Many winter mornings are dull and gray. Others are sunny but bitterly cold and windy. THIS morning was perfect! The sun shone brightly and there was absolutely no wind. I took my dog, Harley, and my camera with me for a short walk. As we strolled along I found myself loosening the zipper on my winter jacket and gazing up so the sun could warm my face.
We stopped by the stream at the foot of the hill behind our house.
When we first moved to this neighbourhood there was a huge beaver dam by the road and an enormous beaver lodge in the middle of the lake created by the dam. A few years ago some people decided to change the situation and arrived with traps for the beavers and a backhoe to rip out the dam. It made me so sad because all the people wanted to do was drain the water so it would freeze over and they could run their noisy snowmobiles where once the beavers lived.
Mother Nature isn’t so easily beaten down, however. The beavers moved downstream and built another dam. Then as the lower part of the hay field across the road began to flood, they moved up toward their old lodge and dam, helping themselves to large and small trees as they came along.
On this beautiful, sunny winter morning I was happy to ensure that the only evidence of our passing by were a few photographs and mine and Harley’s foot prints. Why can’t we simply share out beautiful nature without destroying others’ habitats? I’m sure people wouldn’t be happy if someone came and knocked their houses down, making them homeless and hurting their children, all for the sake of “recreation”. Surely the trail could be built elsewhere?
So, a deep breath and walk on, enjoying the knowledge that the beavers are still around, the sun shining on my face has strength, and it is, indeed a beautiful late-January morning.
Images by Ceci 