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The other day, I was walking to Cafe Social Latinoamericano, one of my favorite new local spots, while talking to my mom on the phone. It was mad hot outside, so I stopped under a shady tree while we wrapped up our conversation.
At some point, I looked up... & found a little surprise!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1UuduCxGlLSN8aq148RRkL8kUSJv9pdNU_mpVkiqmqujc4OAyEOkZGCf15PC8oIOVgKof5INReV99qudIFPQA5LK4roo44Ua-la-4V05u0jVSChXCWkAxhOdXdD53DfjUXKPPDJxAa8/w640-h480/IMG_7911.jpeg)
That's right... someone had attached this tiny toy lion to a branch above my head, & you guys, I cannot even explain to you how happy it made me. The only word for it is "delight," really. I was so delighted.
After I got my coffee (& showed the above photo to my barista friend), I walked back home, keeping my eyes peeled for any other jungle friends hidden in nearby trees. I was thrilled to find one more little lion a few trees over, which I pointed out to an equally delighted family who looked at me funny when they saw me taking pics.
The other trees were taller, & I was disappointed to find that none had branches low-hanging enough for hidden animal gifts. But then I spotted this little dude hanging out on a fence:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdgn8vulAww5N0_55_0B7aPDExgUSxdkcFDrqJqEqUKZQ3TNx5xGhKeoVIgqHAZuMlKb8ngvImeI1NceQSDelEMCBZKH0Y2IZVaAzYdvWAd3Oz034LbSp25V2M9wnrzykYCkykq5NWj0/w640-h480/IMG_7936.jpg)
He may not be a jungle animal, but he was still a welcome discovery (& the only one chosen to make an appearance on IG before I wrote this piece).
I kept walking, & my next discovery melded my earlier finds into one, like the animal-hider wanted to go home but didn't want to waste the final handful of animals. Check out this fence party!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn0OgyIXsMMs8U9a-vPTIKaS-pKD3NuUCld0mMkAV0131qRckWQuHzNNFn_H4NO-reb5HEugHZlfHNX4KLFbCd72-M6qfDxPAN4KWXRo6JZG8wjE7La4m3RBTlcsD3cTVV0M4pkz7-j8/w640-h480/IMG_7942.jpeg)
Should we zoom in? Let's zoom in... because you may think this is just a lion & a dino, but this is, in fact, a trio. Check out the new member of the party:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0m5TSmd6YdWktnV2ikzIgSiCy4EJL6D3zPXZpKM432bK2PIXqE7hXsJUhNXxOdwcOYHM2F1_DTUr8Bua-VXXdNf30P2pwGWCaxMv0f587xkW4HdwDb_fInBZ1z_HzdFistI_AhRSMVgs/w640-h480/IMG_7943.jpeg)
A dolphin! I was immediately transported to one of my favorite ridiculous lines from one of my favorite ridiculous movies: "Jasmine's got a thing for dophins?" Anybody? I'll give you a hint: The movie is extremely seasonally appropriate.
Anyway.
That was it for my quick afternoon walk, but I was curious about whether there were other animals hidden throughout the rest of the neighborhood, so after work, I went for a two-mile walk - more of a wander, really - to see what else I could find.
The neighborhood did not disappoint.
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As I photographed this one, a car drove by & I heard the passenger say, "What the fuck is that woman doing?" Oh, you know... just taking a photo of a gorilla on a fire hydrant.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxg_AbfyrNMA68r0QR8iNJ39IjovughbA1HeHtZ_0mebftUuyeiyEwYozYuV6eRQ3uqGWB_uHksZn_Ay-GQKI-8Q-mDNCjMhSXitDtqwfJQLyxoQoz8SDir2yJRQH9qYkhitfguy8gsI0/w640-h480/IMG_8066.jpeg)
I found all kinds of other things, too, One of the things I've always loved about my neighborhood is that at first glance, it appears to be fairly standard & buttoned-up, with a bunch of families, coffee shops, parks, & nice bars & restaurants - but if you look more closely, it's always full of weird, quirky shit.
Here's a smattering of some of the non-safari things I found, including Gandhi, a hidden flamingo, & a scissor bench. Not pictured: a squirrel sanctuary, a dog water cafe, the famous "Beware the Tremonster" sign (which might be gone now?), & multiple murals from The Sign Guy - but still, good stuff.
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And I saved my favorite find for last because it just made me the happiest, & I think it deserves to be the pièce de résistance of this roundup.
While walking past the library, I spotted a teeeeeny tiny blip of color & literally doubled back to see if it was something or simply a trick of the eye. It was something. Something perfect & miniature & adorable!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjcH_7SmdL5CVE2wK0o4n3C3-eyFvwVFzDmUTl7AA6F0yqqtwvtLxsJ-dcDRhwIq-hs66wgQJJAj6Avpjk5xfFhgcxPImsW2JZOEYIeTnGjHa4fjP3BFrknJr6kI_VKLmy0AENLqmTWI/w640-h480/IMG_8046.jpeg)
I love it so much. And now that I know to keep my eyes peeled for these little gems, I hope to find more in the days & weeks to come. Fingers crossed!
Which one of these would you have been most excited to find? Have you ever found anything like this in your neighborhood?
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