New street, new discoveries

While walking around in perfect weather (sorry East Coast), I heard a bird cry that was unfamiliar. Looking up into the trees, I couldn't spot any birds and was about to move on when I noticed activity on a power pole. Turns out, woodpeckers -- yes, you read that correctly -- woodpeckers had made homes in holes in the pole and a young one was crying out for mama. Fascinated, I watched for a few minutes as mom and dad worked making new holes for nesting (I presume), and made sure baby was OK. Frankly, it was riveting, but, alarmist that I am, I could only think of the toxins in the pole since they are treated with creosote to protect them from insects and weather. Given the advanced age of the pole and number of holes, I can only hope/assume much of the poison has worn off and the woodpeckers know what they're doing. It was amazing treat to see birds one doesn't see that often in a city and see them thriving.

Further along on the walk, I stumbled on a yard that captivated me, less for any artistic content, but the sheer exuberance of the collection of dogs, deer, obligatory flamingos and other little statues. They are lined up in no particular order, and some of them are just so captivating. By all means click on the pictures for a better view -- some of the expressions are priceless.

The deer with the dog family underneath was a particular favorite:

Of course, the flamingo peeking out adds a special flair.

Then there is the dog at the end of the row who looks like she's about to get up to some mischief:

While flamingos are certainly expected on a lawn, I thought the 2 herons were an interesting touch:

It was hard to tear myself away from the all the cute little wonders, but moving on was necessary (didn't want to look like a peeping tom). And moving on paid off in another, far more subtle little treat. Coming upon a house that had wonderful tile work and stone work that would have been at home in Mexico, I noticed an odd tile on the steps. Closer examination (without my glasses no less) yielded a tile with 2 sugar skulls. It's always a delight to discover little oddities like that. Again, click on the photo to get a closer look.