[Leica] LA LUG

["Douglas Landrum" <dflandrum@earthlink.net>]

The LA LUG met for the first time in Pershing Square in downtown LA last
Sunday beginning at 7:00 am to capture the early light.  Bee Lian Miller
organized the event.  Bee Lian, Stacys Petravicius, Craig Semetko and myself
were in attendance toting three M6's, one R5, one R6 and one R7 and an array
of fine lenses.  After introductions, we strolled around the square.  Bee
Lian chose the black tape method of obscuring her M6 from curious eyes, but
a keen eyed homeless man was not fooled - immediately spotting Bee Lian's
Leica and commenting on its fine qualities.

As sharp eyed observers, we immediately noticed the public art project
decorating the downtown area with angel sculptures each painted distinctly
by local artists - quite an impressive project.  With keen observation we
noticed that all sculptures encountered were sporting the same plastic
chicken beak attached with an elastic band.

While hunting subject matter in the light, we were accosted on Grand Avenue
on Bunker Hill by one of the angel artists (and her dog) who stopped her
small Japanese car beside our group.  The artist grilled us about our
knowledge of the criminal defacing of the angel sculptures with CHICKEN
BEAKS.  She was on a one woman mission to remove all offending chicken beaks
from the angels inhabiting the City of Angels.

Though shaken (with laughter) by our encounter with the artist avenging
crime, the LA LUGGERS carried on searching for light through the downtown
business district and along Broadway - LA's version of Mexico City.

After Stacys' famous shoe study on Broadway - yes name brand new shoes just
laying on the sidewalk along Broadway - we suddenly faced starvation.
Walking several blocks to 9th and Figueroa, the LA LUGGERS were able to find
that ancient Los Angeles oasis - the Pantry.

At the Pantry we deposited our Leicas on our table and ordered a heart
stopping breakfast, after all photographing on the streets of Los Angeles
works up a tremendous appetite- particularly when you WALK - people in Los
Angeles don't walk - they drive or run for exercise but don't WALK.  Our
four musketeers were seated adjacent to a table strewn with Nikons and -
dun, dun, dun - CHICKEN BEAKS!!!!!!

Stasys made contact with the adjacent table occupants and behold, busted the
defacing culprits of the angel sculptures.  The truth came out that our
table neighbors were the perpetrators - self admitted placers of CHICKEN
BEAKS on our precious angels.  They claimed to be artists and journalists
making a statement to the world of the plight of CHICKEN BOY.  Now, Chicken
Boy is a sculpture of a - kind of - superman figure with a chicken head that
once stood proudly outside of some LA restaurant before my time.  Their
protest was to publicize the necessity of a home for this LA landmark in
mothballs by placing CHICKEN BEAKS on the pride angels of the City of
Angels.  Joe Friday, my heart be still, we have busted the BEAK TERRORISTS -
Dun Dun Unt Dunt.  These table neighbors were the bad guys.

Upon letting them go - and observing that the BEAK TERROR squad paid their
check and left a tip - the Nikon wielders visited our table strewn with
Leicas.  Their only words about being apprehended by the intrepid LA LUGGERS
was - "nice cameras."

Douglas F. Landrum
Laguna Beach, California
dflandrum@earthlink.net