Just in time for earth day spring has SPRUNG. Rusty saw beavers at the pond last night, the rose bushes are exploding, baby birds are cropping up at the feeder, and it’s going to be warm enough for a back porch barbecue tonight. Here’s an NPR story about the cacophony of life at a beaver pond which you should listen to.

Sounds of spring in a beaver pond wetland

(It always makes me smile to think of the parallel recording you’d hear at OUR beaver pond: train whistle, car horn, Robert swearing about the latest threats from the government, maybe a crack deal or two. Ahh nature!)

Lord knows, I have seen ENOUGH of this story showing up in my mailbox sent by well-meaning friends who saw it on their Tee-Vee news, but this report was special and it made me truly LOL this morning. They didn’t have the graphic obviously but I couldn’t resist.

On April 14, Saskatchewan experienced a Passover miracle.

Heading out to check on their herd of cattle, ranchers Adrienne and Aaron Ivey saw something nearly as odd as locusts falling from the sky, and much more welcome: A beaver leading 150 of their heifers in a docile march across their property.

Why was this beaver different from all other beavers? Perhaps it was remarkable for being the first beaver the cattle had seen. Perhaps the heifers were in fact merely patriotic, expressing their fervor by loyally pursuing their country’s national symbol.

Or, perhaps, there was a touch of the divine to the humble, large-toothed, paddle-tailed water mammal. Like Moses leading the Israelites from Egypt, maybe it was leading the cattle to — well, wherever, really — shuffling boldly forward even when it appeared it couldn’t possibly succeed in its task.

And may Moses-Beaver, hero of our hearts, shuffle on.

Tomorrow is the Earthday celebration at John Muir’s Birthday party. Everything is ready and packed for the festivities and we have the very best spot by the creek again. We will be celebrating the beaver’s 10th anniversary in the city by making lockets with the children and having everyone sign their big anniversary card. It should be fun. Why not stop by and say ‘hi!’ And if you lend a hand we’ll give you homemade falafel and a hummus wrap sandwich!