Save Saturday, June 5 for our biennial bus tour of Cummings and Brite Valleys.  The full size bus will leave from Stallion Springs Realty parking lot at 9:00 AM for the morning run and 12;30 PM for the second run.  As usual, Jon Hammond and Chuck McCollough will be on board to narrate as Cummings Valley is crossed on the way to the first stop at the historic Banducci (or Germon, as some remember it) Ranch.  This spot has a wonderful sense of history unequaled anywhere in our area.  A second stop in upper Brite Valley will be a visit to the Courtland Gross stone house designed by a famous architect.
    After a pause in front of the Brite Victorian house on lower Cummings Valley Road, the tour will re enter Cummings Valley, for the final stop for a look inside the huge greenhouse which Jeff Huckaby, Grimmway Farms President and CEO, has generously offered.  We will not be able to wander around through the facility because of contamination issues, but can step inside the door to see the growing produce and get a feel for the magnitude of the operation.
    The cost of the tour is expected to be $20 per person, but the final cost will depend on contact terms with the bus company.

Although at times it seems that drivers are becoming more considerate in keeping their trash in the car, there are still some who care not about how they litter our roadsides.  And, too, many pickup truck drivers never seem to learn that wind has a tendency to suck loose things out of their truck and deposit them along the roadside.  (Ed note: I cynically suspect they learned only too well and rely on that natural vacuum for truck bed cleanup.)

So our Vice President, Chuck Boles, and his volunteers plan to be out on Saturday, May 8th to restore our roads to their pristine beauty.  Cleaning up our roads can be a fun and rewarding activity, so if you are able, call Chuck at 822-3925 for information and instructions.

The Annual Meeting and election of officers is scheduled for Thursday, June 3 at 7:00 PM in the old SSCSD meeting room (in what is now called the Community Library building) at 28500 Stallion Springs Drive.  The highlight of the meeting will be a talk by Stallion Springs resident and new member Jack Sprague on the subject of Native American rock art.  Jack is the Conservation & Preservation Committee Chair of the American Rock Art Research Association, and his wife, Gale, is an archeologist and owner of Grasse and Associates Archeologists.  They will tell us about many local pictographs and petroglyphs that they have documented in our local area.

Perhaps because of the current recession, things have been very quiet in our valleys of late.  It would be nice to just relax and enjoy the rural character of the area, but we need to remain vigilant and prepared to oppose inappropriate land use changes that will inevitably arise.

On the positive side, the idea of planting vineyards appears to be gaining traction, and we now have two wine tasting rooms to enjoy and to attract visitors who appreciate the beauty of Cummings Valley.  The Souza Family Vineyard tasting room continues to be a popular place to relax over wines in a warm friendly atmosphere.  Chuck McCollough's new Triassic Legacy tasting room offers excellent wines in a beautiful facility with wonderful views over Cummings Valley and surrounding mountains.  Both tasting rooms are open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00  PM.  For more information, visit www.souzafamilyvineyard.com and www.triassiclegacy.com.

Assuming that Bob and Patty Souza have not sold the historic portion of the Souza Ranch by then, the annual deep pit barbecue will be held there on Saturday, September 18.  Save the date and watch for further information.

CVPA is in the early stages of publishing a cookbook.  It is  going to be a little different, have some new chapters, like a "Cooḱs  Corner"  for sharing handy hints, shortcuts, etc.  We would like to feature foods grown here in Tehachapi as well as other tried and trued favorites.

So, we need your help.  We are gathering recipes now. You can send them, hand them or e-mail them to JoAnn Kiblinger or Clydell Lamkin or to the CVPA address of CVPA Attn: Cookbook, PO Box 1020, Tehachapi. CA 93581-1020. A handy recipe form you may download, fill out, and print is available at http://cvpainc.org/pdfs/cvrecipe.pdf! If your computer has an Adobe PDF printer selection, select it to print the filled out form so that you can then attach the completed recipe form as a PDF file to an e-mail and retain the file for your records.

Please put this on the top of your agenda to participate and ask your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. It can only be as good as the recipes and ideas we receive. Please submit your recipes as soon as possible so we can get the ball rolling.

The "Cookbook Committee" needs volunteers, so if you are interested, please contact Clydell at 822-5299 or JoAnn at 823-1541. Thank you for supporting this great fund-raising adventure.

    Clydell Lamkin, 18041 Bold Venture, Tehachapi;  corgimom16@aol.com
    JoAnn Kiblinger, 29801  Poso Court, Tehachapi;  rtzedame@att.net