Last night it seemed all of Martinez (and much of Concord, Antioch and beyond) came downtown for the fireworks. According to time-honored tradition they parked above Main street and walked in ice-chest-bearing droves down Castro across the footbridge to the Marina. Worth A Dam was there, with a little display and docents at each bridge to point out beaver activity and keep an eye on safety. There were lots of first timers to the dam and much to explain. Also old beaver friends happy to come back and follow up on the story.
The evening started quietly. I even photographed a green heron walking the pipe at the primary dam. A single kit made an appearance at the Escobar bridge before seven o’clock, and clusters of people were excited to mark his arrival. The famed family of the seven-sweetest-and-best-behaved-children-ever we met at the farmer’s market were there in their jammies, as were some first timers excited by the viewing. A little later mom started mudwork on the primary dam, and three kits scrambled about “helping”. One admirer caught a lovely photo of the moment, and hopefully that will make its way to the web page soon.
Closer to eight the traffic increased, and there were literally hundreds moving across the footbridge. Jon was there pointing out beaver behavior to a fascinated crowd that squeezed onto the bridge to have a better look. There had never been a larger group of first-timers, or a more generous beaver display. Babies on the bank, mom’s back, mom on the bank. It was well worth the look. Lots of “Oh I never knew they were so big!”,”Oh they’re so cute” and “Oh I heard they had been moved.” I would say our beavers visibility increased nicely last night.
By nine though, the beavers had hunkered down and out of sight. The vibrations, horns and explosions had driven them underground. One straggler kit was still swimming under the Marina Vista Bridge when the fireworks started, and I made sure to watch him head back up over the primary dam to safety. It’s a little harrowing to have that many patriotically intoxicated humans at close quarters with our beavers, especially when you throw fire danger into the mix. There were many comments that with the 1200 fires already burning in the state this early in the year, the County should have banned fireworks altogether. A Eucalyptus tree caught fire on the east hills of town, and the brush beneath it burning was visible from the street.
I personally think we need a more grandly structural solution, suggestible only by an enormously popular president. Celebrate fourth of July in the winter. You could switch festivities with some existing holiday so no one loses the day off, maybe Thanksgiving, (which is also kinda patriotic anyway). Then the fire danger would be very low and you could have all the fireworks you wanted. Businesses could still make money selling firecrackers and cherry bombs, and American families could still get together in midsummer and eat and drink themselves silly. The English celebrate Guy Fawkes day early in November with bonfires and explosions (Penny for the guy!). Fawkes was notoriously remembered for his attempted treason when barrels of gunpowder were discovered under parliament. His traitorous act is remembered for its failure and punishment, while (if you think about it in the abstract) ours is remembered for its success.
Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…
Okay, its just a thought. Anyway Worth A Dam did good work last night, teaching visitors about beavers. And turtles. And otters. And muskrats. And herons. And….well you get the idea.
Beaver Fan Lory Bruno sends the following photos from last night’s patriotic floor show:
