# 550 - 15th February, 2017

    Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…
    Let’s get things started with The Turkey Vulture’s ‘Evening Dining in the Valley Bulletin’… Following an invitation only ‘soft’ opening last Thursday, Lizbby’s, the new restaurant in downtown Boonville, opened last Saturday night and, when I passed by at around 8pm, they appeared to be doing a brisk business. At the time of going to press I have yet to make a visit but I can inform you that they are open every day except Mondays (of course!?), serving breakfast and lunch (10am-3pm) and dinner (5-8pm)… Natalie Matson, co-owner of Lauren’s Restaurant, will present the restaurant’s second ‘Natalie’s Sunday Supper’ on February 26 from 5-8.30pm, featuring cozy, comfort dining that will warm you inside and out - fish and chips anyone?… According to inside (but uncertain) sources, The Buckhorn will ‘reopen’  (after being closed for six months!) under their new owners - Jean, Tom, Jordana, and Chris, in the first week of April - I plan to be sitting on a bar stool and sipping a draft guinness on Monday, April 3… Stone and Embers is possibly expanding hours to include dinner service in the near future… When Aquarelle Cafe and Wine Bar in Boonville closed back in the second week of December, they had hoped to re-open in mid-February. However various circumstances have led to that being pushed back by a couple of weeks or so - no truffle fries until March methinks…

    Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… Calendars and pens at the ready… #545 - The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have one more visit this month to the Anderson Valley Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo. That will next week on Thursday, February 23. 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!…    #546 - I believe that the Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley next Tuesday, February 21. Phone 463-4694 for confirmation. They are usually 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.… #547 - The A.V Museum is closed for the winter… #548 - No more Barn Sales until the spring…
    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, February 16, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Lemon Bars for dessert… Then, next Tuesday, February 21, the lunch will feature Joe's Chili and Banana Pudding 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!… 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, 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 3-Dot regular customers passed a motion unanimously that we should all start calling Sunday Brunch what it really is - an excuse to drink alcohol on Sunday morning!… Not that there is anything wrong with that of course, but those of us who do enjoy this rather civilized activity really should admit it is an excuse and just accept that it’s a lot of fun to get ‘brunk’ on a Sunday…
… I shared with the regulars my belief that if Homeland Security personnel at U.S.airports spent less time rigorously searching and even roughing up innocent folks erroneously viewed as terrorists, and instead put in some time helping baggage handlers load suitcases onto the f***ing carousel, I might not have waited an hour and a half for my bag after I got off the plane at S.F. airport last week…
… Th tragic death in a car accident of Luis Miguel ‘Mikey’ Ferreyra at the age of 30 last week saw 300-plus people, including several 3-Dot regulars, gather in remembrance at the St Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Philo on Sunday afternoon, almost half of whom had to follow the service from outside the compact little building… Mikey was a very much loved young man who will be sorely missed by many Valley folks and his wife’s family (the Kirby’s) and friends on the coast. He is survived by his wife Leah and two young daughters, Alexa and Janessa, plus parents Domingo and Marta and brothers Eddie and Domingo Jr… For those of us who had known him well at some point, it leaves a very significant feeling of emptiness and sadness that a fine man has died so young and that his great smile will no longer greet you…
… The ‘Preparation for the End of Life’ group met for the first time in 2017 last Sunday afternoon at Lauren’s Restaurant in Boonville. There were almost thirty Valley folks in attendance as the discussion focused on ‘The Village Movement,’ whose principles are based on seniors forming a non-profit organization to provide access to services which allow seniors to age in place in their own homes rather than senior housing or assisted living facilities. Many 3-Dot regulars are hopeful that this excellent idea blossoms over the next few months and with the likes of Lauren, Susan Bridgemount, Heidi Knott, and others involved there is every reason for having such hope…
… From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series – ‘Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching’… Buzzard reports, “The Value of a Drink...Before we go this week, I’d like to pass on to you, under the heading ‘Life Lessons’, a wise thought from comedian Dave Barry that you may find useful, even important, to share with others at some point as you meander across life’s rich tapestry – ‘Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza’… Difficult it argue with, Dave, and those who try to do so will be the main cause of the inevitable Apocalypse that is fast approaching…”

    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’; 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 - still wallowing in the honor of having the 2nd tallest tree (343.6 feet) in Hendy Woods named after me and my ilk…
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…