HAPPY FRIDAY, NEIGHBORS!!!
APRIL 15, 2022
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND TO MY BEAUTIFUL BRIDE, TAMMY!
Selfishly I love you so much because you have made me a better person over the years...and still a work in progress. You are a great role model for our kids. I am the luckiest man.
HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND, EVERYONE.
HOW DID WE GET EASTER EGGS?
Posted by: English Heritag
Easter is the most important date in the Christian calendar. Every year, Christians around the world remember Jesus’ crucifixion and celebrate his resurrection three days later.
But how did the egg come to represent Easter?
EARLY EASTER EGGS
Throughout history, people across the world have given each other eggs at spring festivals to mark the seasons. Early Christians in Mesopotamia dyed eggs in the period after Easter. The practice was adopted by the Orthodox Churches, and from there it spread into Western Europe. Eggs represent new life and rebirth, and it’s thought that this ancient custom was absorbed into Easter celebrations.
During Lent, when Christians fasted to mark Jesus’ time in the wilderness, eggs were one of the foods that people weren’t allowed to eat (incidentally, this is why we make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday). So when Easter Sunday came around, tucking into an egg was a real treat.
Various traditions and superstitions sprang up around the egg at Easter. Eggs laid on Good Friday were said to turn into diamonds if they were kept for 100 years. Some thought that eggs cooked on Good Friday and eaten on Easter would promote fertility and prevent sudden death, and it became the custom to have your eggs blessed before you ate them. It was also said that if your egg had two yolks, you’d soon become rich. In Devon and Cornwall, people used to play a game like conkers with their eggs, hitting them against each other until one of them cracked.
PACE EGGS
One tradition just about clings on in some parts of England – the ‘pace egg’, and pace egg plays. The word ‘pace’ comes from ‘paschal’, the Latin name for Easter. They were hard boiled hen, duck or goose eggs with a colourful shell.
The first mention of pace eggs comes from early 18th-century Lancashire, and they grew in popularity over the century. They were given as presents or at pace egg plays, and sometimes they were rolled along the ground in a race – perhaps to symbolise the rolling away of the stone from Jesus’ tomb. There’s still an annual egg rolling event in Preston. The world’s most famous egg roll takes place every year on the White House lawn in Washington DC.
Pace egg plays can still be found in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, with one of the most famous at Heptonstall. They’re a little like mummers’ plays, or medieval mystery plays, and many feature St George – whose story we tell at our St George’s Day events across the country.
The first English chocolate egg was sold by Fry’s in 1873. Since then they’ve become hugely popular – 80 million are sold in the UK each year – and the pace egg has all but vanished.
UPDATES BELOW ON THE LC HOT ONE'S "BREW, SIP & BURN" 2022!
Pics are from last year.
Episode #1 of THE LAKE COUNTY HOT ONE'S 2021 event.
LOVE OUR FINANCIAL SPONSORS! THIS IS A GIVING GROUP WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
DANA & BILL KEARNEY
LAKE COUNTY HOT ONE'S PRESS RELEASE IN "The Bloom".
Here’s the link:
We are capping tickets at 100.
WE HAVE THREE TICKETS LEFT TO SELL.

LC HOT ONE'S "BREW, SIP & BURN" TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!!
LC HOT ONE'S "BREW, SIP & BURN"
SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 5P-8P @ THE RIPE CHOICE FARM
Hot One's Participants & non-profits "feeling the burn" to date:
  • Jason Chavez/Kelsey Creek Brewing & Toys For Tots
  • Alice Crockett-O'Meara (former MS. Lake County/O'Meara Bros Brewery & Odd Fellows Scholarship Fund
  • Paul Lew/Konocti Mashers & Hospice of Lake County
  • Weston Seifert, Saw Shop Public House & Lake County Chamber of Commerce
  • Kevin Lovett, Wolfhouse Brewery & Kelseyville Elementary/Middle school music program
  • Moylan's Brewery & Animal Refugee Rescue
  • Nick Miller, 2-time Olympian & Give Back Track
  • Jeremy Zabel, Red's at the Skyroom & Motherwise
  • David Brown, Susie Q's & Lake County Fairground Foundation

MC - Sheriff Brian Martin & Supervisor, Tina Scott

DELICIOUSNESS SERVED - The Ripe Choice Catering, a hearty farm to fork salad; Reds at the Skyroom, Fire Roasted Street Corn with bacon, cotija, chipotle aioli and fresh lime; The Saw Shop Public House gourmet appetizer flatbreads; The Tiny Diner, Tri Tip Chili;
Sweet Pea's Ice Cream, sweet ending.
BEVERAGES - Craft beer, Fults Family Vineyard wines, non-alcohol drinks

SILENT & LIVE AUCTION managed by Supervisor Tina Scott.
  • Ripe Choice Farm Stay w/ hearty Farm to Fork Breakfast
  • Ripe Choice Catered 5-course w/wine Vineyard Dinner for 6
  • Painting by Lola Quinn done on-site of the event
  • small chainsaw carved wooden bear sculpture from Wooden Creations
  • 2-night stay, Lakeside room @ Skylark Shores Resort, includes bottle of local wine.
  • A Blue Zones Basket
  • Saw Shop 2x wine dinner tix.
  • Lakeside Picnics - offering picnic for 4.
  • 3 hrs of transformational life coaching with Mimi Whittaker - value $750
  • tour of Bell Haven Flower Farm and a nice luncheon for 10 people.
  • Vineyard horse drawn carriage ride with wine and a cheese/charcuterie board donated by the Andrus sisters.
  • A VIP tour of the Calpine and The Geysers plus a gift bag
  • Two tickets for the 2022 Wine Adventure, 5/21 or 22 donated by the LC Wine Association
  • BBQ dinner prepared for 15 at your place donated by Lunas Insurance
  • Mega Girl Scout Cookie Basket+ donated by Laura and Dave Sammel
  • Crazy Quilt Farms - A wonderful basket filled with fantastic product to treat your senses… plus a gift card to spend as you please!
  • Fults Family Vineyard donate a vineyard tour with pavilion charcuterie for 4 plus free wine tasting (wine for purchase not included)

MUSIC - Bill Vanderwall

SPONSORS:
  • Edenberry Farm
  • Dana & Bill Kearney
  • Rotary Club of Lakeport
  • Susie Q's Bakery
  • Calpine at The Geysers
  • Bell Haven Flower Farm

IN KIND SPONSORS:
  • The Ripe Choice Farm
  • Lake Event Design
  • O'Meara's Brewery
  • Kelsey Creek Brewery
  • Saw Shop Public House
  • Fults Family Vineyard
  • The Tiny Diner
  • Red's at the Skyroom
  • Sweet Pea's Ice Cream
  • Karen Pavone Photography

LOOKING FOR MORE AUCTION ITEMS & SPONSORS!!! $500 & $1000 LEVELS.
CHECK OUT THE BLUE ZONES BASKET FOR THE SILENT AUCTION!
SHOUT OUTS!
HOW I KNOW THE KIDS ARE VISITING.
OUR NEIGHBOR, CAMPODONICO OLIVE FARM, PUTS ANOTHER "W" IN THE WIN COLUMN.
Make sure to visit their place during the May 7 BIG VALLEY SMALL FARMS TOUR.
CONGRATS, LIANNE AND RICH.
CONGRATS TO BOB & STAFF!!
Lauren Berlinn, the public information officer for the Lake County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Martin are conducting a community survey to gain insight into the usefulness of Alert FM, a wireless emergency alert system. They have asked us to take this survey and to pass the survey along to others. The wider the reach, the more information they will have to keep our community safe! Please email lauren.berlinn@lakecountca.gov with any questions. Thank you!
MY QUARANTINE LIFE OBSERVATIONS
Will smith and I have something in common. Neither one of us will be at the Oscar’s for at least 10 years. And hopefully that is the last we will ever speak of this.

I LOVE RAIN...everyone see's rain differently. Farmers see rain as something very much needed; first responders think, "oh, geez, increase in accidents."; for some rain gives off a nesting, relaxing feeling; those living on the water or bluffs in some areas are fearful of floods or the earth shifting.; contractors cannot work outside (yet time to catch up on paperwork, etc.); event planners have to hope for the best and plan for the worst...I LOVE RAIN.

RETWEET
People gonna people, no matter how much we wish they’d dog— @wumother
THEY/H/SHE SAID WHAT!
RETWEET
If I ever win the lottery I’m gonna hide $100 bills in parking lot cart corrals so I know only decent humans find them— @StruggleDisplay

“It’s just time, it’s time for us to do something right instead of having another moment of silence and then send thoughts and prayers.”
  • Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called for common sense gun laws after six people were killed in a mass shooting in downtown Sacramento early Sunday morning, close to the arena where the Warriors played the Kings yesterday. It’s the second mass shooting in Sacramento in just the last five weeks.

"For the first time in human history, we're not going to have access to the night sky in the way that we've seen it."
LOCAL BUSINESS
Just installed solar in Kelseyville. I love the black on black panels.
Further information on PG&E's different rate plans is available at pge.com/tariffs

Top Questions to Ask Your Realtor About Solar Power
When you’re in the market for a new home, there are some things you can ask your realtor to determine if a house is solar-ready or what it will take to prepare for and install solar panels.
  1. Is the home ready to Install Solar Panels?
  2. What’s the amperage on the electrical panel?
  3. Is the roof over or under 15 years old?
  4. Are there exposed beams on the roof?
  5. What kind of roof is it? Clay tile, concrete tile, comp shingle, wood shingle, metal shake, or shake?
  6. What should I look for when buying a house with solar panels?
  7. Will appraisers like solar panels?
  8. Is it more challenging to sell a house with solar panels? 
  9. What happens if you buy a house with leased solar panels?
  10. What is the easiest and cheapest way to get a car charger installed in your home?
Getting a home solar-ready can be a costly and time-consuming process depending on the state of the house, which makes it essential to consider before purchasing a new home. While installing solar panels can be a significant financial investment, it pays off in the long run, both financially and environmentally.

PG&E raised rates 8.1% on January 1, 2022. Another PG&E rate increase scheduled for March 2022. Lock in NEM 2.0 before June of 2022. Roof work and Backup Storage Battery included in the total Gross cost of the Project. 26% Tax Credit. Talk to your CPA about the Solar Tax Credit.

Utilities keep chipping away with their new Net Metering policy for solar customers. Get grandfathered into the current NEM 2.0.

The easiest and most immediate action you can take to lower your energy cost is put in all LED lighting.

IF YOUR UTILITY BILL IS OVER $200; YOU HAVE A ROOF THAT GETS LOTS OF SUN...I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD NOT CONSIDER SOLAR. WITH THE 26% TAX CREDIT AND GOOD CREDIT RATING IT'S A NO BRAINER.

Interested in solar, battery, car charger package? Email, call or text me.
mark@marklipps.com
310-849-9181
Come stay at the farm. Enjoy a hearty farm to fork breakfast; romantic CHEF'S TABLE dinner; boxed lunch for the lake/winery; fresh veggies and fruit. Surrounded by wonderful adventures in buying farm to table goodies; hiking; the lake; AND OF COURSE ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL WINERIES.
310-962-4597
tammy@theripechoice.net

DELIVERY DROP OFF menu:

WEBSITE:
IF YOUR GROUP, NEIGHBORHOOD, CLUB, ASSOCIATION (AND KIDS TOO) WOULD LIKE A VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS CONTACT CHEF TAMMY @ 310-962-4597
REVIEWS THIS WEEK:
"The Ripe Choice Farm and Barn are the best deal ever! Peaceful, beautiful and full of interesting places to walk. Loved visiting the animals each day. Rosie and Buddy, pigs, are very friendly. The tortoise was fun also. Tammy's cooking is sooooo delicious. Mark is a responsive host and full of wonderful information about the surrounding area. We highly recommend this place and will be returning first chance we are able.
Philip’s private feedback for you:
“Thanks again for such a wonderful experience and for being so understanding about the need to accommodate our sensitive noses!”"

This couple is from Manhattan Beach. Learned of LC from my newsletter.
Below Phil is working on chopping the cork from the champagne bottle for their anniversary dinner.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE "BIG VALLEY SMALL FARMS TOUR"
A great Saturday drive with the family or a "day date".
Saturday, May 7, 9a-3p
NO RESERVATION OR FEE TO ATTEND.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE & SMILES REQUIRED.
The Ripe Choice Farm
Campodonico Olive Farm
Peace & Plenty Farm
Edenberry Farm
Bell Haven Flower Farm

The Ripe Choice Farm - Tour our event space & farm stay; homemade breads and the LC Symphony Wine Club will offer wine to taste made from our vineyard; music; plus special guests. 2550 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport -theripechoice.net
At the ripe choice farm in addition to our homemade offerings we will have music and special guests with info booths:
  • Bill Vanderwall, husband of Katheryn Vanderwall, the new Commissioner of AG, playing guitar during part of the day.
  • Sarah Ryan, Environmental Director/Emergency Management Director Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians with information about the tap water testing program, the cyanotoxin monitoring and issues, restoration projects, drought issues, among other things.
  • Angela DePalma-Dow, Lady of the Lake, to answer any questions the public might have about lake issues.
  • Rachel Avilla of Wildnature.org with info about living with wildlife and the importance of native plants and wildlife habitats.
  • Lake County Land Trust with info on their efforts to preserve our green spaces.
  • Representatives of the Certified Tourism Ambassadors for Lake County will be in the house.
I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE DRAW ON OUR BARN BLACKBOARDS.
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
"You are ripping off the American people."
  • California Democrat Rep. Raul Ruiz, criticizing the CEOs of several major oil companies for declining to reduce dividends and stock buybacks to lower oil prices. During a hearing yesterday, some Democratic lawmakers also criticized a number of companies for their investments in Russia, arguing those projects have "helped to fund Putin's war chest."

Enrollment in California's K-12 public schools has dropped for the fifth year in a row, a decline of 110,000 students as the pandemic continues to disrupt and the population of school-age children is down, among other factors.

America's oldest national park ranger retires at age 100
Zoe Sottile, CNN • Published 3rd April 2022
(CNN) — Betty Reid Soskin, the National Park Service's oldest active ranger, retired on Thursday, just a few months after celebrating her 100th birthday.
Soskin spent over a decade working at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park after joining the service full-time in 2011, according to a statement from the NPS. The park, located in Richmond, California, aims to highlight the work and experiences of American civilians on the World War II home front.
"To be a part of helping to mark the place where that dramatic trajectory of my own life, combined with others of my generation, will influence the future by the footprints we've left behind has been incredible," Soskin said in the NPS's statement.
As a park ranger, Soskin led public programs with visitors and shared her own personal experiences of World War II. And she worked to highlight the untold stories of African Americans and other people of color during the war.
"Being a primary source in the sharing of that history -- my history -- and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling," Soskin said Soskin. "It has proven to bring meaning to my final years."
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!
The world's skinniest skyscraper is ready for its first residents
The building is skinny, but the prices are not. A studio apartment goes for $7.75 million and the penthouse is $66 million. 66 units, 82 stories.
I WONDER HOW MUCH SWAY IS BUILT INTO THAT TOWER. DRAMAMINE COMES WITH EVERY UNIT.

Francis ScialabbaIf you ever wanted to feel like a Hunger Games competitor, you may get your chance soon: After years of hype, drone delivery companies are beginning to roll out delivery services across the US.
Alphabet-owned Wing will let its delivery drones loose today in Dallas, where it’s partnering with stores like Walgreens and Blue Bell Creameries to place Band-Aids and ice cream on your porch. But there’s a lot of competition in the (un)friendly skies:
  • Israeli startup Flytrex announced last week that it’s also kicking off commercial delivery in Dallas, Texas.
  • Zipline teamed up with Walmart to roll out a limited delivery service late last year and plans to expand the partnership.
But progress has been slower than LGA renovations. Amazon, which stirred up the initial wave of drone delivery excitement in 2013, is still running tests…and they’re not all going well. Getting drones out of their tiny hangars and into the air has been a slog, in part because of strict airspace regulations. The FAA has to approve every drone delivery project, verifying that the drones are passenger-aircraft-level safe.—JW

713
That’s how many books are banned across 16 school districts in Texas, according to PEN America, a literary and free expression advocacy organization. The group says many of the banned books tell stories related to LGBTQ people and people of color.
FOR THE CALENDAR
Lake County Farmers Market
The Saturday market will remain open year-round with enough customer support. Rain or shine!
10a-1p
Saturday @ Shannon Winery
4350 Thomas Drive, off Hwy 29 between Lakeport and Kelseyville
NOW DAT'S FUNNY!
BELOW FOR DANA KEARNEY...maybe this is what you should have done with your houseguest.
THE RIPE CHOICE FARM STAY & CATERING
2550 SODA BAY ROAD
LAKEPORT, CA 95453
tmy@theripechoice.net
310-962-4597
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
WE WISH EVERYONE HEALTH & HAPPINESS.
SEE YOU IN THE YARD.
LET'S TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.
Send me local stories, pics, thoughts on issues, bragging rights with the kids or yourself, fundraisers, locally owned business highlights, anything a neighbor might be interested in hearing or learning.
MARK LIPPS
310-849-9181
mark@marklipps.com
CHEF TAMMY LIPPS
310-962-4597
Tammy@theripechoice.net
The Ripe Choice Catering
Theripechoice.net
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WHAT THE BEER GROUP SEES.