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Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, September 29, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 Mountain View News Saturday, September 29, 2018 KATIE Tse..........This and That WALKING SIERRA MADRE... The Social Side By Deanne Davis “If happiness truly consisted in physical ease and freedom from care, then the happiest individual would be not either a man or a woman; it would be, I think, an American cow.” William Lyon Phelps “Every year sharks kill 10 people. Every year 50 people die from being stepped on by cows. Fear the real killer!” “I never saw a purple cow, I never hope to see one; but I can tell you, anyhow, I’d rather see than be one!” Gelett Burgess Leafing through USA Today, I came across a headline that stopped all further leafing: Cow attacks woman, Navajo sheriff’s deputy. You, too, would be stopped in your tracks, unable to go further until you found out what on earth was going on here. It seems that a woman called the sheriff’s office around 9 p.m. on a recent Friday night because a cow was attacking her. The cow had pinned this lady to the ground and continually pressed her if she made any movements or attempts to get away. Seriously? Was alcohol involved? What was this woman doing hanging around a cow at 9 p.m. on a Friday night? And how was she able to call 911 if the cow wouldn’t allow her to make any movements. This whole story is fraught with questions and ambiguities. A deputy from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call and tried to get the cow off the woman by waving his arms, yelling and pushing the cow. I realize people can move cows by pushing them...cow tipping (the purported activity of sneaking up on any unsuspecting or sleeping upright cow and pushing it over for entertainment, according to Wikipedia) comes to mind...but as the average cow weighs about 1,600 lbs. and stands about 5 feet tall at her rump with a nose to tail length of 8.5 feet, I don’t think giving her a shove or two would have much impact. Further on cow tipping, it’s another one of those urban legend things as at least four or possibly as many as fourteen people would be required to tip one of these babies over. Having been very close to a cow once in Jamaica or some other Caribbean paradise where cows and goats casually wander the landscape, I discovered I wanted to remove myself as quickly as possible from her proximity. She was BIG! Having no appreciable impact upon the cow by yelling and shoving, the deputy used his taser, touching the cow directly with a drive stun, which did cause it to leave the woman alone and turn immediately upon the deputy. He had to have seen that coming. The cow charged the deputy, forcing him to the ground before stepping on his leg and chest. I loved this part, “out of options, he continued to drive stun the cow until it ran away from the area.” The woman and the deputy were not critically hurt and did not request further medical treatment after being checked out by EMT’s at the scene. It was not immediately known what, if anything, would happen to the cow. Put into time out? TV privileges removed? Phone taken away? Grounded? What does one do to punish a naughty cow? The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said it reached out to several ranchers to find out who owns the cow and is waiting to hear back. I’m imagining ranch owners going out on the range and saying, “OK, which one of you clowns stepped on the lady and the deputy??” And receiving the classic answers given in all accusatory situations, “I didn’t do it!” “I don’t know!” “What lady? What deputy?” Sheriff Kelly Clark ended by saying, “Recently there has been a lot of weird cow activity in Navajo County.” We have our bears, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, all preferable to an annoyed cow, I’d have to say, friends and neighbors. (Original article by Sierra Poore for the Arizona Republic, USA Today Network) My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis Kindle books of all sorts and hardcover “Tablespoon of Love” are on there, as is “Star of Wonder.” Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! Take a look! Blog: www.authordeanne.com Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter. com/@playwrightdd DEPOSED You may recall my mom’s friend, Florence. Florence is unique because, where Florence goes, weirdness follows like her shadow. She isn’t weird herself, but odd, funny things seem to happen to her and her family more than they do to your average person. My mom just went to lunch with her last week and updated me on her latest happenings. Florence’s daughter, Lori, is very artistic, and her husband is very handy. Together, they’ve created some really amazing things for their home. She gets the ideas and her husband builds them. One of their masterpieces is their chicken palace. I haven’t seen it in person, but the photos are very impressive. If there was a chicken version of “House Beautiful,” they’d feature Lori’s chicken palace. “Foul Versailles” I call it. But tragedy struck recently when, due to the hot weather, her chickens didn’t want to come in at night, and some nocturnal predator got the rooster. Since then, Lori’s been on the look out for a replacement. She got in contact with a woman who owned the meanest, most violent rooster ever. Not only were all the hens scared of him, but he intimidated his owner and her family as well! She told Lori she could have him for free. Together with Florence, she drove to the woman’s house to collect the despot rooster. Lori works in Special Ed, so nothing fazes her. She forcefully approached the rooster, picked him up, and deposited him in a carrying container. He was too shocked at his unexpected removal to even react! The experience had a lasting impact on his psyche and caused permanent personality changes. Upon entering Lori’s chicken palace, the rooster became a timid shell of his former self. He cowers around the hens and even his crow is muted, almost apologetic. At this point in my mom’s retelling of the account, she bemoaned the limitations of the English language to convey the pithy depth of Florence’s story. “It’s a shame your readers don’t have Florence to demonstrate how the rooster looks so embarrassed and ashamed when he crows,” she said, tucking her head to the side and whispering “cock-a-doodle-do” behind her hand. I’ve seen Florence use this gesture before when in the throes of story telling. “So much of the humor is in her facial expressions.” Yes, Florence is a master at making the tale come alive for her listeners. But I do my best… That’s always the struggle of writing, trying to translate experiences and feelings into the written word. The best writers find experiences so universal yet intimately personal that when you read it you’re blown away that someone else experiences the world the same way you do. I’m reminded of one of Vladimir Nabokov’s novels in which, as a child, the narrator was irritated that he could not pick out the recurring pattern of the wallpaper when he viewed it while lying down. It’s the little things like that that truly bind us together as people, the shared habit of noticing when the patterns in wall paper start and stop. And that is why writers will always be an vital part of what it means to have a culture, to have communicate ideas, to be human. Not that I consider myself some great writer, but I try. We all try. PROFILES: A Look At The People Behind The Scenes By Rebecca Wright DOGS, CATS, BIRDS, LLAMAS, GOATS, CHICKENS, BUNNIES AND HAMSTERS, OH MY – IT’S A CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS – JOIN SIERRA MADRE’S VILLAGE CHURCH’S (ASCENSION) BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Sierra Madre’s Village Church (Ascension) will be holding its annual “Blessing of the Animals” service on Sunday, October 7, 2018 at 11:45 am in the Outdoor Worship Area. Everyone and every kind of pet is welcome. Refreshments and pet treats provided. Blessing of the Animals is conducted in commemoration of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis, arguably the most beloved of the named Saints, was particularly fond of animals of all breeds. The community is invited to bring your animals, no matter how big or small, breed or religion. Some animals may require a leash or a container, so keep that in mind. All of God’s creatures are welcome! Free pet sitting available during the 10:15 am Mass. Church of the Ascension is located at 25 East Laurel on the corner of Baldwin and Laurel in Sierra Madre. This event makes for a wonderful family outing to meet new neighbors and check out a wonderful community church. For more information, please call (626) 355-1133 or visit: www.ascension-sierramadre.com. Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium Pub has been a part of Sierra Madre for nearly 20 years. It is the place to go if you and your friends want to watch the World Cup, celebrate Oktoberfest, or just enjoy some fish ‘n’ chips with a pint. The Pub is known for its wide selection of brews and great food. Unknown to many, there is an unsung hero behind the success of the LBDP kitchen....Javier! Javier Sotalo has been in Sierra Madre for even longer than the Pub. Before it was Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium, it was a fish house. Javier was the cook then and is currently the cook at Lucky Baldwin’s. He has been at the same location for 27 years! He says that he likes everything on the menu because it is fun to get to make different foods all the time. But his favorite things are the meat pies- specifically the steak and the chicken. Everyone who works with Javier has wonderful things to say about him. Lisa Brandley, the manager of Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium, has this to say: “I’ve worked with Javier since 2003 and he is definitely the backbone of the Pub. He is reliable, punctual, and very consistent. We are so thankful to have him.” While giving the interview, Javier was so wonderful and kind. It was easy to see that he loved his job, and his coworkers love him. Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium is a pub, so what is Javier’s favorite drink on tap? That would be Blue Bell Beer. Order some next time you stop in and say hello to Javier! Lucky Baldwins Delirium & Cafe www.luckybaldwins.com 21 Kersting Ct, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 (626) 355-1140 Open until 1:30 AM, 8:00 AM - 1:30 AM JAVIER! “We are an institution educating the Southern California community for more than 35 years” Our school opens its doors to welcome students of all grade levels in our integral education system. Pre-K, Kindergarten, Elementary, Jr. High and High School The classes are taught in Spanish The academic year is from September - June 9:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. (Saturdays only) Headquarters (Saturday Only): Foothill Oaks Academy 822 Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010 Correspondence: P.O. Box 5332, Whittier, CA 90607-5332 Email: laescuelaargentina@gmail.com . Registration forms are available for printing on our website at: www.leala.org. For more information call: (562) 548-9528 . (562) 324-1077 Official titles recognized in Argentina and other countries who have treaties of educational reciprocity with Argentina (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, México, Paraguay & Uruguay) Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||