Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

The Perfect Beaver in a Storm


When that I was and a little tiny boy,
    With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
    For the rain it raineth every day.
William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
The rain in Martinez has been weak but constant,. Our friends near by in Napa have endured a deluge. Poor Tulocay creek where the beavers reside has seen more water than ever before
 and Rusty and Robin were out bravely trying to see if they made it through. The dam was quickly topped, and the lodge soon followed. This is what the lodge looked like by afternoon.

 

FSCN5841
Flooded lodge: Robin Ellison
Fortunately their lodge is anchored to a tree, but I certainly remember when ours was entirely swept away. With conditions like this you could see why a beaver might decide to just be a bank dweller after all. Here’s footage Rusty caught of a beaver cautiously grooming on top of the lodge. I’m starting to think that beavers save that spot for the pregnant matriarchs because someone looks a little round even for a beaver!

Beavers are nothing if not practical. They groom in the face of adversity in exactly the same way as your neighbor makes you a casserole after a tornado narrowly misses your barn. Yes it’s terrible and disruptive, but you still need to eat (stay dry). Looking at the way beavers adaptivley use the top of their lodge I’m reminded of folks escaping to the attic during Katrina, or chapter 9 of Winnie the Pooh.

In which Piglet is Entirely Surrounded By Water

“Now then, Pooh,” said Christopher Robin, “where’s your boat?”
“I ought to say,” explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, “that it isn’t just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it’s a Boat, and sometimes it’s more of an Accident. It all depends.”
“Depends on what?”
“On whether I’m on the top of it or underneath it.”

One could worry about all that rushing water sweeping the beavers away like it nearly did pooh, but I’d advice everyone to watch this beaver, powerfully swimming against the roaring current. He or she doesn’t even look like it requires effort.

Robin just wrote after a trip to the pond this morning. The waters has receded, the lodge is standing, and all the beavers tucked safely inside. Well, we started with this post with 12th night, we might as well end with Alls Well that Ends Well.

Tune in next storm!

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Okay, I’m slowly learning things about my new toy. Double click to see the whole thing. Did you know you can fold down the corner to preview what’s on the next page? This took me way too long to finish but I’m inordinately pleased with it. It even has links to the resources described. I used up every inch of my ‘free’ 15 pages. You should try one, it would make a great baby album!

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