Response to a comment.

Two commenters were enraged/enthusiastic enough to write even though I had not written anything myself in 2 months, and I thought I would reply right here.

When Janet Venable wrote, it put me off writing for several more weeks…

She said (edited for space, full text at link):

As to your article, I find it very offensive.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has been involved in fighting some wicked fires in the park when the winds change at a moments notice and what appears to be a small fire suddenly flares big and horrific becoming threateningly close to your home and all you love after jumping from peak to peak without warning and then swiftly with a gust of wind turns the other direction and attends to it’s distruction elsewhere with no apparent reason.

The LAFD’s attention, dedication, training, stamina, courage and willingness to serve is something I have had the privilege of witnessing for many years, as a witness to fires in Griffith Park from my porch as a youngster, as a teen and as adult then and now a senior just a little ways away.

Well, I forgive you dearie, no matter, you were probably a just a little scared; so, you got rude and attacked my heros; the ones who are there to protect you & me.

As for SLO Gina “Courageous” Chovan, what a fabulous female officer. Always there for you, always welcoming, always of service and always doing her best with situations some of us would never have enough courage to keep our eyes opened about much less deal with and resolve.

Finally, about the birds. I live east of Griffith Park now and since the fire, there are lots and lots of birds over here. All different kinds, some I’ve never seen before. I’m going to have to get out my binoculars.

Thanks for writing, Janet! Your situation is, of course, one of the reasons I wrote my little essay. You had a house right next to Griffith Park, and so of course you would be grateful to the firefighters for all that they did, and you are dependent on them, so you gotta be nice…I certainly don’t want to take away from the good they did and continue to do in all sorts of situations; it just wasn’t enough this time.

I felt too bad to use a photo of a real woodpecker…

How nice you see lots and lots of birds. However, there has been a severe decline in the number of birds in the US and California in particular. Audubon estimates that bird populations are down by 25%, which is horrific. And these are common birds, not rare ones. More info here. Officer Greg Randall (who just got a nice mention in Jenny Burman’s Chicken Corner blog at LA Observed) said that he was shocked to see, in one small area of the park after the fire, 60 dead woodpeckers, either Acorn or Nuttall. He was concerned and puzzled why one entire species couldn’t, or wouldn’t, fly away. Anyway, there’s one species that may be gone for a while, as well as the thousands of other birds who died in the fire.

I notice that you volunteer/work as a recorder for the LAPD meetings, Janet. Very commendable. No wonder you know the police so well! And I didn’t know Gina Chovan’s nickname was Courageous! Cool! But she still has a low sense of humor.

Thanks for listening, Janet.