# 525 - 24th August, 2016

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Onward… Here in Anderson Valley we arguably have more than our fair share of kind and thoughtful people. One of these is someone whom I regard as almost heroic when it comes to caring for animals in need. Upon finding a terribly abused dog a few weeks ago, one that had been seen around town for a few days, I contacted this person. Despite his busy schedule, he agreed to take the dog without hesitation. I arranged for this to happen and he picked up the dog and took him home to begin his ‘work’. He sent me regular updates on the situation over the next few days and here is a composite of those texts… “The starving dog ate 3lbs of hamburger and 4lbs of premium dog food over the first 12 hours [in controlled portions]… I have been rescuing dogs for a number of years both here and in Mexico and have never seen such bad flea infestation and skin damage. His teeth are worn down like he had spent years chewing on chains. I immediately gave him flea meds, and a bath. The bath was clearly painful for him; it took 10 minutes for the dried blood and wounds to stop running red. It will take me three more baths to get him even close to a point of normalcy and remove the caked on dead skin… We know the owner, who obviously has not cared at all for the dog. In fact it would seem he has done the opposite. This amounts to animal abuse and Deputy Waker has been informed, along with Animal Control… Once I got the wounds shaved and clean and could see the extent of the neglect, I was shocked. It is one of the worst cases I have seen. I have since discovered that the guy took this poor dog to work regularly and nobody did anything”… (Three days later)… “Dog update: all fleas and mites are dead. Skin starting to heal, but it will take awhile. Eating lots of food so should see some weight come back on soon.  Started topical antibiotics on his infected eyes and a short course of heavy oral antibiotics to speed up internal healing. I have been in touch with a senior dog rescue group that is likely going to take him - the dog is about 10 -12 years old, I would guess. Deputy Walker is being kept abreast of the situation and is ready to intervene if necessary. I cannot imagine for one second that the owner cares at all about his dog or is making any attempt to get him back”… And recently, in the past few days, the good samaritan of the A.V. pet world added, “After asking a few questions around town, I have found out that this slow-moving, sad, limping, tired, and ill-looking dog, is not twelve years old (an educated guess of mine and others), but is in fact just five years old!? I am dumbfounded” … Thank you, sir, for all the unheralded care and kindness you continue to provide for the ill-treated animals of the Valley… As for the owner(s) - may they rot in hell…

    With this in mind, here re three quotes on this important topic for your Quotes of the Week… “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ― Mahatma Gandhi… “I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being." ― Abraham Lincoln… “Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man." ― Arthur Schopenhauer…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #543 - School starts today, Wednesday, August 24th…#544 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have no more visits this month but they will be at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, once again in September - I believe that will be Thursday, September 22, but I shall confirm… #545 - 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… #546 - The A.V. Lending Library run by The Unity Club currently closed until after the County Fair…  #547 - The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals!… #548 - On Sunday, August 28 from 4-7pm, the A.V. Lions will be at it again as they work the tri-tips and chicken on the grill to raise money at the annual A.V. Ambulance benefit at the Redwood Grove in the Fairgrounds… #549 - Then six days later, from 3-6pm on Saturday, September 3rd, the A.V. Senior Center will be hosting a fundraising ribs and chicken bbq with chefs ‘Pot Licker BBQ’ (Steve and Terri Rhoades) at their location in the parking lot at the Veterans’ Hall… #550 - The next Barn Sale is not until Saturday/Sunday, September 10/11…
    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, August 25, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Balsamic Chicken, with Banana Pudding for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, September 1st, the evening meal served at 6pm, will feature Salisbury Steak with Lemon-Raspberry Cake for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal - it maybe the best value for money you’ll get all week! As this is the 4th Tuesday of the month, the dinner will be followed by Bunco at 7pm… Tai Chi is now available every Tuesday at 11am, while on Thursdays at 11am it is Kathy’s Easy-stretch Yoga class. Also on Thursdays, the Active Life Club runs from 10am to 2pm and features games, crafts, and music. The Senior Center/Community Bus goes to Ukiah on Monday's and also Santa Rosa on the first Wednesday of the month. These trips fill up fast so don't forget to sign up early at 489-1175… 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…
… Barbara Goodell contacted me and asked me to share with my tens of thousands of readers that the documentary on the Secrets of Salsa project has been uploaded to YouTube in case you want to see it again or share the URL with friendshttp. It can be viewed at //www.secretsofsalsa.com/?page_id=4… Thank you for the information Barbara…
… School starts today and the kids are back in school, which is where they belong, and we at the Three-Dot wish each and everyone a successful year. The new year commences with two new Principals. At the High School it is Keri St Joer, whom I met briefly when I spotted him roaming the campus alone on Friday evening. His politics may not please everyone around here (but whose do in a Valley of very mixed viewpoints?) but he seems a pleasant fellow and he did chuckle at a couple of my intentionally amusing remarks. So, based on the Turkey Vulture grading system, at this point he gets a B+… At the Elementary School we have Katherine Reddick who, based on information received so far, clearly speaks her mind and in this case was brave and unique enough to do so - see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2540667/I-felt-relief-longer-earth-Woman-58-opens-writing-scathing-obit-incredibly-awful-mom.html. Based on last year’s experiences, the big shoes of long-time Elementary School principal Donna Pierson-Pugh are not easily filled, so let’s hope Ms. Reddick is up to the task. I have not had the pleasure of meeting her so she has yet to receive a Turkey Vulture grading… I hope she can cope with the suspense…
… I find it strange, and certainly quite often frustrating, that a number of local businesses, organizations, and institutions here in the Valley employ folks who are trained (or rather not trained) to answer the phone by simply saying ‘Hello.’ Surely they should give their name and that of their place of employment - fundamental stuff one would think. Apparently not. The standards are slipping and it’s a crying shame…
    I’m outta here - I’ve got see a man about a sheep… Besides, that’s enough for now, 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’; try to not let life get in the way of living; may your god go with you, and may your dog go with you too… 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.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…