Clear, bright days, filled with promise as the leaves start to come down. Several publications seem to be doing stories on the paddle boats -- or the lack of them, among them La Opinion and the LA Weekly, which called me for a Chicken Corner perspective on the matter. I would have said Martin Cox was the person to talk to -- he's the force behind the upswell of paddle boat support -- but it was Martin who gave them ny number. Petitions are going around, in an effort to get the boats back at least for weekends. A pair of photo exhibitions opening to raise awareness of the boats, one of them having its opening reception Oct. 13: At Mama's Hot Tamales Restaurant, 2124 W. 7th St. LA, from 1 to 3 pm.

Around Elysian Heights, a few things have caught my eye: graffiti on a mattress propped against a white-ish and un-graffitied retaining wall on Valentine Street. Flocks of nuthatches (?), the tiny-tiny birds, eating black olives which are shriveling on the olive trees on upper Ewing near the park; done with the olives they move to a hibiscus that's covered with white flies. The Becket-like waiting each day, before 7 am, of a crossing guard at Ewing and EP Ave. -- said guard waiting for children who are nowhere in sight as the Headstart facility at that intersection is still under construction (the guard might be waiting for Elysian Elementary kids, but she seem to be out at the intersection too early). Coyote on a hillside, perfectly camouflaged except for its huge ears, which are outlined in black.

This Friday will be the one-year anniversary celebration of Echo Park's farmer's market -- at the market of course.

Last but not least, as you may have noticed earlier this week on LAObserved, Abel Salas (a friend) has a new blog out of El Sereno, which is the new Echo Park, perhaps.