Page 33 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2020

I apologize in advance. I know to a near certainty that virtually every column in this month’s issue will lead, follow, and get out of the way with Corona Virus content. I also know for a near certainty that you’re pretty sick of reading about that virus. Everyone is talking about it, writing about it, reading about it, anguishing over it. What do I have to add that has not been said already, and then some? I apologize, once again, profusely. And yet I plunge on.
Staying at Home: This pandemic is serious enough for everyone to stay home and/or go on limited trips for necessities. For those of us who live in the Country, we are truly blessed and fortunate to have Mother Nature all around us here in beautiful Rio Nido.
Although the Dog Park, Veggie Garden and Tennis Court are CLOSED due to the pandemic, we can still hike, bike and take long languishing walks. Let’s hope this pandemic is over soon. Stay safe!.
There are hidden blessings and silver linings here. I have been working from home since Monday, and it has been, I am slightly ashamed to say, glorious. My commute is down the stairs to the kitchen, there to make a luxurious cappuccino in the big bowl-like cup. Far from losing productivity, I find that diving into mundane work tasks with total concentration is a wonderful tonic to aimless anxiety-mongering and obsessing over the case count. I can work
Rio Nido Roadhouse gets Creative: For many of us going out to dine is something we take for granted. With this annoying pandemic we all are now ordering in. Luckily for us the Roadhouse is open for TAKE-OUT.
at my own rhythm, and I won’t be judged for staring into space for a minute and collecting my thoughts. And the view out my window, into our collective forest, beats a cubicle nine ways from Sunday.
The place is spiffy and clean. The staff sanitizes and bleaches surfaces and offers hand sanitizing wipes when picking up your meal orders. Service is excellent. Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-9pm
But then again...I’m an introvert, as are many of you. Introverts are probably a higher percentage of the population in Camp Meeker than in the world at large. Who else would CHOOSE to live in a forest, far from the conveniences and gathering places of the city? Now, don’t be smug. This is not time for
Serving excellent appetizers, salads, burgers, pizza, pasta and so much more. Not to forget, a wide array of beverages. Proprietors Brad and Raena Metzger and Staff are super friendly and accommodating.
us v. them thinking – there’s far too much of that about already. Have some empathy for our extrovert brothers and sisters. They are feeling the pain of this isolation keenly, and could use our help. Have faith, extroverts! We still love you and miss you!
Monte Rio Taxi NOW calls their service R2T2: Thomas and Sasha Tiffer own R2 T2 formerly known as Monte Rio Taxi. R2 T2 stands for Russian River Tours and Transportation. The Tiffers took over the Company in 2017 and have made a name for themselves here on the River.
We’ll get through this together. Extroverts and introverts, hippies and rednecks, planners and improvisers, reds and blues, those who roll their precious tp over the top and those who drop it down the back. That’s the real lesson of all this: none of that matters. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.
How does that play out? We’ll find out, won’t we? This social distancing
is turning out to be tricky in some cases. A community is normally thought
of as operating through laws. Over time, that’s still true; but laws are built
up over time. When conditions on the ground change rapidly, as they are decidedly doing, institutions tend to be too slow to react. They have to overcome bureaucratic inertia. We don’t have the luxury of time this time. We are all responsible for keeping each other safe. Think of it this way: every time you screw up, someone’s grandma dies. But hey, no peer pressure. Okay, a LOT of peer pressure. That’s how a society modifies behavior in the absence of laws. In the modern world, peer pressure is communicated online. Much of this discussion, locally, is being conducted through local social network media such as Next Door, West County News Feed, our own Gazette, and a dozen others I am probably not aware of yet. The landscape is changing rapidly.
HOURS OF OPERATION: 24 hours. R2 T2 gives rides all over the general Bay Area. They accept credit cards, cash and checks from locals. They shuttle to Sonoma and Napa for winery events/tastings at $50.00 an hour. During the Summer, they provide inner tube rentals and a safe Beach Shuttle Service.
As we are experiencing, peer pressure is a knife that cuts both ways. Sometimes, it puts the shame where it belongs: in every picture of a crowded beach, or an empty toilet paper shelf, there are some miscreants who are making the problem worse. There are also people who are just trying to get by, who are washing their hands, who are staying six feet away. Sometimes these are the same people: we are all of us saints as well as sinners. And one of those sins, if you’ll pardon the overworked metaphor, is in casting the first stone. There is a lot of fear in the world right now, and this calls on each of us to respond with love. I will leave exactly how to express that love to you. You’re a big boy or girl; you know what to do.
You will often see our neighbors walking
their goats around the dog park, letting
theme graze on the luscious new grass.
These goats make good neighbors as they
are generally quieter than most breeds
and are very resilient. If you have the
skills, Myotonic Goats give great cashmere
wool, especially in the winter. Upkeep is
relatively simple and you are rewarded
with fun goat antics, bleats of love and
recognition, wool and milk products if you
are ambitious and you would be doing a
good deed! These precious goats are “at
risk” by the UN standard and have made major contributions to the study of the role chlorine plays in muscle stiffness and have been historically used to breed with other types of goats to keep the herd stronger and healthier due to their unusual muscle density and parasite resistance. If you are interested in raising goats of any kind in your backyard, I highly recommend you do your research first and then reach out to one of your local breeders.
It’s all quite overwhelming, I know. I find it helps to focus on one small thing to get the ball rolling. I will suggest this one: form a network with your closest neighbors. Know who lives alone and might need some help. Make sure you have their phone number so they can reach out to you. Get in the habit of texting each other: Is everything okay? How are you doing? How can I help? Let’s start there.
Give them a call when you are hungry for a satisfying meal. 707 869-0821. 14540 Canyon Two Rd, Rio Nido - rionidoroadhouse.com
If you need a ride to town for groceries or takeout food orders, R2 T2 is at your service. All their vehicles are sanitized and clean. Call 707 849-6802.
Cocoa the GOAT, RN Pet of the Month: Even with a small bit of property, Rio Nido can be a great place to Farmstead. A growing trend of folks looking to become a little more self sufficient and have a source of goodies for neighbors and friends. A local couple just recently added two retired Tennessee Fainting Goats, also known as Myotonic Goats, to their menagerie. Known most for their propensity to “faint” or stiffen and topple, these bug-eyed beauties make great milk goats and due to their shorter and wider stature they will not jump over most standard fences. Even as pet they are friendly, playful and highly trainable.
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