A Warm Welcome

We've been in Zihua for a year and I'm finally noticing a change in behavior from those I see every day. For the longest time they looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and indifference (if that's even possible), but lately they've taken a step closer.

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about people.

Just this morning two birds flew within a foot of my head while I was on my run and the stray dogs on the corner have decided I'm their new best friend. They follow me down the street when I go for my runs, often staring at my hands as if I'm hiding food. The birds were really weird. They tend to dive-bomb people when they're eating, for obvious reasons, but while I'm running? I got no food!

Yesterday I trudged up the stairs with the week's groceries and as I turned onto our landing to open the door, two pigeons took off from the stairwell. I screamed, they squawked, and feathers flew. (I didn't inhale.) Hopefully I scared them enough that they'll stay out of there.

I know I've complained that my neighbors aren't more friendly and still regard me as an oddity, but I was ok with my former arrangement with the animals!

One weird animal I saw the other day was a squirrel that looked like a calico cat. Squirrel body, cat coloring. I'm scared to think of how THAT happened! ;)