The beaver pond across the road from me is one of the best features in the village of Gold, I think. Sure, there are some nice houses. And the woods that crest the surrounding hilltops are nice. But the beaver pond is beautiful, full of life and drama. When we first moved here (16 years ago this month) there was a small beaver pond in the same place, but the beavers left and soon after the dam deteriorated and then washed out. After that, for years there was just a marshy field with the middle branch of the Genesee River (which is nothing more than a little stream) running through it. Then the beavers came back. About six years ago I noticed the gnawed stumps of small trees and willow brush on the road embankment above the marsh. Soon we saw a small dam across the Genesee stream with a small pond forming behind it. We didn’t see the beaver themselves at first. They work mostly at night. Over the years the dam and the pond have gotten bigger. For several years, to our dismay, the pond attracted trappers. We fretted that the beavers would be killed, but they have survived – so far.
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| The only photo I have of the first pond taken in 2003. |
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| Mergansers on the pond last winter. |
With the coming of the beavers, that marshy field was transformed. Now the beaver pond is filled and surrounded with wildlife. Ducks and geese, herons, hawks, and dozens of songbirds rest and nest there. The pond is full of fish, frogs, and turtles. I’ve seen weasels hunting along its edges and deer come down to drink. We often see the beavers now too. I think they’ve become accustomed to our snooping around. They have two lodges now at the western end of the pond. If I go down in the evening and stand still on the shoulder of the road, I can watch them working on their lodges and the dam. Many times I have gone down during a beautiful sunrise to stand by the beaver pond and see the colors reflected on the water.
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| The pond in February of 2013. |
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| The pond in May of 2013. |
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| The pond in September of 2013. |
Now I see a new dam is being built downstream from this one, over across highway 449 where the Genesee stream goes under highway 49. It is a small dam. I suspect it is the work of the children of the beavers that live across the road from me. I don’t know if this new dam will be welcome. Folks around here often regard beavers as nothing but a nuisance. Beaver trapping season is underway right now. It goes from the day after Christmas to March 31st. I haven’t seen anyone setting traps at either pond. I don’t know who owns the land where the new pond is. The people who own the property across the road where the big pond is posted “No Hunting or Trapping” signs several years ago. I hope the signs are heeded. I would be very sad if anything happened to the beavers of Gold.
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| Sunrise over the pond on Friday. |
We’ve come to the time of year when my mind becomes fixated on garden plans. We’re in a new year. The time for starting The Garden of 2016 is approaching. And the time for seed catalogs has come. I get dozens of them in the mail. I love to look through them all even though I only order from a select few. They give me ideas and fuel my hopes and dreams. I read the descriptions of the vegetables and flowers. I drool over the beautiful photographs. It makes me a little crazy, but at the same time keeps me sane as I wait for the day when the first seed tray comes out and the grow lights and the heat mats. Plan, plans, plans – my brain is throbbing with plans.
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| Seed catalogs! |
Hannah began her first week of school at BYU-Idaho. She got off to a bit of a rough start, but seems to be adjusting. We’re glad she’s there with her cousins Emma and Andrew. We miss her here at home.
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| Hannah and her cousin Emma at BYU-I. |
Winter is still acting fickle. Last week we had our first taste of sub-zero temperatures. On Tuesday night it dropped to -9. Then it warmed again into the 30's and 40's. It rained at the end of the week. The bit of snow we had is gone, but I see by the forecast that there’s more on the way soon. The ground hasn’t frozen yet, which could hurt my garlic crop. When the ground stays soggy like this, the garlic often rots. I’m ready for winter to settle in so it can be gone again. It’s raining now. The rivers and streams are running high. We stopped to look at the new beaver pond on our way home from church. The dam is small and does not look very strong. With the Genesee flowing hard, the pond is filling and spreading. I wonder if it will stand.
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| The new beaver pond down the road. |
