BEAVER LODGES

 

I was out on my Sunday afternoon drive looking for something to grab my attention for picture-taking.  I was south of town in farm country, but couldn’t do my whole route because I’d forgotten to fill up on gas before I left the city.  Ugh!

 

I came across a large pond that had several beaver lodges, or dams as they are also called.

 

 Spent cattails and milkweed pods surrounded the pond and added to its beauty.

 

 What I was looking for was the beaver.  I finally found it popping up in the middle of the pond.  A cutie.

 

 It took to the water shortly, its long body swimming.  Its eyes were above the water, alligator-style, and the long tail was just below the surface.

 

 Every once in a while, I’d get a better look at its tail being used as a rudder as it swam.  The beaver can be up to 50 inches long, including its tail.  I really wanted to see those large front teeth, but it wasn’t going to show me, so I moved on.

 

 I came to a smaller pond, also with a large dam.  There was something on top of it, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

 

 I got a bit closer and I still wasn’t sure.  It seemed like there was a head sticking up at the back.

 

 Finally, the critter moved its head and I could see it was a goose.  It appeared she was using the beaver lodge for a nest.  How opportunistic!

 

 As I turned around, my low fuel light came on so I headed back towards town.  I was lucky, though, because I spied my two favorite Sandhill Cranes pecking away in a distant sunlit field.  I’m glad they’ve survived this up and down weather we’ve been having.