Last year there was a woman on a horse message board I used to read whose small ranch was destroyed by wild fire. She lost 3 or 4 horses because the fire changed direction and came on them so fast she didn't have time to get them out. She saved 3 by riding one (bareback) and ponying the others down the mountain, through the evacuation chaos, through the fire engines, etc. Her story was amazing.
A friend of mine from the same message board just went through almost the same damned thing. Kristy came out to meet us a few years ago and she was even more darling in person than on the message board. She's got a way with horses that would make your jaw drop. She's no bigger than a minute and the sweetest, happiest person. She lives in Yorba Linda. Here's the email she sent to her worried friends this morning:
------------- We are back at the house and I finally got my computer hooked back up. Everyone is fine and accounted for. I haven't seen the horses yet but my sister brought me a video of them and they are great. The video was so much more comforting than just hearing that they are ok.
Last night was really frightening. Next to my house is a small strawberry field and then a dam. We stayed up on the dam and at the edge of the field watching the fire with the rest of my neighbors. Around midnight things appeared to quiet down and we looked to be out of danger. I had packed up my car with all my photographs and videos about 3 in the afternoon. We weren't given a directive to evacuate but I realized my hands would be full with the animals and I figured I wouldn't wait. We all went home, me and my daughter turned on Saturday Night Live and laughed and then turned into bed.
At 3:00am, I woke to pounding on my front door. It was an old family friend, her son and his girlfriend, they were screaming the fire is over the dam, you have to get out now. A transformer had blown and we had no electricity. I had a lot of trouble fully waking up, it was pitch black, smokey and my daughter was hysterical. The biggest problem we were having was recovering from the shock of being woke up that way. I couldn't find anything in the dark and we had one flashlight. I had candles all over the house but I wouldn't light them. I was still in shock from being abruptly woken and I wasn't thinking clearly. I was afraid to light the candles because they were fire and fire is what we were trying to avoid. At the time it made sense LOL!
When I walked outside, the sky looked like it was the end of the world. I struggled to find bridles and leashes in the dark. I just wasn't thinking clearly. I had taken off the bridles at midnight and set them outside the paddock so I could grab them quickly during an evacuation. That is a great plan if you remember that you have done that! I'm digging through my tack room shaking going "where are those dang things". I couldn't find the leashes either and I was going out of my mind. I hadn't thought about needing those. They were in my car as I had taken the dogs to the beach at sunrise that morning.
I packed up my documents, and the cpu of my computer. I gave my keys to a complete stranger and she drove my car with both my dogs down the street to the local market. My daughter took her car and the 1 cat we could find (they panicked in the chaos of all the people screaming, sirens, bull horns) and hid. I took Sevi and friends took Fabian and Shelby. We proceeded to hand walk the horses a half mile down the street with speeding cars, firetrucks and police cars with lights and sirens blazing, high winds, choking smoke and the Armageddon sky. It was very surreal.
Everyone did very well. Sevi was challenging to lead but she kept her composure and only stopped once. She was over the top when she stopped and had that look on her face of "no way in hell am I moving forward and heaven help you if you try to force me". I waited her out and let her study the situation. She is a sensible horse and I knew she would get it together if I didn't push her. Fabian and Shelby did great.
At the market, the police arranged for trailers and boarding. We took the first 3 horse trailer. Shelby went right in. The others were charging to get in after she loaded. Fabian jumped in and fell but he got up fine. There wasn't enough room for Sevi and all hell broke loose when she found out she wasn't going with them. We took the next trailer. I looked her in the eye and connected and she gave the look she gives that means "I'm going to go with you on this one but I'm at my limit of what I can handle". She talks to me with her eyes, and she looks right through your eyes and reads you like a scanner ... it's freeky and I don't have that communication with my other horses. She quietly walked on the trailer and let me tie her and close the divider. They loaded a mare behind her and Sevi immediately squealed at her and kicked the divider ... just in case she didn't understand who was boss in that trailer.
I then ran back to the house, checked on the elderly neighbor and saw that he had plenty of help with his horses. I went home and found 4 of my 6 chickens. I stuffed them in plastic hanging file cubes (they had decorative holes in the sides) and duct taped the tops closed. I provided the same accommodations for my rabbit. Never did find the other two cats. My son drove his truck through the barricades and picked me up and we went back up to the market to help our neighbors with their horses.
After about an hour, they let us go back to the house but said that we needed to be ready to go at a moments notice. I was so happy they did that, no one else was let back into their homes for another 12 hours. The fire came down the dam and we watched as it made our way to our home. The giant pepper tree at the park gate went up in a flash and it made me so sad. Me and Shelby have so many memories in that tree. As I was watching a guy got literally in my face and took my picture. It was so rude. I thought about others who had the same experience but watching their house burn to the ground. I looked at the guy and said "would you like me to cry, would that make the picture more authentic? I said it in a joking manner and my husband pretended to pray towards the heavens. The guy snapped the picture and said "I'm printing that one" and he did. These are some callous uncaring folks.
They put out the fire on the dam but a couple hours later, it was on fire again. I was standing on the side of the street watching, so emotionally drained and 8 of the most beautiful hook and ladders came by. The firefighters inside were strapping and smiling and gave me a wave as they went by. It's hard to describe but with a look they were able to communicate to me that they had things well in hand and would keep my house safe. All the trucks had huge gorgeous flags that were furling in the wind and it made me cry and so proud and happy to be an American. A cop came up to me and laughed and said "that was the striker unit". I don't know what that means but I knew they were something LOL. I watched them make their way up the dam and drive along the top with the American flags ... what a gorgeous welcoming sight. They put out all the fires and stayed on the top of the dam for the rest of the afternoon. Then another hook and ladder parked in front of our neighborhood of houses sideways and I just cannot describe the feeling of having them there to protect you.
Things quieted down after that but I was not able to go check on the horses. All our freeways were closed down and if you left your home, they would not let you back in the neighborhood. I had brought all my small animals back so I couldn't leave. My sister went down and identified my horses and their new adoptive mom who fell in love with all of them. I talked to her on the phone and she was the kindest woman. Shelby and Sevi were doing very well but Fabian was an absolute mess. He was running and screaming and in a lathered sweat. They had put him in a stall next to Shelby but he was still so upset.
My sister extended the phone to him and I started calling him like I do in the morning. They said he totally recognized my voice and he put his face against the phone. I could hear them laughing and yelling keep talking. They said he calmed down after that ... what a goofy guy. I told their new mom that they were used to being turned out together. She snuck them up to the training arena and turned them out all together. Sevi of course went ballistic and got out all of that pent up energy. They brought them back down and their new mom began making arrangements so that Fabian could be in the same stall as Shelby. Hopefully she was able to do that ... that would help him tremendously. These guys are like an old married couple. Their devotion to each other is really unique and everyone at the stables got a huge kick out of them.
The roads are now open. In the morning I am going down to feed them and then arrange to get them transported back. Not sure how to do that at this point but we will figure something out. The air quality is nasty. I am running my air conditioner and my sister brought me an air cleaner type device.
So everyone is accounted for and doing well. So glad this nightmare is over!!
-- Edited by Farm Goddess at 09:27, 2008-11-17
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Some people are like slinkies. They don't have a purpose But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs
