Blogging About Beavers

Not exactly the typical post topic found on the web these days, I know! And for readers of a blog about stitching, cooking, gardening and puppies, it is perhaps a bit on the boring side. But I am not going to make any apologies, because I am completely and utterly fascinated by our Beaver family and the amazing work that they continue to do in our creek bottom.

They have been working their way downstream, making it easier and easier for us to walk in and view their dams. The Mister has counted at least 6 separate dam locations, some smaller, some really big.

They are clever creatures, I tell you.

This is the most astonishing sight we found.

I wouldn't be able to touch fingers around this tree.

It is well over 7 feet in diameter, and stands tall enough that it can be seen from our house. Sadly, that other, taller, Cottonwood tree in the photo has some bites taken out of it too... and it is one of my favorites to watch throughout the year.

Most often, the trees the Beavers take down are rather small.

I imagine these trees will be taken eventually, either by the Beavers or by drowning.

It feels like a dream, sometimes, owning this land.

Tending our trails and roads. Finding evidence of people who walked here long before us. Old pump in the creek, a rusty wheelbarrow, fire rings in the soil, logging spikes in old-growth stumps, a stray arrowhead.

Realizing that our time here is a miniscule sliver. We are caretakers in a string of caretakers.

Watching Beavers build dams where perhaps other Beavers built dams that have long since washed away.

Its a dream I want to live in for a very, very long time.