Page 18 - San Diego Woman Magazine

BIT CHIN & MO ANING

Luckily, the only damage on the side of my window was a five
done to our Rancho Ber- foot long snake slithering up the
nardo home was that window staring at me and sticking
a fence was knocked his little tongue out at me. Let me
down by a tree that preface this by saying, I am a city
fell. I cannot say the girl. I grew up in an area surround-
same for houses very ed by concrete. I never went camp-
close by that were ing, nor even considered the idea,
ravished by the fire my idea of roughing it is staying at
and many families a Howard Johnson’s hotel instead
lost everything. It was of a Hilton. The only snakes I ever
wonderful to see how saw was on a school trip with my
neighbors came togeth- daughter’s class when she was in
er, took those affected in the fourth grade, and she is 32 now.
their homes and donated I might add, it was in a tank, and I
clothing and necessities for stayed at least 8 feet away from it.
these poor families. No, they lost
So what do I do? Who is go-
Earthquakes family photos and keepsakes that ing to save me? I thought, animal
control I’ve seen them on TV. So,
could not be duplicated, but the
neighborly gestures allowed them
I called information, yes they still
and Wildfires and to realize that as long as they were have 411, and asked for animal con-
safe, the rest could be replaced,
trol. The operator was perplexed
and said for what? I screamed into
though not as quickly as they
Snakes, Oh My! hoped. Rebuilds for some families the phone, there is a snake trying to
took years and the experience was
break into my house! She told me
she wasn’t sure who handles that, so
devastating for those affected.
A few years later another wild-
fire with similar outcomes struck she quickly connected me to 911.
Now I felt stupid. The first words I
By Judith A. Habert and again destroyed many neigh- uttered into the phone were, “this
borhoods, for some unfortunate isn’t really a 911 matter, though se-
individuals they found their new cretly I thought it was, but there is
When the decision was made or the West Coast for that matter. house burnt to the ground once a snake trying to get in my house.”
for our family to relocate to San It was 2007, I had been here eight again. But we are a tough breed To her credit she did not laugh but
Diego there were many of our New years at that point when one of the here in San Diego and we rebound told me that the Fire Department
York family and friends who were scariest events I ever experienced, from it and learned to follow guide- handles that. So, she connected me
aghast at the idea. “Why would second only to being kidnapped at lines by the fire department and to them, I gave them my address
you move there, you will die in an gunpoint at the age of 18, hit our safety agencies to minimize the ca- and anxiously awaited their arrival.
earthquake.” First off let me say that neighborhood. sualties both human and property. Six of the biggest men I ever saw
New Yorkers are excitable creatures Reverse 911 calls were received During these times phone calls rang my bell with a variety of tools
by nature, so this very dismal re- and as we gathered our kids, our came from friends and family anx- including a large bucket and some
sponse to a statement we made was German Sheppard mix, and as ious to hear if we were okay and long metal sticks and I led them
not unexpected. Of course, there many valuables as we could fit into suggesting that we should move around to the backyard. When
were a few who were more positive. our two vehicles, did I say, “How back to New York where it was they got to the back window, there
Their response was, “Wow, that is did I not know this happens in San safer, hmmm, not so much but the was no snake to be found. They
awesome, I hear that San Diego is Diego? It was their best kept secret.” dangers there are more human than looked through our small backyard
absolutely beautiful, but hopefully Thank God for that or I may have nature. and said well he must have left. I
you will not die in an earthquake.” decided to stay on the East Coast. So here I was, a survivor think- said "Now wait a minute you can’t
For East Coasters earthquakes We headed for what was supposed ing wow, I came through an earth- leave he was here a moment ago." I
are a foregone conclusion on the to be a fire free zone. As we drove quake and two wildfires basically pulled out my phone and showed
West Coast. The funniest part is that the radio warned of fire creeping unscathed except for some emo- them the pictures. One fireman
about three weeks after we moved to just about every drivable part of tional trauma, smokey lungs for a said, "Wow he is a big one," while
to San Diego there was an earth- our City. Finally we found a motel bit and a broken fence. I thought, the other said, "It looks like a King
quake, but not in California, in New downtown, but were told dogs were “What else could happen? I have Snake and they are not dangerous,
York, in the area from which we just not allowed, so we did what every survived natural disasters and I am so we probably would have just
moved. It was actually several years responsible pet owner does in that still standing strong!” thrown it over the fence to the hill
before I ever experienced an earth- case when their beloved pet might Then it happened. I am in my behind your house." And I said,
quake in California. At the time I be in danger, sneak them into the house minding my own business “Oh no, you wouldn’t you need to
was on the top floor of a downtown room when the coast was clear. That as I bent down to grab my pressure find him and take him with you.”
office buiding where my office was night was memorable, but included cooker getting ready to start dinner They stayed for a bit and no snake
located and basically all I felt was little sleep as we took turns grabbing when out of the corner of my eye appeared. Our window had rub-
a gentle swaying of the building, our dog Rusty’s mouth to keep him I spotted it. “No, I thought, I must ber gaskets around it for a security
scary? Yes, but it ended in a few sec- from barking since German Shep- be seeing things.” So, I grabbed my window that the previous owners
onds and all was well after that. herds are incredibly good watch glasses and walked closer to the had installed and I said, "maybe
To my surprise, the concept of dogs and any movement outside backyard window when I screamed he is in there." One of the firefight-
wildfires was never mentioned to our motel and he would viciously in fear and felt my body quivering. ers grabbed our hose and started
me by anyone on the East Coast attack the door. I wasn’t imagining anything. There shooting it at the window and the
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