Photo: Doves, April 2007
By Martin Cox

Martin Cox sent me this picture of the much aforementioned doves of Echo Park Lake. I just heard from Mauri Avelino that there are still eight doves in the park. Maybe they're turning feral...which would be a good thing.

*Martin also reports that the doves have been in the park every day. He counts eight, too. Says they fly to nearby rooftops when "shooed away." Shooed away? You'd have to be a hard case. Or bird shy.

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Yesterday evening, a short two blocks from EP Lake found my husband and daughter and myself, along with our friends Paul, Ann, Eric and Rebecca at The Echo nigthclub and patio club. It was country music Sunday, no cover from 5 to 9 p.m., three bands and a cash barbecue out back. We almost didn't go in because the high noise level frightened our 2-year-old and 3-year-old daughters. And I didn't know The Echo had a patio. Except that, duh, who doesn't nowadays in the age of marginalized smoking? In a rush to get outdoors, we hurried past a band I would have liked to watch, four women in red kerchief-fabric, singing and playing their hearts out (Maybe the 5 O'Clock Somewhere band?). I heard that the lead singer is a bartender at the Shortstop bar, a few blocks east on Sunset.