So I owe a big apology to my neighbor (not the one I'm presently trying to practice nothingness with) - I wrote somewhere on my other blog something about this particular guy living in a mental facility of sorts; that much is true. Also, that he claimed to constantly have to clear the nearby LA river of animals and - ok here it is:
"We have a neighbor down the block with a remarkably similar belly to Santa who never makes much sense, but does tell us very engaging river stories, at least. He told us that the reason we often see peanuts and fruit scattered down at the river (we never have) is because the Santeria like to sacrifice animals there, so there's the clear proof. Also, the murdered goats he always has to remove from the area has solidified it for him. I suspect it stems from the years of military training he endured when he wasn't playing darts at our state funded neighborhood Assisted Living house for local oddities."
So number one: that wasn't nice of me to say about him. I don't know how to stop doing it, but I recognize that making light of him would not be recognized as badge-on-sash worthy by the Girl Scouts. Second, my husband came home yesterday morning from a run to let me know there were dead animals (roosters and another pretty bird with blue feathers) lying dead, with no head, about 2 yards from each other. Naturally I like to see things to verify and do a sort of inner fact checking, because you know sometimes you have things happen in your life that are unbelievable to others, but you know them to be true, because you were the one collecting the memory.
So I went with him to investigate. No, they had no heads, and there were red ribbons tied around the neighboring tree branches. Proof. And one big plastic orange ribbon. I think they might have run out of red toward the end. It was really disturbing! My husband wasn't entirely convinced it was the Santeria but more so thought it was a sociopathic kid or two.
Anyway, a little note to my neighbor who doesn't read, by the way, only jokes and watches movies that I wouldn't - hey. I apologize. You are a dear man, and do you know what? The little gourds down by the water, the ribbons, the roosters with no heads - it all adds up to you're not crazy. Not in regards to the Santeria, anyhow.
His own dog just died two weeks ago, but she was ready, and I'd suggest that she desperately helped it along. If there were a plug she would've pulled her own. He walked her and talked to her as if she were human and I think she was just tired of the homemade joke monologues. Moreover, when she saw our dogs come running up to play with her, she'd immediately lay down for a nap.
My next door neigbor, who is a nice therapist, and one of the few people on the block aside from her husband who have been doing a wonderful job at keeping their pets alive - told me today that she was walking down at the river in June and saw a patch of fur belonging to an animal who was laying in the grass, not moving - and wasn't sure what it was until she saw what she describes as a cloven -
"Hoof? Oh come on, no!"
"Yeah, a cloven hoof! Terrible, right?"
It was a goat. And back to my other neighbor, now I'm really sorry. And sad. And it makes me want to start a 'don't do that' club! But the thing about the Santeria is that they are protected under their religious rights roster, and there isn't really anything the authorities can do - and I don't think I'm so hot on electing myself "hall monitor" for the LA River or anything.
Infrared camera operator? -------> no, although it appears they do operate at night.
hide & seek & catch = and end up like the rooster?
lasso handler = would take years of practice
cop = I must be joking
What gets me down the most is the one way trip the roosters and/or the goats of the past must have had going to the river, thinking they were getting some air, maybe. These animals are not typically found grazing on fish, bread & plastic like the other birds and homeless folk down by the water. Which means they'd have to be driven by car, or worse yet - walked. And I know there's a man in Burbank, who is a priest or a high priest and he is in his 60's and is a well respected, sought after Santerian who very much believes in what he's doing, which of course includes sacrificing.
Dark post!
And so do his clients. And if you don't believe me, then read about him for yourself:
http://www.rootsandrooted.org/?p=807
If the link doesn't work, just take my word for it. Aside from that, if you still don't believe me, here are some pictures I took:
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