Julia's Mexico City

Did you know hummingbirds prefer showers to sit-down baths? This is not something I have thought about. Ever. But I learned this as I was watering plants at a friends house the other day. I was in their backyard, giving all their potted plants a drink (the friends are on holiday) and this hummingbird kept coming over to check me out. I wasn't sure if it was a territorial thing or if it was attracted to my visor (which has brightly colored flowers on it) or if Timmy had fallen down a well and only the bird knew about it. Soon I figured out she was after the water and began to dance around in it. I held the hose steady and she darted in and out, up and down and got a bit soaked, then flew up to a wire to lather up then came back down for a rinse.

I didn't have my camera with me (dang it!) but thanks to Flickr and to photographer Pisco Bandito specifically, you can see a bit of what I saw:


I was mesmerized by the little beauty. They seem to have no fear for such a tiny creature. We need to put our hummingbird feeder back up.

This morning while blogging about hummingbirds and having coffee, I heard some loud squaking and realized it was a wild parrot. I looked out my window and saw these two dudes hanging our for a minute:

(Check out the little bird about to land in the middle -- click the picutre for bigger image.)
Close up:


They looked like they were on their way somewhere but were having a fight because they never sat any closer to each other.
"Why can't we get pancakes?"
"We got pancakes last time, I would like an omelette for once."
"You are so selfish!"
"Me? You're the one who woke me up early to go out and said I could pick the place!"

Okay, maybe they weren't arguing over pancakes. What would parrots argue about? This article about the Amazon Parrot in LA says that parrots mate for life, so that could have actually been a couple, out for breakfast...



Someday in the not too distant future, I will have a new camera with a longer lens......can't wait!

Labels: backyard, birds, los angeles

I spent a lovely afternoon with my good friend Shana today, starting with lunch at El Huarache Azteca #1 in her neighborhood of Highland Park. (Click on that link to go to Jonathan Gold's review of it. He didn't win a Pulitzer Prize for nothing!)

We returned to her house where we found her sweet housemate, hanging out (click to see her up close):

It reminded me of the nest sitaution (and minor tragedy) at Will's house in Los Feliz a short while back. You can read all about it here and here and finally, here.

In Shana's backyard is a peach tree:

I have never eaten a peach right off a tree and my oh my, how delicious it was! Shana sent me home with a bunch of them (as well as a big bag of lemons -- thanks Shana!) so I could do this with them for dessert tonight. I had to stop and get some vanilla ice cream as well. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I came home and put them in a bowl so you can ogle the sexy fruit.



You can click on all the images to make them bigger. Can you smell those peaches? Wow, they make the kitchen smell heavenly.



....some people call me the space cowboy.....some call me the gangster of love....

Now, why on earth is that song stuck in my head?

; - )

Labels: birds, food, highland park, peaches