Make Mine Mike

Sometimes it’s hard for people to survive in L.A. So I’m amazed at how other animals do it. Maybe they have a better agent.

My old place had slats in the window, which I had to keep fully open or closed, otherwise a sparrow would see the sill as a safe place to build its nest. I chased one away that had been pecking at the screen -- I’m not sure if it was using the metal pieces for the nest, or if it was looking to break in and annex the whole apartment as its new crib.

Guess my old building was an inviting home for birds -- this gray dove sat on the fire extinguisher box for about a week. No one bothered her, but she never laid any eggs and eventually abandoned the nest. Either that, or the landlord gave her a cash incentive to move out, too.

And it’s tough enough to find a parking spot in this town without raccoons claiming a space. I couldn’t scare this little city critter away with my car, but after I parked across the street and went back to take a picture, it skittered down into the sewer. I always thought raccoons were vicious, vile scavengers, but this one appeared almost playful peeking out from underground. My first photo was too dark to capture its cuteness, and when I used the flash… I felt freaked out all over again.