The coolest residents of Encino

My vote goes to the Canada Geese doing their v-shaped runs across the skies of Encino in the winter months. Hearing their honking in the early morning and then seeing them fly over is one of the pleasures of living here.

These geese are intelligent. I like the way they look at you as if to say “Whaaat?” as they amble over the golf course pooping and looking like they own the place. I will never forget being attacked by an angry male at the Arboretum many years ago. I don’t go looking for trouble but I think he decided I was too close to the nest and he came running at me, hissing. I put a boot out and he pecked hard at it. He made his point and retreated.

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) fly here from the Arctic breeding grounds from late summer though the Fall and they (mostly) will be gone by Spring. Both parents raise their young and protect them from coyotes, hawks and other predators, and families generally stay together for the first season or two during migrations. They mate for life, or until one of them dies, at which point the other may find a new mate. Very impressive. Right now they are doing their morning and evening flights in preparation for flying north.

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Dance classes for adults at Encino Community Center

One of Encino’s best kept secrets should not be a secret at all. We have excellent dance classes for adults – each session covers swing, salsa, tango, waltz, rumba, foxtrot – available right now at Encino Community Center and not enough residents take advantage of them. It’s a missed opportunity!

The classes are a bargain at $110 for 10 weeks. Every Thursday evening there are two sessions: 7:00-8:20PM and 8:30-9:50PM. We prefer the later one since it allows us time for dinner and there are more couples than in the earlier one. The current Winter Session has had only one class so far, so there is time to sign up. Call the ECC at (818) 995-1690, or drop by, if you want to explore the idea.

The main hesitation for hanging back is because one member of a couple thinks they have two left feet. Being an original member of that club myself, the instructor, Cynthia Harper, is a brilliant teacher and I can hold my own now with my wife. A few singles attend and generally Cynthia works something out so they are all engaged. It’s very encouraging. Even if I have forgotten most of it by the following week, it comes back quickly.

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Should Tattoos be restricted to 18 years and older?

Did you know that you have to be at least 18 to get a tattoo? No exceptions.

Why is California law so restrictive when most other states permit tattoos if a parent or guardian gives consent? As for body piercing, most of it is legal for under-18’s if a parent or guardian gives consent.

The language is in California Penal Code Section 653, which states that “Every person who tattoos or offers to tattoo a person under the age of 18 years is guilty of a misdemeanor” (link). Regardless of parental consent. It is flat-out illegal. This seems like overkill to me.

Why? Because there are very few risks associated with tattooing, which is why it is not regulated nationally by the FDA. The FDA’s webpage (here) explains that the main area of concern is not the inks, but infection from unsterile tattooing equipment and needles, which can transmit infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”) bacteria.

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Seasons Greetings

We are an agnostic household. Or perhaps we are Taoists, which is the religion you have when you are not having a religion. But, many years ago, we argued over this:

“What’s that doing here?”
“The Christmas tree?”
“Well it’s not a Hanukkah bush, is it, with those lights all over it. It’s a Christian symbol.”
“But it’s not religious really. It’s for the kids, so we can put presents under it.”
“That’s Christian. A “Christ”-mas tree is Christian.”
“No it isn’t. It’s more of a pagan thing. Nobody thinks of it as Christian – there’s no Biblical connection at all.”
“Forget it. I’m not having that in the house.”
“It’s not moving.”

And so it reappears every year. A large branch of sliced-off juniper from the backyard, along with the menorah and the latkes. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah and may you enjoy Shab-e Yaldâ (Winter Solstice) and the New Year too.

Photo: Wikipedia/Tomasz G. Sienicki