Hey folks- this is Sabira Stash, posting for the first time about Pope Valley Fruits. My parents, Nancy and Terry, own the farm, so I spent a good part of my life poking around these hills. For the last 5 years or so, however, I've been living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I get out here as often as I can wrangle up a ride, and always wish I could stay longer.
How can one begin to describe the differences between Oakland (the city that is my sometime home) and Pope Valley? Pope Valley is not a city. I don't even think it could be termed a town. And, although the numerous farm sheds, goat milking sheds, tool sheds, and other 'miscellaneous' sheds on our land call to mind a quaint country village, I doubt that Pope Valley even qualifies as a village. It is a . . . valley. A beautiful, wild valley where in order to survive one must carve a living out of the very land, dredging the depths of its hillsides to find water with which to grow sustenance. (How's that for drama, eh? Haha.)
I have a mind to debate the merits of Oakland versus those of Pope Valley. And, while I could very easily weigh their pros and cons in a rational and sophisticated manner, that would be BORING! To 'de-essay-ify', I would appreciate it if readers would heretofore consider this to be a (100% accurate) documentation of:
The Ultimate Fighting Championship Showdown of Cities: Oakland, CA versus Pope Valley!!!!! (Feel free to gasp here.)
In this fight, I pit (purely in my imagination- please do not try this at home!!) the residents of Oakland against those of Pope Valley.
To begin, we need to consider the relative population sizes of the two regions. It is obvious that by purely numerical standards Oakland, as a city of several million, would kick Pope Valley out of the water. However, quality over quantity, my friends! Pope Valley is a tough community. As we see on our farm every day, hiking up and down hills, blazing trails, and swimming across huge lakes serve its residents well in the strength department. Also, it has been observed that most Pope Valleyans have super secret strength reserves! In order to tap into these reserves, all they have to do is munch on a few leaves of one of the Valley workers' staples: our abundant, brightly colored, delicious rainbow chard. Upon consumption, Pope Valleyans have been known to undergo such feats as leaping across the 50-yard-wide Pope Creek, assembling and mounting an entire 10-panel solar array single-handed, and doing all the dishes created by a hungry pack of Woofers. (I know that there are more W's and O's in that word, but I always forget how many. Sorry.)
As I was saying . . . Oakland has the numbers, Pope Valley has the strength and Super Hero abilities. So far, I'd say they're about evenly matched. However, there are more factors to be considered. What about environmental issues? Oakland, though not an extremely disgustingly polluted city, still has its fair share of smog and car exhaust. Pope Valley is clear of any such pollutants; in fact, judging by the amount of stars visible on a clear night, the valley seems to be remarkably free of any atmospheric interference. The stars are so big and bright, Woofers have been known to lie for hours staring up at them.
But here is the crux: is pollution a pro or a con, in an Ultimate Fighting Championship Showdown of Cities? I say that depends upon where the actual fight takes place. If it were to 'go down' in Pope Valley, there is a possibility that Oakland residents' lungs would explode, not used to all this fresh, clean air. That would put Pope Valleyans ahead. But if the fight were to happen in Oakland, that city's residents would be at an advantage. Pope Valleyans would not know what to do with the pollution, whether it be the common type or mental pollution. Whether created by the constant visual bombardment by advertisements or by the sounds of motors revving and music screeching, Pope Valleyans would not survive long on the streets of Oakland.
We come to an impasse in our Ultimate Fighting Championship Showdown of Cities. And to me, the two places themselves are as evenly matched as their populations. Some people argue that it is better to live a completely natural life, off the grid and separated from most of society. Others gasp and look horrified at the thought of going a day without access to their local beauty shop's supply of cosmetics. I fall somewhere in between. I love the bustle of culture and constant stimulation that makes living in Oakland so great, but I hate the pollution and lack of wilderness. Every day that I am in Pope Valley I do amazing things like help install solar systems (which was NOT a one-man job, regardless of how much chard one can consume), swim and kayak in the lake, and observe first-hand the incredible growth taking place in the garden and orchard. I milk goats and throw compost scraps to chickens. I have a grateful (and hungry) population of Woofers to try out new pizza recipes on, after a day off spent exploring the hillsides.
Holy Moley, what am I saying? POPE VALLEY IS THE WINNER!!!!!
It's hard to imagine, when I'm out here, that there is another way to live life. But sooner or later, work calls and I return to my studio apartment in downtown Oakland. Sigh. It's hard to go back.
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