Local News »Captain’s Log: What About the Critters?

Captain’s Log: What About the Critters?

By Capt. David Bacon, Noozhawk Columnist | Posted on 07/04/2008

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A tale from the perspective of a field mouse explains how escaping the Gap Fire isn't easy for some animals.

Bravo, the brave little field mouse, peered cautiously out of his burrow and felt a little afraid. Something was horribly wrong around the picturesque swale he called home, partway up the mountainside above Goleta.

He crouched low and held perfectly still as a coyote raced past, on his way downhill, with terror-filled eyes. A minute later, a cottontail rabbit scampered off in the same direction as if to give chase to the coyote. A large shadow swept past Bravo as a bounding buck deer led two does quickly down the mountain toward the human habitations below. Yep, things were getting a little strange.

The worst of it was the acrid smell of smoke that made his nose and lungs hurt. No, maybe the worst of it was the way his eyes burned. Bravo wanted to run away, too, but his genes got in the way. Those other terrified animals all had long legs that stretched way out and could cover ground fast and far. Bravo’s legs couldn’t outpace the flaming terror that rode the evening downslope winds. He wasn’t brave by choice, but by design — nature’s design.

Turning slowly back toward his burrow, Bravo resigned himself to hunkering down to hopefully escape the impending nightmare. Suddenly the ground trembled and a horrible rumbling sound grew louder and louder.

Bravo looked up and gasped, wide-eyed, as a monstrous silver hawk glided over. Bravo scurried toward his burrow, fearing the talons he hoped to escape. Instead of talons, his hind end was sprayed by a reddish liquid as he disappeared down the hole. A field mouse doesn’t much know a fire-retardant bomber from a huge hawk, but a field mouse sure does know when things are going badly.

Things were going very badly. Abandoned by other animals and with the ground trembling, loud rumbling ringing in his ears, smoke filling his lungs and burning his eyes and the ground heating from the raging fire sweeping through his swale, Bravo ran to the deepest end of his burrow and screamed until he fainted.

Bravo the brave little field mouse was one of the lucky ones. He woke up — dizzy, with singed lungs and barely enough air to breathe — to the dawn. His world seemed much quieter and that had to be a good sign. He poked his head out of the burrow. It seemed safe, even though the bushes and trees were burned and smoldering.

He climbed onto a rock where he had stood up very still many times to enjoy the view of the mountainside and the blue sea far beyond. It felt good to be alive.

The fire had passed and was well below him on the mountain. Then a breeze ruffled his little whiskers. It was an upslope breeze, marking the shift to onshore daytime winds that would send the Gap Fire marching back up the mountain.

Oh, no. Here we go. Time to be brave again, Bravo!

Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a new nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need.

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