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I Love LA

It's mid-December.  Cooler, recent rain.  Skunks seem tobe everywhere.
Out neighborhood skunk, at first thought to have sprayed in the drivewawy, was run over in the street Sunday night. 
  A healthy one -- strong white marking rather than the shabby yellowing of older skunks -- that I think recognized me.
It had certainly seen me 3 or 4 times, most recently on Friday night.


I Love LA

Yet another critter story.  Last night a  young skunk (nice, bright symetrical white V from its nape to its hips) drank from the pond in the back yard.  It first licked water off its foot or the small cascade of greenery falling from the bank across the bricks into the water.  Then it moved to the overgrown bit and seemed to drink freely.  I was worried about the behaviour, remembering that an inordinate thirst was a symptom of poisoning.
In early winter, the first skunks and raccoons are usually yearlings and cute.
Early in the am, its asperasa pee smell lingers at the front of the driveway.
When I got home from work the guy who walks his pit bull was there, distressed, and showed us the dear skunk trying to get comfortable in an exposed corner among the greenery on the streetside of the house.
Inappropriate behaviour on the part of a feral animal means that you have to call animal control.  In Pasadena that means the Humane Society.
Without so much as a knock on the door, the dear creature has been taken away.  Tomorrow I'll call. Did it live through the night?  Do they relocate or return the animal to where is was taken?
If it's weak, I should tell them to bring it into the back yard where it will know that there's room under both the garage next door and our small shed.
Update.
They had to put the dear down.  Had it lived they'd have relocated it in a wild setting.  In the end, they ended up taking 150 cats on the day from some crazy old lady who had kept them in her house.  They were moved to the Humane Society shortly before a surprising amount of rain collapsed their roof.
However nobel their intentions, they probably had greater concerns on the day.


I Love LA
Sitting outside the Southwestern terminal at the Burbank Airport.  It's mid-day, mid-week and there are 40 limo drivers standing around talking to each other.  Most have hand printed card with names on them.  Their cologne gives cheap black suit and tie a bad name.

I Love LA
This is a photo of our back yard.  It's about 50 feet across and 40 feet deep.  On the south is a small pond, in the middle an attempt at a veggie garden, and tucked aside by the BBQ is another wallow, this one of soft soil.  I hope to someday see the critters rolling in it like cats.

I Love LA
Walking between Gold Line stations
Allen to Lake 2.9
Memorial Park 1.3
Del Mar .6
Filmore .5
Fair Oaks, Columbine, Fremont, Mission
South Pasadena 1.8
El Centro, Meridian, Monteray, Pasadena, York, Figeroa, Ave 57
Mission 2.6
Marion Way, Ave 56, Figeroa, Woodside
Highland Park 1.3
Southwest Museum 1
Pasadena, W Ave 34, W Ave 33, Lacy, W 26
Heritage Square .8
W Ave 26, Humbolt, S Ave 19, Spring
Lincoln/Cypress 1.9
Chinatown .6
Union Station