Waiting

It's getting easier to get into one of Visalia's busiest restaurants these days, at least parking-wise.

Although some landscaping and finishing touches are still ongoing, the Corner Café at Mineral King Avenue and Cain Street has a new, bigger and concrete parking area, making pholks crowding into the breakfast and lunch eatery a bit happier.

Limited parking slots at the café and restricted parking along both Cain and Mineral King often result in treks of nearly a block. In wet weather, it sometimes becomes an amusing scene as patrons scramble to the doorway. And when there is a waiting list to get a seat inside, even at the counter, the small porch area makes for togetherness and new friendships.

Now, with brand new concrete and expanded parking areas and yet to be completed front entrance landscaping, mud-puddle dodging is close to elimination. Getting to the Corner Café might be a little easier getting inside, especially on weekends at peak breakfast hours, but getting a seat isn't. Generally, the wait isn't too long and seldom do would-be customers go somewhere else. They figure the wait is worth it.

ON THE SUBJECT OF WAITING, that's what nearly a dozen area newshounds did for nearly three hours last week as the Tulare County Board of Supervisors met behind closed doors contemplating several issues, including the Lindsay Library incident.

Electronic and print media members got some good bonding accomplished amid an ersatz game of agricultural Jeopardy sprinkled with gobs of speculation of what announcements would be forthcoming from the Sups.

A few media “war stories” of course were swapped among veteran, semi-veteran and fairly new news pholks, but a large slice of time was devoted to quizzing one another on the facts contained in the 2008-09 Tulare County Farm Bureau Student Art Calendar handed out earlier in the morning.

The bright and colorful calendars are the result of the local farm bureau, the Tulare County Department of Education and many students, teachers and parents. This year's theme was the California Farm Water Coalitions slogan “Food Grows Where Water Flows.” Winning students were awarded prizes and praised by Supervisors who look forward each year to the presentations.

Included in this calendar were some agricultural facts, many of which have answers which can boggle the minds of even those who think they know a lot about the rich and abundance San Joaquin Valley, especially Tulare County and agriculture in general.

For example:
-(a)Tulare County produces __ pounds of honey each year.
-(b)The average American eats approximately __ pounds of tomatoes annually.
-(c) Apple trees take __ to __ years to produce their first fruit.
-(d) Although considered a fruit, the __ is actually a flower that is inverted into itself.
-(e) A cow must drink __ gallons of fresh clean water to make one gallon of milk.
-(f) Each Tulare County orange tree produces approximately __ oranges.
-(g) Cucumbers were brought into the New World by __.
-(h) Tulare County's agricultural production outranks that of __ entire states.
-(i) The average size of a Tulare County Farm is __ acres.

I could leave those of you who care hanging, but I won't. The answers are:
-(a) 30 million pounds;
-(b) 22 pounds;
-(c) Four to five years;
-(d) Fig;
-(e) 2 gallons;
-(f) 600 oranges;
-(g) Christopher Columbus;
-(h) 29 states;
-(i ) 243 acres.

So for those of you who strive to learn something each day and didn't know all the correct answers, you might just go ahead and take a few days off.

Miles can be reached at mshuper@valleyvoicenewspaper.com