Monday, April 28, 2008

Sad nature day

One of the beavers has died.

Last year while Indi and I were walking really early in the morning, I heard a weird splat in the lake. When I looked over, I saw an odd shape swimming away from us. Beaver!

Since the first sighting, I've only seen them a handful of times, usually very early in the morning (and as the pregnancy progressed and the weather cooled, I decided sleep in the morning was more fun than walking, so didn't see them for a while). There have been lots of signs of the family - many trees that bear the trademark grinding marks and a couple of small trees have fallen down. Lately I have heard grumblings in the neighborhood of people unhappy with the little furry critters - my thinking: if you're going to live on a lake, expect lake creatures, and don't get too mad when they eat your shrubs (just plant shrubs they don't like!).

So I was saddened and hoping foul play was not in our midst, when I saw a little beaver floating at the side of the lake. At first I thought it was a cat or a small dog, but closer examination revealed the flat tail. I didn't poke at it to see - I just stepped a bit closer to the edge of the lake.

Poor beaver. I hope he had a long and happy life - or whatever beavers have!

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