Working The Trees

In recent days I’ve chronicled the activities of the animal kingdom in the urban setting. I had no idea I’d be writing about coyote’s, and parrots. Through the course of my examinations I have come to one exact singular conclusion; I’m glad I’m not a squirrel.

Squirrels are subject to attack from all directions, coyote’s can attack by ground, and Red Tail Hawk’s can pounce by air. I wouldn’t want to be a squirrel. I’ve noticed since my last post that the squirrels are behaving much differently with the presence of the coyote. They’re back to traveling by tree, from branch to branch. They were getting cocky. I’d see them running about, hopping from here to there, I can’t say they were without a care in the world, for I’ve never seen a squirrel who wasn’t just a little bit nervous, I’d say they were lackadaisical. But not anymore, the coyote put the scare into them, and they’re back to working the trees.

Don't Call My Bluff

I came face to face with the coyote this morning. I heard an agitated squirrel on my roof and had a feeling if I went outside I’d see the coyote. Sure enough I walked onto my deck and saw him hiding behind a tree. I could just see his hind legs and his tail. He was standing motionless waiting for me to leave. I decided to wait him out to see what he’d do. Eventfully, he turned around. I’m not sure if he thought I had gone, or if he was tired of hiding behind a tree. When he turned around I was looking right at him. We looked each other in the eyes. He looked at me as if I caught him with his pants down. He was sizing me up. Friend or foe. I turned away first not wanting to be confrontational. When I looked away he ran off.


            I’m sympathetic to the coyote. He’s just trying to make a living. I heard him last night as well. I was reading Moby Dick, not my favorite book so far, Melville’s all over the place, is he a scholar or a whaler? I wish he’d just tell the story. Anyhow, I’ve discovered that the coyote likes to plow through the trees into my yard. I heard him plow through the trees last night. I could hear his paws on my wood deck. I yelled out, “Coyote!” He didn’t answer. I want him to know that I’m onto him, that was my message to him again today, I’m onto you. I just hope he doesn’t call my bluff. 

The Gospel Show

I woke up at dawn. I had no choice really, a mosquito was harassing me and I finally got sick of it and got up to put an end to it altogether. I was at wits end with the mosquito and was going to murder it. I stood up and looked for the mosquito, but he was craftier than I anticipated and got away.

            I opened the window in hopes that the mosquito might fly out. I was standing there looking for him when I heard the cackling sound of a bird outside. I recognized the sound to be that of the elusive L.A.  green parrot. I couldn’t see the bird, but I heard it. I stood quietly at the window and tried to put proximity of sound to bird. I searched the trees, but I didn’t see anything. I finally saw something move in the loquat tree in my neighbor’s backyard. There were five or six parrots snacking on loquats. They landed on the top branches of the tree and were peacefully eating in the faint morning light. I studied them while they ate. They were beautiful. It was rare to get such a good look at them. I was standing perfectly still so not to scare them off. The birds were plucking fruit from the tree and messily eating, the seeds from the loquats were falling to the ground. If somebody told me I was going to wake in the morning and see parrots, I would have thought them crazy. But there they were, right in front of me, a couple of miles from downtown Los Angeles.

            Then the mosquito resurfaced and started to hover near my face. I waved my hand in front of my face to scare him off, but he kept coming at me. He was relentless. I swatted at him again intent on killing him, but I missed. The parrots saw my hand as it moved past my face, and quickly flew away. The fun was over.

            I turned the radio on and lay in my bed. There was a radio show called Gospel Sunday on. The sound of gospel singing overtook me. It was joyful, optimistic, soothing. I fell asleep.