OH THE LUCKY RICH. We have everything in the hills — except air conditioning. “We don’t need it,” we boast, telling everyone who’ll listen about Montclair’s perfect weather. Well, the chicken has come home to roost. I’m not sure what that means, but the Town Crier is hotter than a pepper sprout and this column must be used to vent.

First of all, the Concord influence has got to go. If I had wanted Concord’s weather, I would have bought a place there for half the money with twice the square footage — and AIR CONDITIONING! But I chose to live here for the sea breeze and I want it back.

It just doesn’t make sense. In the winter, my place is freezing. There’s a draft coming from every room in the house. But lately, the draft had disappeared. Things seem tighter than a drum. The words “canned heat” come to mind. I think my house is combustible.

Or maybe it’s just me that’s combustible. I admit, I’ve been crabby lately. But I do have a plan. I’m headed to the store to buy a carton of bottle misters with fans on them. I will squirt myself silly and pass out misters to all my friends. That way, when I overheat again, they’ll be ready.

CAMPAIGN CLUTTER: Thanks to reader Betty Henry for pointing out that the hills are still peppered with City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente’s mayoral campaign signs. But there’s something else cluttering the landscape that she’d like to see removed — ribbons on the trees near Skyline High School.

“I’m a little disappointed because the teachers wanted our support and they tied these ribbons on the trees and just left them there,” she says, adding she put in a call to the school and they ignored it.

GRAND SLAM: Congratulations to Bishop O’Dowd graduate Stephen Singleton, who has been drafted by one of my favorite teams — the Minnesota Twins. The Trestle Glen slugger says his dad was his favorite coach, along with another Oaklander, Will Ash. (Will’s son Johnny was a senior when Stephen was a freshman at O’Dowd, and went on to play with the Houston Astros). And how does Singleton feel about playing for the Twins? “I wasn’t a huge fan,” he admits, “but once I was drafted by them I started looking into their history and got excited.” Two world championships in the last 10 years can do that for a player — even a kid from California.

E-MAIL BAG: Reader Pat Smyklo is miffed at the Oakland Animal Shelter. As a member of the group Fix Our Ferals, she says the shelter is not doing enough to save feral kittens.

“There are often over 50 kittens at the shelter and many are euthanized,” she writes, adding the agency doesn’t take enough responsibility to fix the mother cat, either. She wants animal lovers to call the shelter and demand that they work closer with her rescue group to save feral cats and kittens.

PORK PROJECT: You’ve heard about the little pig that went to market? Well that pink porker was raised by Montclair’s own Katie Ferguson, 11, for her 4-H project. Her mother, Tina, tells me the kids were supposed to find buyers for their animals before auction time at the Alameda County Fair and Katie called Piedmont Grocery owner Dave Larson.

“He (and his family) came to the auction, and very generously outbid himself, until he reached the price he wanted to pay,” she said. Now Larson is loaded with bacon and chops, and Katie has a nice little nest egg for her future endeavors. Everybody wins

THANK GOODNESS the room was air conditioned. Seeing “Menopause the Musical” the other night was like riding the wave of a hilarious hot flash. It was 90 minutes of non-stop laughter about a once taboo topic that women can finally joke about. Yet the humor eludes most men. Only a handful were sprinkled through the theater and their reaction was subdued compared to the side-splitting laughter from the women.

Speaking of “Menopause the Musical,” Glenview author Kathleen Archambeau is the featured guest at the July 26 performance of this off-Broadway hit in San Francisco. She’ll be reading from her book “Climbing the Corporate Ladder in High Heels” just before the 8 p.m. show at Theatre 39. Archambeau’s book is getting a lot of attention in the male-dominated corporate world and was even featured in the May 17 issue of Forbes.com. Between her book and the musical, it’s the perfect ladies night out.

MANZANITA MISTAKE: How many folks know that Oakland’s Manzanita trees are endangered and protected? Spencer Koffman didn’t, so when a fire inspector came by and told him to cut down some of his shiny, mahogany-colored bushes, he naturally complied.

“We recently had a fire inspector come by and tell us to cut down some of our Manzanita trees. “We feel very sad that we cut down these beautiful trees,” he writes. “We didn’t know they were protected, we were just following the fire inspectors demands.” It reminds me of that old 1960s bumper sticker — “Question Authority”.

LOCAL SWINGER: Oakland teen Alexis Hendrick likes to hang out, especially upside down. The 17-year old trapeze artist has been performing in Bay Area circuses since she was 10, including a stint at Woodminster Theatre in “Barnum” Before she heads off to Vassar College this fall, you may want to check her out at Berkeley’s Julia Morgan Theater. She’s part of an amazing all youth circus show called “Vertigo,” playing tomorrow in one show only at 2 p.m. The show features a band of urban youth in the year 2341, who survive with a combination of contortions, aerial hoops and other mind-bending acrobatics. For tickets and more information, call 925-798-1300.

SAVING KIDS: Reader Jeri Mersky says nine orphaned kids from Colombia will be treated to ice cream and an art class on July 23 at Kehilla Community Synagogue on Grand Avenue in Piedmont. The children are staying with Bay Area host families this summer through a program called Kidsave International. If you’d like to find out more about this program, you can call Jeri at 510-339-3922.

E-MAIL BAG: Thanks to reader Lisa Alumkal for letting me know that she’s starting a meal assembly service in Montclair later this year. The Full Plate will open in the Village Square Shopping Center, next to Montclair Bakery and Italian Colors. This kind of business is all the rage right now, because it lets busy moms (and others) assemble meals with freshly-prepared ingredients, and cook them later at home. It beats the heck out of the method a harried hills housewife used not long ago, when she sauteed sausages on a griddle (plugged into her cigarette lighter) while she drove.

Iceland artist dips brush into beauty of land
I GOT A CALL from a friend the other day who needed some travel tips. She was going to a strange, far-off land — a place most Californians have never seen: South Dakota.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” I told her. I was born in South Dakota and visit the state annually without ever showing my passport. You don’t need shots or special currency — but it helps if you like sausage and sauerkraut.

It’s strange how Californians can go their whole life without seeing the Dakotas. They’ll travel to London and France repeatedly but a visit to America’s heartland never crosses their mind.
“What would I do there?” people ask me. “It seems so — bland.” Well, if you call a palace made entirely of corn husks “bland” — then your life is more exciting than mine. But South Dakota has more than the Corn Palace in Mitchell. My hometown of Eureka is the kuchen capital of the world. Folks come from miles around to enjoy this yummy custard-filled dessert. And South Dakota has the faces. Mount Rushmore at night, illuminated by the moon, could turn a communist into a flag-waving patriot.
But a trip to South Dakota is more than just a visit to Middle America. It’s a way to open your mind to what other people think, and how they live their lives. And if more people did this, it would help bring a fractured America together.

ICELAND ARTIST: After returning from Iceland last month, I found a new friend. Arngunnur Yr is an Oakland Hills mom who not only hails from Iceland, she paints Icelandic landscapes and takes tour groups there. Her work is seductive and poetic, and often as raw as the nature she paints. “In the winter months, I work in my studio when my kids are at school,” she says.
Arngunnur admits that art is the most important thing in her life — second only to her family. But she also works as a guide in the mountains of Iceland, where she says you can travel through a raw blackness with vast skies, majestic volcanoes and glaciers that lure you into the distance. “At the day’s end, you return to the gentle soft aromatic greens, the deep moss and fragrant herbs that feel almost like a physical caress!” she says, describing the pastoral towns that dot her homeland. The landscape is reflected in her work. “On one hand my paintings of vast skies and landscape lure in the viewer, but on a closer look, the image seems to be disintegrating and almost undermine the initial beauty of the image,” she explains. The result is a constant conflict in her paintings, which makes viewers stop and think. It’s a direct contrast to her personal life, which is rich with adventure, fulfillment and, most important, family. You can see Arngunnur Yr’s work on her Web site at www. arngunnuryr.com.

ICELAND EATERY: A taste of Iceland is literally just a short drive through the tunnel. Katy’s Kreek is a popular restaurant in Walnut Creek owned by two charming Icelanders, Ari Gardar Georgsson and his wife, Benedikta Gisladottir. The night I was there, the room was filled with blond diners, enjoying native dishes like hashed fish stew served with chopped cod, potatoes and melted cheese. I had the ciappino, which was a savory dish of scallops, mussels and other seafood in a dunkworthy broth. And dunk I did, as I mopped up every bit with a piece of sweet beer bread. The only thing that would make this place better is an ice bar which would give folks some relief from the broiling Walnut Creek heat. It’ll take some convincing, but I think I can talk Ari into it.

ROAD RAGE: The heat must be getting to some folks. Reader Furio Soto says a crazed motorist was on his tail all the way down Shepherd Canyon Road the other day, and then cut him off in Montclair Village. Minutes later, Soto ran into the guy inside Safeway, and the man blew his top.
“YOU WERE DRIVING TOO SLOW!” he screamed as surprised shoppers scattered to other parts of the store. Soto tried to reason with the guy but realized it was useless. He left the man steaming near the stewed tomatoes.

SEASON’S GREETINGS: Who thinks about Christmas in July? Collectors, who stormed Annie’s Hallmark in Montclair last weekend to get a newly released Christmas ornament collection. Owner Mohammed Khatib says, “I’m supposed to hide them and then unveil them — but I don’t.” He doesn’t need the fanfare. Many folks had the date circled for months and spent up to $50 apiece for the Christmas collectibles.

THERE MUST BE something magical about the Oakland hills. I’ve never seen so many productive people in their retirement years. Is it the fresh air? The steep grades? Something in the fog? It defies explanation, and yet there are seniors all around us who run marathons and even run their own companies.

I’ve known Howard Smith for years. He’s been a faithful promoter of the USS Potomac as long as I’ve been writing this column. And he’ll be the first to tell you he’s no spring chicken.

“I’m an old man,” he says, “approaching 93.” Yet Smith drives himself down to the docks in Oakland six or seven times a month to volunteer on the ship that once served as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s floating White House. It’s something about the waterfront that’s been calling him since his days in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s.

“I was out of school and broke and couldn’t get a job,” he recalls, “and I got paid a dollar a day in the Corps. I bought toilet articles and postage stamps and had a few dollars left over for beer.”

Then World War II came along and Smith enlisted in the Coast Guard and spent three years defending our country. It taught him how to handle responsibility.

“When they have an emergency on the Potomac, I tell them to give old man Smith a call,” he says.

But you have to be careful how you call him. “We have three people with the first name of Howard and two with the last name of Howard. You’re liable to get a crowd if you shout that name out,” he laughs. We should all be so lucky as to have a Howard Smith on our staff. He not only leads tours on the Potomac, but he ties fancy knots for the ship’s bell and railings. I can only hope I’m as productive in my tenth decade on this wonderful planet.

E-MAIL BAG: Last week’s column on beating summer heat prompted this response from reader Patricia Durham: “How about at least mentioning Oakland Ice Center as a cool destination? It’s a city spot, needs the business and has reasonable prices, too,” she writes. Speaking of cool places, how about Marine World? The day I was there, a nice marine breeze was keeping temperatures at bay. The killer whales sent a refreshing spray into the front row seats of their stadium, and folks of all ages were enjoying the wet, wild, water ride. Keeping cool has never been so much fun.

FREEWAY FOLIAGE: Reader Gregory Blackburn is wondering when our promised replanting of Highway 13 is set to begin.

“Weren’t we told to expect more from the recent re-surfacing and landscaping of the freeway as it passes from Broadway Terrace, through Montclair and on to Woodminster?” he writes. You’re right, Gregory, and Vice Mayor Jean Quan says the funding is set and a citizen group has finished the planning.

“Plants will include many natives,” she says, “and given the CalTrans project schedule and the best time to plant … we expect the work in the fall.”

IF YOU’VE been reading my column over the years, you know my policy on hot weather: I’m not a fan. Staying cool takes a lot of energy and I don’t mean in the form of watts or voltage. I’m talking about the creative energy it takes to avoid a total meltdown. I’ve tried everything except a clothing-optional camp to stay cool this summer. The research has been extensive and I’m ready to share it here:

Pack up your swimsuit and sandals (and kids if you’ve got them) and drive to Pleasanton. Ignore the fact that the temperature climbs a degree for every mile you travel east — you’re headed to a little-known water park where you won’t have to fight throngs of kids to ride the slides. Shadow Cliffs is an old gravel quarry turned lake, not far from the Stoneridge mall. You can swim and boat here, but the real fun is next door at the California Splash waterslides. For $10, you get a half day of the best aerobic exercise around — climbing the cement walkway and flying down one of four wet and wild waterslides — over and over. You feel like a kid as you fly around corners and over the lip in a spray of water that feels like liquid heaven. The bigger your body, the faster you go — which is a bonus for adults. Just hang on to your swimsuit when you get to the plunge pool at the bottom. This is not a clothing-optional water park.

Still not cool enough for you? Then grab your mittens and head to Berkeley Iceland. For $10, you can rent skates and go round and round the rink until you can’t feel your toes. The winter scene (complete with twinkling Christmas lights) transports you to a season of frosty bliss. You may even want to buy a hot chocolate.

If these ideas don’t excite you, then break down and buy a home cooling system. This is almost unheard of in the hills, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And while you’ll get soaked for a summertime purchase like this, it’s better than being soaked with perspiration for the next three months.

PHONE THEFT: Reader Joy Somerville has a tip for cell phone users who want an easy way to de-activate their phones if the phones are lost or stolen. Jot down your phone’s serial number, which you can find by keying in *#06#.

“Write it down and keep it safe,” said Somerville. “Should your mobile phone ever get stolen, you can phone your service provider and they’ll be able to block your handset, making it totally useless.”

ANIMAL TALES: If a cat has nine lives, how about a dog? Oakland Zoo director Joel Parrott says his dog used up at least one of those lives when he was left for dead in the bushes behind George Zimmer’s house. Zimmer, the owner of the Men’s Wearhouse, called Parrott and he came out to take the animal away.

“As I was putting him in the body bag, his eye twitched,” he said, “and we took him to the zoo and stabilized him and the emergency clinic helped through the weekend and he started eating — and now he’s my dog!”

PERFORMANCE PAJAMAS: Finally, there’s a product for women who find themselves flinging off their nighties in the middle of the night. The trendy women’s fashion shop in Montclair, Utopia, is selling pajamas that fight night sweats.

Wildbleu has a patented stay-dry fiber and comes in seven cooling colors. The one called arctic should really get the job done.

A PIECE of prime property is up for sale in Montclair — the Montclair United Methodist Church at the corner of Mountain Boulevard and Shepherd Canyon Road. The congregation has merged with Trinity United Methodist in Berkeley and left hills parishioners with a bit of a drive to Sunday morning services. It’ll be interesting to see who buys the old church. With its uninspiring design, it seems well suited for an office complex.

NIGHT OUT: Readers have been raving about Rita Moreno in the Berkeley Rep’s version of “The Glass Menagerie.” Extended through July 2, Moreno does a fantastic job as the meddling mother in this classic Tennessee Williams play. Animated and engaging, she makes you alternately want to hug her and shake her, as she spreads her character’s southern charm like molasses over an audience that’s eager to lap it up. Everyone should see this performance.

E-MAIL BAG: After last week’s item on pet cats who roam in our regional parks, Susan Thorner writes: “Dog owners are required to be present and have their dogs under voice control in the parks. Cats and their owners should be subject to no less stringent rules.”

Meanwhile, reader Robb Lazarus has his eyes on the empty space in Montclair that used to be Round Table Pizza.

“Every time I visit the village I peer in the window, looking for signs of progress, but things seemed to have stalled long ago,” he said.

The reason for the delays probably won’t surprise you. The building at 2071 Mountain Blvd. needed considerable work to bring it up to code, especially for handicap accessibility. The landlord, Ed Hirschberg, tells me that Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant should be open for business in a couple of months. He says the restaurant owners are a hard working family with another location in a building he owns in the Fruitvale district.

BIG BURN: If the cost of a pack of cigarettes doesn’t get you, the fine for lighting up will. My mole in Montclair says a worker at one of the local eateries got burned with a $280 fine the other day for smoking within 25 feet of a public entrance.

LIBRARY NOTES: Fresh from the theaters, the Montclair Library is stocking its shelves with new movie titles. You can check them out for a week, but beware — the fine is a buck a day if you forget to return one. Measure Q money is also helping to fix the Internet access, which has been painfully slow in recent years.

INCREDIBLE JOURNEY: How do you celebrate retirement? If you’re like Montclair author Susan Alcorn, you grab your hubby and your backpack and hike across Spain. Alcorn shared her story Thursday night at A Great Good Place for Books, and says the adventure gave her a new sense of freedom.

“It never dawned on me that it was possible for me to just take off and walk across the country,” she says. Since that trek in 2001, the Alcorns have hiked more than 900 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. It keeps them fit for their other hobby — dancing Zydeco at the Eagles Hall in Alameda.

DIVE-BOMBING BIRDS, weed-whacking goats and a fox who suns on a neighbor’s porch. Have things in the animal world gone suddenly haywire, or is this yet another sign of global warming?

Readers are writing about the oddest things these days. It started with last week’s column about the bird who is attracted to hair in Montclair Village. After reading my item, Emily Sparks says she was walking past Hallmark when she was attacked twice by the winged aggressor.

“I could tell she had some reason to do it,” she says, “and I looked up, and in one of those sort of thin, feathery little trees in the sidewalk there was a nest.” A nest, no doubt, feathered with hair.

Then there was the piece on Andy Hawkey’s 4-H goats, which have been earning their keep eating weeds in the hills. Several readers have called asking for Hawkey’s number, hoping she’ll bring her bionic grazers over to their yards. I’m hoping I can just borrow one and walk it on a leash like a lawnmower.

The fox story comes from Annie Pelayo, who lives up against the Huckleberry Regional Preserve. She says a neighbor has also spotted a mountain lion near the yard in recent weeks. With all this wildlife, Pelayo worries about her own cat, who spends a lot of time in the park. I told her to call the East Bay Regional Park hotline at 510-881-1121 and report the mountain lion.

FLUSH WITH CASH: Montclair Park is getting a much-needed facelift, thanks to a grant. My mole at the park says the bathrooms are being redone and an elevator is going in to make the recreation center accessible to the handicapped. If they could just solve the little problem they have near the basketball court: Vandals keep stuffing rocks in the toilets down there, causing them to overflow. Until workers get a handle on the problem, the water closet is closed.

PARTY ANIMALS: Thanks to reader Therese Brewetz for telling me about the fund-raiser for the Humane Society of America, Saturday night at Berkeley’s Missouri Lounge. Her band is playing for the event, and their name, alone, tells the story. It’s Karmadogs.

GALLOPING RESCUE: And finally, an animal tale from my own personal collection. Last week, I was horseback riding near San Luis Obispo and my car keys popped out of the saddlebag during a long, bouncy gallop on the beach. I didn’t realize they were missing until I got back to the stable, so I high-tailed it back to look for them. The chances were slim and none — but I found them — just a speck in the sand, seconds from being swept out to sea in the surf. The cost of a Prius key? $350. The cost of a daring beach rescue on horseback? Priceless.

WE SEEM ALMOST numb to crime, these days. Robberies, rip-offs — it’s part of the price we pay, living in Oakland. But someone is out there breaking into churches. There have been at least three burglaries in recent months in Montclair. It’s sad, because there was a time when churches stayed open 24/7 for people who wanted to pray. Now, most are locked when service isn’t in session. Locked, when it seems we need them more than ever.

ANIMAL TALES: Have goat, will travel. Reader Andy Hawkey says her goats have been making big money for the Montclair 4H club — as weed eaters.

“They actually have been on three straight gigs,” she writes, adding they also made $325 for Montera Middle School at a recent auction. A woman in Concord wanted them to nibble in her yard for awhile. And how do the Hawkeys transport the goats? In the back seat of their Camry! Imagine that sight as you’re driving down the road.

BOOK IT: Reader Susan Alcorn has been busy schlepping boxes of books up her rather steep driveway. The Montclair author has just self-published “Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago,” the story of her 400-mile hike across northern Spain. Not only are her closets full of books, “they’re lining my office wall, and creating a unique room divider in the living room” she writes. Alcorn appears at A Great Good Place for Books at 7 p.m. on June 15.

FREE FERTILIZER: Lots of coffee houses offer free grounds for your ground, but at Nelly’s Java, it’s bagged and ready for the garden. Just ask Roger Terlet, who’s been picking up organic grounds from the Montclair coffee shop and adding them to his compost pile.

“Nelly’s puts the grounds in plastic bag-lined milk crates that they leave outside, under their outdoor bench,” he says. That saves him the time of waiting in line to pick up the grounds — and leaves him more time to reap what he sews.

MIXING IT UP: If you want to make a real splash at your next cocktail party, try offering blood orange Cosmopolitans to your guests. Don’t know how to make them? The trendy bar Mezze on Grand Avenue offers private lessons for budding bartenders — upon request. For $40 a person, you learn the secrets of the trade and get to enjoy the drinks. Not a bad deal, considering the cost of blood oranges these days.

BIRD ATTACK: Straight from an Alfred Hitchcock plot, a bird has been attacking one of my readers. Yes, Nancy the Slipper Lady says she’s been assaulted at least three times under the trees outside Rite Aid in Montclair. The same bird and same manner of attack.

“He flies into the back of my head,” she says, “then takes off.” It’s not known for sure, but he may be attracted to Nancy’s conditioner. She uses Suave — scented with berries.

I HAVE A FRIEND with whom I rarely spend time. When I was younger, we’d get together regularly, and I’d marvel at how exciting she could make life seem. But these days, I’m so busy. I see her from afar and she looks great, but I don’t stop to visit. That’s going to end.

I’m talking about San Francisco, of course. And I know I’m not alone. How often do we cross the San Francisco Bay for dinner, a show or some shopping? I decided to do this the other night, and the timing couldn’t have been better. One of my favorite restaurants was celebrating a landmark anniversary.

My first memories of A. Sabella’s go back to the 1970s TV show “Streets of San Francisco.” The famous ship’s wheel that says “Fisherman’s Wharf” is close to the spot where the Sabellas sold fish back in 1887. Today, their restaurant is still family-owned and that must be some kind of record. But the secret to success starts with an “s” — great seafood, impeccable service and stunning scenery.

Sitting at our window to the world, we were mesmerized by the throngs of tourists coming and going as ships of all sizes dotted the waterfront. We dipped warm sourdough into rich, steamy bowls of cioppino and chowder, and sipped our wine as we celebrated. The owner came by to share some stories. Antone Sabella started working in the restaurant at age 12, cracking crab. He and his sister, Laureen, are the fourth-generation owners now, and well aware of the part they play in the city’s history. They lovingly blend old family recipes with new, lighter fare, to keep up with the changing trends. And it works. On the night we were there, the restaurant was full, as soft conversation complimented the warm glow in the room. I knew then and there that the friendship I’d lost with the city by the bay — had been rekindled.

PHONE TAG: The crier has been alerted to yet another scam in the hills. Reader Laura Thomas says someone stole her phone number in order to sign up for a service called One Source Networks. It wasn’t a lot of money, but getting the phone company to delete the charge was no great joy.

“I don’t think there is any way for us to prevent this from happening except to keep a vigilant eye on our phone bill and refuse to pay bogus charges,” she writes.

CRIME WATCH: Reader Reenie Raschke was ripped off the other day. It sounds like a tongue twister, but it really happened. A woman came into her Montclair photography business and asked to use the bathroom. Raschke thought it was odd, but kindly agreed, keeping a watchful eye on her cameras and purse. Later that day, she got a call from her credit card company. Somehow, the woman had stolen her card and gone straight to San Francisco for a shopping spree that included a new Coach purse. Raschke was steamed. She wouldn’t even buy that for herself, let alone give it to a stranger!

POETRY IN MOTION: Women love a man who writes poetry. And local dad Stewart Florsheim has just won top honors for his new book of poetry called “The Short Fall from Grace.” This is Florsheim’s third book, including an anthology of poetry by children of Holocaust survivors. (His parents were refugees from Hitler’s Germany.)

Florsheim will be reading from his newest collection at the Rockridge Library on July 15. Find out more on his Web site at stewartflorsheim.com.

DOG DAYS: I’ve seen lots of dogs in the village, but never one that looked like a bear. There it was, holding court outside Montclair Barbers the other day, in the lap of owner Daniel Tran — who just happens to cut hair inside. Yes, he clipped his Pomeranian to look like a teddy bear and it got me thinking. If he can make a dog look adorable, imagine what he can do with a human?

A FRIEND LOST her chicken the other day. Rosie the hen died after surgery on her drumstick. I guess that’s what you call a chicken leg, although I never really thought about it. What I have thought about, is what that bird meant to her owner. She was a pet and a friend, not to mention a provider of eggs for this Montclair family.

Some folks would have put Rosie down when she broke her leg. Others may have eaten her. But my friend tried to save her life. And these days, that’s not so unusual.

People have become so attached to their pets, they’re willing to spend big money on them. How else do you explain the waiting list for places like Happy Hound Doggy Day Care in Oakland? It costs as much as some child care centers and offers things like healthy meals, group interaction and even animal play structures. Their Web site shows a dog going down a slide.

Maybe it’s not such a bad idea, keeping your pet happy. A happy pet usually doesn’t bark or bite. But fancy food and play dates may not help every animal. For these pets, you need to pull out all the stops, like a friend of mine does. She gives her cat Prozac. You should hear that kitty purr.

SHOW TIME: If you feel like horsing around this Sunday, come out to the Sequoia Arena in Joaquin Miller Park (near Chabot Space & Science Center). The Montclair Horse Association is holding a free all day horse show for western and English style riders. We don’t often think about it, but there are miles of riding trails in the Oakland hills, including the 50-year-old Grass Valley trail which meanders through a greenbelt dotted with cattle. It’s just like the old west, if you take away the bikers and dog walkers you see along the way.

E-MAIL BAG: In the wake of my article on the penny roundup at local schools, reader Dagmar Serota says her organization is getting a big boost. Good Sense for Oakland has received a $5,000 grant from the Rex Foundation, the Grateful Dead’s charitable organization. The money will help pay for the costs involved in collecting pennies from Oakland schools. Since last August, those pennies have added up to more than $4,750 for local organizations. And the kids feel empowered when they realize their small change can make a big difference.

SHAKE AND QUAKE: We live in earthquake country, so we might as well face it and embrace it. The U.S. Geological Survey is having its annual open house June 3-4 in Menlo Park and reader George Sausedo says it’s a great chance to see what scientists are doing to predict the next Big One. For more information see http://openhouse.wr. usgs.gov.

GOING GREEK: Parking should be easier at the wildly popular Greek Festival this weekend. The Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral has added 300 spaces in its new parking pavilion, along with valet parking for $15 this year. Of course, you can still park for free on the street, but with 15,000 people expected — valet parking may just be the way to go.