1949 VINTAGE BEAN HARVESTER In the California festival world lives a little known shindig in honor of the humblest of legumes, the bean. The fastest growing city in San Joaquin County, Tracy has boomed in the past few years as a bedroom town for Bay Area commuters (who probably didn't know they would be co-hosting such an extremely low-tech event as this one!).   Several covered patios provide tables where you can sample various cook-off events. These feature the secret recipes of local organizations and businesses. Sorry, but after eating Paso's Pioneer Day beans, we didn't think anything else was worthy of trying. The city cordons off a few downtown streets to stage their weekend celebration. A few stages are set up to host live entertainment. We were fortunate to 'enjoy' the pre-intermission sounds of a local band that made you wish they sold earplugs at one of the concession stands. Thankfully, they ended their deformance just as we arrived at their end of the street. Note fathers of the city of Tracy: young kids who like noise and cacophony DON'T spend money on crafts, art and trips to Tahiti. JOE'S SHAVED ICE THIRST QUENCHERS The temperature is in the 80's. Slight breeze. Very slight, so there is $3.00 lemonade, $2.00 Pepsi and $2.00 bottles of water to solve the problem. We opt for shaved ice from our good friend, Joe Billingslea. He frequents S.J. County events and makes everybody happy (unless they happen to spill some of his bright blue flavoring on their favorite shirt). Joe and I go back to the 60's in El Paso, where he grew up and I went to college. But that's another story. We get the shaved ice for free. Thanks, Joe. Beans are nature's wonderful way of making us healthy. Protein power, vitamin verve, cholesterol control, mineral mine, money miser --- all add to the value of this great health food. But they're best eaten close to home. POTTIES ON PARADE