A duck, public vandalism, and foxtails. It’s a jungle out there.
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March 20 was the first day of spring, and it was apparent everywhere. The weather was unusually warm for this time of the year, and some people were not pleased. Alameda’s famous street trees are budding, adding a shimmer of green to the naked branches of winter.
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One of my favorite horticultural sites this time of year is located near the corner of Alameda Avenue and Paru Street. There is a unique bush right at the sidewalk in full bloom now. The bright yellow flowered Flannel Bush is native to California and very drought-resistant, which will be very important this year. Over my five years of reporting, this is the only one of these plants I have found on the island. Has anyone seen others?
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Unfortunately, spring is also the time of year that foxtails start to appear in resident yards and along the planting strip. These little seeds are so dangerous to us canines, because they can burrow into a paw, cause inflammation/infection, and could require surgical removal—a very expensive proposition.
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Do you remember Doja Duckalini [6]? Well, they found a forever home with a really nice lady that had no interest in duck á l’orange.
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Since I dedicated all of last week’s report [9] to the anniversary of the Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda, I wanted to be sure to acknowledge St. Patrick’s Day. My neighbor down the street hung a cute door decoration commemorating the day, and a contractor was building an Irish something (I never figured out what it was).
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There was a fire in front of Side Street Pho that did some serious damage to the outdoor seating area. Fortunately for them, the nearest fire station was across the street.
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I came across some unusual items on Alameda streets this week, and there was a little drama on my street. Let’s start out with the fake grass platform called Pet Loo Pee Pod. This obviously was the “small dog” size because when I tried to use it, I was hanging over both edges.
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Then there was the non-Helium balloon sculpture that was just hanging out in the gutter near the Home of Truth.
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Ranger Pipelines is the company that you see digging up the middle of Alameda streets replacing… well, pipes, obviously. According to the sign, they apparently also install showers. Is it even possible to get a backhoe into a bathroom?
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And now for the drama. When I did my morning walk, the curb in front of 2028 Alameda Avenue was just good old cement, but when I walked by at around noon, it was painted an unusual shade of red and the coverage was, shall we say, suspicious. It also marked a whole parking space that had been used for years. I had my HC (human companion) call the City’s Public Works Department to get the lowdown. Turns out the City did not paint this curb.
Later that day, APD was on the scene investigating the incident as the possible vandalism of City property. They said a crew from Public Works would be taking care of it. I want to thank the City for the quick action on the investigation and ordering a work crew to free up this parking place.
Can you believe it? There’s only 216 days ’til Halloween!
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected] [15]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/ [16]. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.