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Greetings and Happy Fall to my fellow Guerne-villans. I was thrilled to step in for this month’s “Groovin’ Guerneville” column as Beth is off to some far away land having the time of her life. It’s been an interesting process getting my chops back, but I tell ya there’s so much going on
This is one of those months for me. No breaking news, no Indian legends, no fuzzy puppy human interest stories. Quite a number of little things, though, so I will take the opportunity to pay tribute to one of my columnist heroes, the late great Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle. That man could spin a mishmash of small items into a tempting civic goulash. I should be half as talented and consider myself lucky. Maybe next month I will do an homage to Jim Murray, or Art Buchwald, or Scott Ostler, or Dave Barry. Any number of big shoes to fill in the columnist game. And so, I give you the Camp Meeker three-dot lounge.
in this little town I didn’t have to look too hard. In keeping with this month’s theme of “Thankfulness”, I wanted to take a brief moment to reflect on this concept. I often find myself reflecting on a quote I read by Lao Tzu: “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” This often resonates with me when I live in the moment and reflect on the people and things I have in my life. Living in 21st century America means you are caught up in the rat race and there is always some newer, smellier cheese just around the corner. But what if we were to stop and reflect on our current situations? What if we stopped adding the “new” to our piles? Would you find that as you sit in the present moment, you’d be at peace? Are there still things to be thankful for? I optimistically would like to think so.
Rain is the topic on the front of peoples’ minds. Just the word “rain” uttered
at the bar of Barley and Hops last night elicited a spirited discussion among relative strangers. As we drive around the west county, we look at the powdered brown hills with a worried air. Even the seven-drop rainfalls we get are occasion for mini rain parties. Hopefully by the time you read this we will have gotten some more. The weatherologists are saying the chances are good for rain this winter, what with an epic El Nino building up in the Pacific Ocean. The last time we had an El Nino this big was the winter of 1982-83 and 1997-98. Maybe you don’t remember the first one, but I bet you remember the more recent one. Both of those winters featured floods, mudslides, and epic waves.
This concept begins to dissolve as we travel into the oncoming winter months, where spending, consumerism and waste come to the forefront of our attention. Would it be so terrible to ditch these time-honored “traditions” and break the cycle, where an exchange of smiles, laughter and hugs is valued more than brightly colored packages? Still like packages, eh? Me too. So instead,
take an old sweater and give it an awesome update at the hands of talented seamstresses such as Coco Johnson of Shakedown Street. Or buy a print from a local photography like Suzy Kuhr instead of buying cheap “Made In China” décor from Ross. Explore the local craft fairs instead of participating in the psychosis that is Black Friday. Just a thought.
Until the rain comes, we all look a little nervously at the tinder-dry hillsides around us and above us. Besides the lack of water, the ravages of Sudden Oak Death on our forest has contributed a hellish fuel load of dead trees. The Camp Meeker Park and Rec Board is once again considering a “Chipper Program” to get a wood chipper and make it available to homeowners who wish to make their property safe and defensible.
Overall, though, our community has been rich with tradition, consumerist or not, and I am especially proud of a particular group of people. September 12th began what will historically be known as the Valley Fire, destroying over 1,000 homes, killing at least 4 people and displacing thousands, humans and animals alike. What astonished me as I read through my Facebook Newsfeed for SEVERAL DAYS was the ongoing outpouring of support from those who dared not stand idly by. Then came the Valley Fire benefits, a Give-Back Thursday and Friday Night collaboration of epic proportions; administered by R3’s bartender extraordinaire Rodger Jensen and Russian River Sisters Viv Acious and Scarlett Billows (and please forgive me for neglecting to list everybody!), the curators of the Facebook Group “Guerneville Cares”, the grand total raised in just 48 hours by our small community: $16,000! This money was gifted to
The Camp Meeker Park and Rec Board is working hard in other ways to keep Camp Meeker safe and sane. Action is underway to provide a crosswalk across Bohemian Highway to allow children to get across to the school bus stop (and for grownups to do the same on their way to the Post Office). Anything we can do to make that blind corner safer is much welcomed – I’m sure you’ve all had that nerve-racking experience of a car rounding the corner at the exact moment you made that left turn onto Market St. In other efforts, they are getting quotes on getting fencing around the water tanks at the top of Tower Road and Mizpah (otherwise known as the Baumert tank). It seems there was an event where a distraught person scaled the Tower Road tank, possibly intent on self-harm, and had to be removed.
the organization North Coast Opportunities, which assisted 10 families with rental deposits. It’s not difficult to imagination just how easily the Valley Fire could have happened to a small town like Guerneville, which is why I believe so many of us sprang into action. Small towns, near and far, have the same “I got your back” mentality, the very same one that helped countless neighbors through floods and fires of our own. It’s one of the reasons why I’m proud of my home at 95446.
I’m a breakfast guy. I don’t want anything fancy. I consider the day someone invented “home-fried potatoes” to be a dark day. Oh, it’s not the potatoes – some people can do wondrous things with rosemary and coriander and what have you. It’s just that the humble hash brown got pushed to the side. Hash browns are an American art form, people! Fortunately, in Monte Rio we once again have practitioners of the art. As Lucy’s Lounge, they have got that straight ahead breakfast figured out. Hash browns with that golden brown goodness, steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict, all delivered with generous portions, fast service, and the Sunday paper for your perusal. Now, for a number of years that spot at the corner of River Road and Bohemian Highway was the graveyard of lost diners – the most common dish served was “under new management.” No longer: their roomy parking lot is filled on Sunday mornings with people who are in on the secret. Now you can be too. Two thumbs way up.
And speaking of Give-Backs, every Tuesday the Rainbow Cattle Co. has a cause that’s burning for your patronage! For November, the slate is: 11/3
– Sonoma County Animal Control; 11/10 – Mama’s Family Toy Drive; 11/17 – Guerneville Community Church; 11/24 – Community Holiday Dinner. 10% of bar proceeds go to the beneficiary and there’s ALWAYS delicious food and amazing raffle prizes. Get out, have fun, eat good food, help local charities.
Speaking of moving around the west county, here’s a heads up for your picture framing needs: Camp Meekerite Leslie Zumwalt is moving her Frame of Mind business from Forestville to a new location at the corner of Gravenstein Highway (Highway 116 for you city folk) and Occidental Road. Leslie knows how to frame a picture – she’s a talented artist and she brings that talent to bear in the craft of framing pictures. There’s a lot of art in that household, as her husband Chris Hataway has got his own style. One of his paintings (expertly framed by Leslie) is hanging in my living room. You might have seen his take on Frank Zappa as the Wizard of Oz way back in the day when the Bohemian Café was serving food in Occidental (where Barley and Hops now stands).
And last but not least, brilliantly titled the “Game of Crones” Bingo, a beneficiary for the Senior Center, is set for Saturday, November 14th at the Guerneville Vet’s Hall. Doors open at 6pm, Game starts at 7pm. Get your tickets online at rrsisters.org.
Well, my little town of freaks, geeks, rednecks and tweaks, how I have missed penning my inner thoughts for your amusement. And before I close this insanely long column I’d like to know what YOU are thankful for. For you savvy computer types, throw it out there on Facebook with the hashtag #thankfulfor and post it to My Gal Val’s page. I wish everybody a safe and warm holiday/winter/El Nino season.
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