And the prize for making it to friday in a very difficult week is this excellently appreciative article from Michael Kuntz in Ottawa Canada:

Enjoying the magic of a Beaver pond

As many of you know, I am particularly fond of Beavers.

For more than 20 years I have been working on a book about these remarkable rodents, one I hope to complete this fall. Even though I have spent countless hours enjoying these animals and the other occupants of their ponds, I continue to see new behaviours regularly.

This past week I visited a pond where I had seen several Beavers in action the previous week. Even though it was early afternoon, there were two Beavers outside their lodge. Both were busily eating the leaves of Water-shield, a common water plant that grows in beaver ponds and other shallow water.

Now that’s the way to start an article! Paying close enough attention to see what each separate beaver is eating. Working on a beaver book for 20 years. Michael, where have you been all our lives? He’s teaches at  Carleton University in Canada , (currently on sabbatical) where he offers the most popular online natural history course in the country and is a major author and player in the natural world up that way. Our good friend Donna Dubreuil of  the Ottawa-Carleton wildlife center says he’s a great help.

I was watching one Beaver eat when I noticed another in the background. This one was cleaning its huge hind foot in its mouth.  What was new about this was that the Beaver was lying on its back in the water, just like a Sea Otter eating a clam!

It is unfortunate that more children are not exposed to the magic of a beaver pond.

Michael, Michael, Michael! Trust us, some lucky children are!

Go do yourself a favor and read the entire article. Of course I wrote him right away and of course he wrote back. You should see the photo he sent in response! I can’t think of a better place for him to preview his book when its done can you?