Thursday, September 6, 2007

Day Trip to Hollywood - Part Five - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Birds

After I left John Huston's grave I wandered down to the bridge, thinking about walking across to the island mausoleum. But I spotted a pack of birds hanging around a shady tree lakeside. As is my custom with animals, I slowly walked in their direction and sat down a short distance from them, far enough away to not make any of them nervous, but close enough to invite their curiosity. That was how I made friends with my dog BUDDY. He was a rescue. He had been abused by his former owners and possessed a moody disposition. Knowing this, when he was let into the small yard to meet me, I sat down a short distance from him, with my back to his back. Eventually, he started checking me out and, realizing I wasn't going to hurt him, he came to sit next to me. We were friends ever since, right up to the day he died.
This bird felt safe enough with me to come really close. These are all wide angle shots taken at close range. We exchanged looks. The camera noise didn't bother it. The bird walked all the way around me, turned to give me a final look and a squawk goodbye, and then sauntered off and slid into the lake with a group of friends.
The sun was still bearing down on my back, but the proximity to the lake and the distraction of the birds helped me not to notice. Then I spotted some more birds coming in my direction. But that's Part Six.

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