More Bird Trouble

The bird troubles continue at Casa Jones. Now a pair of hawks have moved in and decided to establish a household. I noticed them a few weeks ago. Whenever we'd go outside, we'd hear their crazy screaming. One day as I turned the corner to the patio, they flew off the fence around the propane tank. I thought they were owls--screech owls, of course. A few days later Jerry saw them on the old fencepost in the back yard and realized they were hawks. Usually I see two of them but Jerry has seen three at a time. They hang out in the woods near the house, or on the other side of the lawn in the cedar stand.

Last week as I came down the driveway I saw them sitting at the end of the stone wall. One flew into the trees, the other jumped down to the ground and seemed to be acting as if it were injured. No, it was trying to drag a dead rabbit away! Instead it flew off, too. I felt bad having disrupted their dinner. I know they worked hard for that bunny. Happily Abigail is big enough to not interest them. However, our visiting dachshund Daisy is a tempting little rotundo who may appear to be a tasty treat to the hawks. We'll have to pay close attention next time she comes over.

Living in the wild nature is a great adventure. But I'm just about ready for the hawks to move along.

Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Olvera Street, Los Angeles, California

Although I'm Jewish, I'm very fond of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I love the image of her with the full-body halo (depicting the sun), the flowing robes, the folded hands, standing on a crescent moon. The story and imagery are bound up with classical Aztec legends and symbolism--don't most religions have some pagan connections?

The photos were taken on Olvera Street in Los Angeles, one of my favorite places on the planet. It's the oldest street in L.A., a real tourist destination full of shops that mostly sell the same merchandise. So it's a good idea to not buy the first things you see--they'll be cheaper down the street. I bought a t-shirt there with one of Frida Kahlo's bloodier paintings reproduced on it ("The Two Fridas"), as well as a papel picado paper chain that I wish I could find, and other fantastic tchotchkas.

The pictures at the left and center were taken in April and November 2008; they're the same shrine built in a grated window, but the center photo puts it more in context. I call it "Guadalupe and Friends." The photo on the right is from a gorgeous, endless display of Guadalupe statues of varying heights, from about 3 inches up to two feet and more. It's amazing how inexpensive they are. I have a 4" one that cost about $1.50; she's standing on a Corinthian column--perfectly lovely. I'm planning to display 8" x 10"s of these photos in golden frames in my hallway.

I also have a Guadalupe fountain that's a little on the tacky side--okay, it's totally kitsch. I've owned it for about three years but I'm still kind of nervous about it. My Guadalupe wristwatch with diamond chips stopped working recently but I wear it anyway. It's not about time; I can get that off my cellphone.