Remember, we live in a beautiful place

For my birthday on Feb. 8, my parents took me to La Ferme in Genoa. This is not the place to go for a $1.69 breakfast special - it's quite fancy. A well-behaved teenager wearing a tie brought us bread, personally offering a piece to each of us. They make the crust hard by wetting it before baking, sommelier Jacques Sender explained.

We sat by a crackling fire under large, exposed ceiling beams. A bottle of Parallele "45" by Paul Jabalet made our cheeks rosy. It went well with the lamb - which I won't be able to afford until the next time my parents take me out. For dessert, I ordered a scrumptious apricot tart topped with whipped cream and drizzled with a cream caramel sauce.

My dad was impressed by the huge, white bowl it came in.

"Look at that thing - it looks like a lampshade," he said.

The teen brought coffee in a tall, silver pitcher. Sender stuck a little candle in the last bite of my tart, put his hand on my shoulder, and sang "Happy Birthday" with his French accent.

La Ferme, at 2291 Main St. in Genoa, is French for "The Farm." There are cows, a pig, a chicken and a rooster on the property.

As we walked out, my mom looked up at the bright stars.

"It's been a long time since we've seen stars like that in Portland," she said. "You live in a beautiful place, Karl."

All you local readers, do, too.

n n n

The most entertaining thing I've done lately was go see Carrie and Mary Dann, the Shoshone ranchers in Crescent Valley. Their ongoing struggle over grazing rights with the Bureau of Land Management is not a laughing matter, but I was beside myself when Carrie - who will speak to an Amnesty International crowd in Salt Lake City in March - climbed into my car on Monday. She sat in the back seat snacking on fried pork skins. I couldn't wait to tell my cronies how an internationally renowned indigenous-rights activist rode in my Land Cruiser. It was sort of like giving a ride to Mahatma Gandhi - except for the pork skins. Look for a feature on the Danns in a week or two.

n n n

Here's another Genoa item: The Nevada State Museum will offer a free lecture on the exact location of Mormon Station on Tuesday. State Archives Manager Jeff Kintop was asked to research the location for Associated Press writer Martin Griffin. His conclusions place the station right where Mormon Station State Park is, not one mile north, as markers indicate.

Kintop's presentation, "Where the Heck Is Old Mormon Station?" starts at 7:30 p.m. at the museum, 600 N. Carson St. Because of construction, enter from Robinson Street on the south side. Call 687-4810, ext. 239, for details.

n n n

The Brewery Arts Center and the Carson City Symphony Association will present concerts Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the "Ivory and Brass" series.

On Friday, pianist John Ferguson will perform a recital, including Beethoven's Ninth and some of his own compositions.

"It will be a pretty eclectic performance," said Carson City Symphony insider Elinor Bugli. Friday's and Saturday's shows start at 7:30 p.m. at the Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall.

Also Friday, Jay Chen and Alexander Tutunov will perform. Tutunov, originally from Belarus, teaches piano at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. Chen, originally from China, is the trumpet instructor and director of brass ensembles at Oregon State and Willamette universities.

On Sunday, the Carson City Symphony will perform at 4 p.m. at the community center on East William Street. Chen will be guest soloist.

Tickets are $12 general admission; $10 for seniors, students, and symphony association members; and free for age 16 and under. Package deals for multiple concerts are available.

For more information, see the symphony Web site at CCSymphony.com or call 883-1976 or 883-4154.

Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.