Lovely Pasadena
I love living in Pasadena. It’s gorgeous, quiet, scenic, close to the mountains, and nice but with none of the bougie-ness found in other parts of Los Angeles. In a nutshell, it’s perfect. You would never, ever know you are a 15 minute drive from this:
Downtown Los Angeles choking on smog
Plus, there are parrots.
I had lived here a few months when I first discovered the parrots while walking through a nearby neighborhood. I rounded a corner, heard a cacophony of cawing, and looked up to find several dozen green parrots in a tree. I stood there a moment, trying to figure out why there were parrots, and could come up with no good reason (the speculation is that they are descendants of parrots released from a pet emporium that caught fire in 1959). I went home and told my husband about how weird it was, and his response was something along the lines of , “um-hmmmm hrmp”. He really didn’t care. I, on the other hand, am fascinated by this oddity. I only run into them once every few months, and whenever it happens I always stop to watch.
Like today.
Now that I know what they sound like, when I hear them I get super excited. So today I’m speed walking along, and low and behold, the sounds of tropical birds filled my ears. When I got to the tree they were in, I stopped per my usual. Today there were more gathered in one place than I’ve ever seen. Seriously, there were about 40 or 50 of those suckers, and they were loud.
I’m standing there, in my pink running shorts and camouflage sweatshirt, mouth hanging open, staring at the birds. I don’t know if something spooked them, or they just got tired of my oogling, or what, but out of nowhere all of them started beating their wings, and seconds later they were flying overhead. I was still standing there like a reject thinking it was totally cool when the first blob of liquefied shit hit the ground a few feet away. I looked down, and all of a sudden, plop plop plop.
So I did what any moron would do. I crouched down in a semi-fetal position, all Tipi Hedren-esque, except without the chic-ness and cute haircut. I am sure the person that drove by in the Prius laughed his or her ass off. Amazingly, not one bird shit on me, and it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying.
Today was a good day, therefore I am rewarding myself with a cocktail.
The Lightweight
• ½ oz Woodford Reserve
• ½ oz Campari
• Ginger ale or club soda, whichever you prefer
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but typically when I make Friday cocktails with the proper proportions, I take a sip and pass it off to my husband because I am a lightweight, then I make myself a smaller version. I simply can’t hang anymore. This drink, however, is all for me, hence the lesser amount of liquor involved – plus, a little Campari goes a looooong way.
Enjoy, and may no birds poo on you this weekend. Happy Friday y’all!
We came across a parrot in the rain forest in Puerto Rico once. My daughter was about 5 years old and was looking at it from about 10 feet away. This bird was probably about 18 inches tall and solid white. Suddenly, it spread it’s wings, all it’s feathers stood up on end and it made the loudest, most god-awful sound ever. My daughter has been scared of birds ever sense.
I don’t blame her – to a five-year-old it probably looked like it could pick her up and carry her away!
Birds are terrifying. I’m glad you survived. I’d write more but I have really bad hiccups right now. Pasadena is so nice its almost surreal – can you please find me a job there k thanks bye. Happy Friday!!
Off to buy Campari.
Enjoy!
Have you heard of the Parrots of Telegraph Hill? Its a really sweet little documentary about some parrots in San Francisco http://www.markbittner.net/
I have not. But the write up on the site is pretty entertaining…’some people call me the parrot man!’
Any parrot can survive in Pasadena. I want to see the Parrots of Nome Alaska. Now that would be amazing.
I do like the idea of a pet store burning down and species talking hold locally. That is pretty cool. And it makes me wish camels made better pets because it’d be awesome cool if a pet store burnt down in Phoenix and as a result we had wild camels.
Caution – Camels Crossing….yeah, I can see it.
I had no idea parrots lived in Pasadena! Now THAT I might venture east of the 405 to see! I think the potential for being shat upon was a small price to pay for seeing 40-50 Green Parrots living in the wilds of your hood.
On a lighter note, you know my fascination with the idiocy that is known as the vanity license plate right? Well I have amassed about 200 photos of the most offensive fools in the South Basin, and let me tell you, although it pains me to say it, Prius Owners get their own special category. I thought it was special when I found Foxxy Mama parked next to Sexy Stud last month, but yesterday – Blue Prius- “Dr. Toot”….
East SIIIIIIIDE!
Dr. Toot? Really? Now that you mention it, the Prius peeps DO seem to have a disproportionate number of vanity plates! I think we need to conduct a study to determine the reason.
Just so you know, every time I see a personalized plate now, I think of you.
Hahahha good for you for escaping the bird shit! I’d be fascinated too…I still stop and stare at deer, and they’re all around on the east coast (where I am, anyway)
Yeah, I don’t much care for birds, but they’re freaking parrots. How can I not stare?
that’s so cool that you’ve had parrot encounters! And amazing that you avoided getting shat on. Because bird crap may be the grossest.
The smog picture is shocking whenever I see it!
I know, the smog is seriously disgusting.
I like the parrots in Pasadena. Much better than the peacocks and peahens in San Pedro . . . though the peacocks are pretty, a peacock will preen in the middle of the road, blocking it and my kids won’t let me run the stupid bird over. Plus they make horrible noises.
A friend’s dad (so he is in his 70s now) actually shot one and tried to BBQ many years ago.
I didn’t know they had peacocks in San Pedro!
And by tried to bbq, I take it things didn’t go well?
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Lady.
Sierra Madre.
That’s where the nosy little fuckers hide.
In the tree.
Outside my bedroom.
At 5 o’clock in the morning.
…
But they are kinda pretty.
They are pretty. But if they were cawing outside my window at 5am, I’d be hella annoyed!