Yesterday was a blur of beaver festival riches, to begin with Folkmanis made an amazing donation of puppets to the silent auction, which Jon picked up from their wonderful office right across from Pixar. 937 dollars worth of puppets including some breathtaking wonders like this bobcat which I just adore. Do you know that makes 11 times they have donated to our yearly beaver festival?

Then Amelia sent me her work in progress for the brochure. It still has some tweaking to come but she is off on much needed vacation now and will finish it when she gets back. There are so many exhibitors to list this year that we’re actually increasing the size to fit them all in. Here’s a shot of the front and back.

I am beyond grateful for her patient, yearly help. Doesn’t that cover make you want to go? I do too! It looks so inviting and delightful. (Somehow I always feel as if I’m so busy I miss it, but you’re lucky you can just enjoy it.) I especially like the inside where she promotes everything we have going on but since that has the most tweaking left to do I won’t show you for now. Suffice it to say It’s going to be wonderful.

Then as if all that wasn’t enough, Cheryl stopped by with a donation from photographer and the hero of our Ranger Rick article Suzi Eszterhas! Her friend volunteers at IBR so it’s a great way to bring in a donation. She generously donated a framed premier quality print of this lovely photo. And a handful of delightful wildlife photograph children’s books. I think she took that photo in Moss Landing on one of her weekend excursions that meant she couldn’t be at the beaver dam.

All of which might be enough good news to make me nervous, but for now I’m just soaking it in. NPS rangers from John Muir are joining the festival, which they haven’t done for many years. I’m not sure why there are so many more exhibits this year. Is it because of the new park? The new time? Or just the fact that having crested the 10 year mark we appear to be sticking around?

Whatever it is I like it! Maybe it’s true what they say. You can only walk halfway into any forest,

The other half you’re walking OUT.

Finally here’s another very positive news story from New Mexico, which is really catching on to the whole “Beavers save water” thing.