Los Angeles

Next spring, we’re moving to Los Angeles for four months. I immediately thought about putting my blog on hiatus, because, except for pigeons, I couldn’t imagine urban nature in Los Angeles. But, as the city’s perimeter continues to expand and obliterate the places where animals roam, the wildlife that is present becomes even more obvious; the wildlife-human interface becomes stronger as humans encroach on habitat. A bobcat peered through my sister-in-law’s sliding glass door. A mountain lion crashed through a neighbor’s living room window before bouncing out another one. A mountain lion studied my friends while they picnicked on a cemetery lawn. I’ve watched a hummingbird sit on a bush in my brother’s yard for longer than I was willing to watch. When we lived in South Pasadena, which is in the outer ring of the city proper, flocking parakeets enchanted us as they perched on the tree in front of our balcony. Coyotes reputedly understand traffic patterns on freeways and cross multiple lanes safely. Instead of putting my writing to rest, I’m going to look on this as a challenge and an opportunity.