at The Buckhorn: Yorkville’s Rockin’ Shepherd, Kevin Owens, and his band Reverb, will be performing at 8pm on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend, May 27, and the appearance of another top music act is in the planning stage for Friday July 1 to start off the Independence Day weekend celebrations… People continue to rave about the ‘Valley’s best-kept food secret’ - the freshly baked doughnuts at The Redwood Drive-In. I guess it’s a secret no more… Best fries in the Valley? It’s down to a three-way race for the title - Lauren’s, The Buckhorn, and Aquarelle…
… … From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘The Approach of the Apocalypse’… Buzzard reports, “I have nothing of any interest to anyone to say at this point… I guess that in itself is a clear sign that the Apocalypse must be fast approaching”… Why can’t more folks be like that?...

        I’m outta here - I’ve got see a man about a sheep… Besides, that’s enough for now, so “please take me drunk, I’m home,” and until we talk again – Be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; stay out of the ditches; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; show love to your pets, they will be faithful and true to you to the last beat of their hearts, and please remember to keep your windows cracked if you leave them in your vehicle for any amount of time; think good thoughts; ‘Keep the Faith’; 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!… Expecting to see you soon, Round-eyed Robin…

# 509 - 4th May, 2016

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin… Mothers’ Day is this coming Sunday, May 8th. It is a day we have set aside to show our mothers our love, affection and appreciation. It’s a lovely thing of course but hopefully something we should strive to do every day. Unfortunately we often fall short in doing so… So in celebration, here are some Quotes of the Week with your mother in mind… Love you, Mum…
    “Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children” - William Makepeace Thackeray… “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there” - Robert Browning… “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” - Milton Berle… “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his” - Oscar Wilde… “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers” - Jewish Proverb… “A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest” - Irish Proverb… “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts” - Washington Irving… “You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back” - William D. Tammeus… “There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it” - Chinese Proverb… And finally my own mother’s paraphrasing of an English poem - “You only have one mother, son. So cherish her with care. You’ll never know her value till you see her empty chair”…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #545 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have just one visit this month to the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo. That will be on Thursday, May 19… #546 - The first of the two Barn Sales this month will take place this coming weekend, Saturday, May 7, from 9am-3pm at The Big Barn next to the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville. Just one day this time as Sunday is Mother’s Day. The Barn Sale will continue on its first and third weekend schedule on May 21/22…  #547 - This week, May 7, sees the Boonville Farmers’ Market moving to its summer venue in the parking lot at The Boonville Hotel from 10.30am-1pm every Saturday. For more info call Cindy at 895-2949… #548 - Need a burn permit? From 11am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you can get one from the Firehouse in Boonville. Call 895-2020 for more information or stop by - you will be efficiently served with a smile - trust me on this… #549 - 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… #550 - The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals!… #551 - I am led to believe that the ‘Second Wednesday Drumming Circle’ will be taking place at The Grange on Wednesday, May 11, from 7-9pm. To confirm, perhaps call Andy at 895-3020… #552 - The Anderson Valley Grange is having its regular second Sunday Pancake Breakfast on April 10 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, gluten extra is not served), eggs, and bacon, with a choice of juice, tea or coffee included…
    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, May 5, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be BBQ Tri-Tip with Birthday Cupcakes for dessert… Then, next Tuesday evening, May 10 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Lasagna and Boston Cream Pie 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!… As this is the 2nd Tuesday of the month, the dinner will be followed by Bingo at 7pm… Tai Chi is now available every Tuesday at 11am, while on Thursdays it is Easy-stretch Yoga, also at 11am… Hopefully you will be able to attend some of these events and certainly the lunches and dinners, 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…
… Valley ‘Carrion’ News… On May 1, Lauren Keating, after twenty years at the helm of Lauren’s Restaurant, began sharing the load with her new business partner, Natalie Matson, who has worked at the restaurant for the last year and who, many of you may recall from her previous time in the Valley, owned and operated The One Horse Espresso coffee wagon, worked at the Senior Center, and poured wine at the Husch Winery Tasting Room. Since she returned to the Valley a year ago, with husband Clay and their three fine young sons, Natalie has resumed her role as a Valley contributor in many other ways too, and currently serves on the School Board, organizes the Youth Soccer program, and is a long-time friend of mine and Hummingbird’s! We wish her and Lauren many years of wonderful success… The Bewildered Pig plans to open for Sunday Brunch thru’ the summer and the first such occasion is Mothers Day, this coming Sunday, May 8, from 10.30am-2.30pm… Libby’s Restaurant in Philo is currently open for Lunch 11:30am-2pm Tuesday, Fridays, and Saturdays, and Dinner 5-8pm, Tuesday-Saturday… The Buckhorn’s very popular brunch is served from 10am-4pm on both Saturday and Sunday… Stone and Embers, with Patrick Meaney working his magic in the kitchen and co-partner Matt Barnes doing what he does best (whatever that is?!), continue with their late Spring hours from 11.30am - 8.30pm, Friday-Monday… Geoff ‘This wine is like summer in a glass’ Thomas has returned to the Valley from his far eastern travels and once again has resumed his role as ‘barman extraordinaire and sweet-talking bastard’ at the Boonville Hotel. Welcome back, Geoffrey…
… The First Friday Film Club and Social Night is this Friday, May 6 at The Grange with the social gathering at 6pm and film to follow at 7pm… This month’s movie is ‘East Side Sushi’ which depicts the struggles of a Latina single mom who wants to become a sushi chef but who is the 'wrong' race and gender for that line of work as. Against all odds, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to not let anyone stop her from achieving her dream…
… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, “There are low-life scumbags and nasty dickheads everywhere of course, but when their actions happen on your doorstep, particularly in relatively crime-free Anderson Valley, it never fails to deeply disappoint and disturb. Following last Saturday’s Beer Festival, many of the attendees at that event chose to spend the evening at various local establishments. Most behaved themselves. Unfortunately some did not and at least two different groups made surreptitious ‘runners’ out of one of our local business without paying bills, which together totaled well over $200… They were ‘smart’ in their methods, as one might expect of sleaze-balls from the City, but they will not get away with it again. However, if they should try to repeat their crime, myself and other local do-gooders will take of matters and have arranged for local ambulances to be ready to take these miscreants to hospitals ‘over the hill’ to get treatment for their injuries… Such retaliatory acts are of course sinking to these people’s level, but that is what happens when the Apocalypse is approaching… An eye for an eye, my friends…”

        Oh, dear, has the Old Buzzard upset those who think these common criminals should be dealt with in a more compassionate way? Too bad, but I’ll get him out of here anyway - he and I have to see a man about a sheep… So until we talk again – Be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; stay out of the ditches; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; show love to your pets, they will be faithful and true to you to the last beat of their hearts, and please remember to keep your windows cracked if you leave them in your vehicle for any amount of time; think good thoughts; ‘Keep the Faith’; 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…