My son Aaron and I are way back in the wilderness of Superior National Forest, and we’ve just stumbled upon a recently constructed beaver dam. Unfortunately, beavers like to lounge around inside their “lodge” where they’re high and dry, and safe from predators during the day. The construction project is all done on the night shift, so we’ll have to settle for some photos of the pond.

Mama is most likely tending to some little ones inside the lodge, as beavers have from one to four kits in the spring.

One thing there is no shortage of out here is woodticks. We must have pulled twenty or thirty of the little blood-suckers off our legs already. And then there’s lyme disease.

Well, it looks like there will be no tail-slapping activities here today.

* * *

found a beaver dam

a newly built beaver dam–

and no beaver. damn

–Photos by me