Where the heck is Tujunga?

I live in Tujunga, about 20 miles North of downtown Los Angels at the foot of the Angeles National Forrest.  To some people it's the back end of nowhere but I like it up here.    Rumor has it, Tujunga is a Tongva word, meaning "we will return"  If that's true, it must be because this is the place where they spent the hot summers and upon leaving it, needed to reassure each other they would come back here.  It can be a beautiful , peaceful place; especially up in the mountains where the Angeles National Forrest begins.  I moved up here after my first marriage broke up.  It was healing to be here.

Tujunga is far enough away from the City to be considered Rural.  We see wildlife, like deer and racoons and squirrels- LOTS OF SQUIRRELS ( more on that in a bit)  We are only about 20 minutes from Hollywood or Downtown LA, so nightlife is close.  That's a good thing, because they practically roll up the sidewalks here after 9 pm.  and good eateries?  Forget about it. I did join a Facebook page called "Food in the Foothills' hoping that someone would mention a place I had not tried, maybe rave about it.  I have high hopes for the Backdoor Bakery, which is in a new location, that they can expand their menu and be a real cafe.  I like the baked good I have had ,but the menu is still fairly limited.

There are two local "throw-away" papers up here.  One tries it's best to be the local paper, reporting only on local goings on and local politics.   The other seems to exist to slam people the editor doesn't like.  It's a train wreck of a paper, but I read it anyway, to get a feel of what those who are discontented with everything have to say.  This particular paper, I find interesting.  When I moved up here I grabbed a copy and  saw that they had, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, provided a recipe for Squirrel Stew.   Now I KNOW there are lots of squirrels up here in the Foothills, but I am having real trouble coming up with a scenario where I would actually prepare and EAT one of them.  There is a squirrel who lives in the tree at the end of my building.  His stalks along the wall and glares at you as you go by.  Squirrels can be bold and I always hope the little sucker will STAY on his wall and not decide to leap on me.  I don't think I have ever seen a video of "when Squirrels Attack" but I don't want to be the first to have that happen either.