Buzz Saw the Adopted Beaver
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Down in the thick pine trees and huge willow oaks near Hollow Point, there was a deep flowing creek. It was alive with all sorts of wildlife going about their daily routine. The chipmunks were busy scampering up and down the huge oaks collecting nuts for their winter stash. Wild berries grew in abundance and all the critters knew exactly where they were. Rabbits were mating and supplying the woods with new life. Butterflies flitted tasting the fresh nectar from the wild flowers growing thick along the creek bank. Bees were busy pollinating and hiding the sweet juices in honey combs for their young. The creek rippled along carrying fresh clear water to other parts of the forest. Fish flipped and tadpoles wiggled as the sun warmed the cool waters above them. Hollow Point continued to supply wildlife with shelter and food from season to season.
Wild strawberry blossoms and purple velvet leafed violets carpeted the banks along the creek. Thick green moss grew around the trees providing a haven of rest for the weary creatures. Bugs and tiny ants worked hard carrying supplies. Squirrel's tails were shaking and flipping as the courted hoping to find a mate. Wild honeysuckle vines were filled with long yellow blossoms dripping with sweet nectar and the breeze carried its fragrance for miles. Hollow Point was a perfect place having not been tampered with by construction machines and people. The only noise was the chirping of the birds, the chatter of the squirrels and the rippling water as it lazily moved along the banks of the creek.
Walking deeper into the forest you could see fallen trees of all sizes that had been cut by a family of beavers. They were busy cutting and positioning the wooden pieces so they could use them for their dams. There was the father beaver, the mother beaver, five little beavers and one beaver that had lost his parents to predators. His name was Buzz for he had the sharpest teeth of all the beavers. Everyone called him Buzz Saw because he could fall a tree in a matter of minutes, cut it into pieces and push it into the water. Everyone worked but Buzz Saw was so grateful they had taken him into their family he tired extra hard to do hardest jobs. It was his way of showing them he was proud to be a member of the family.
Buzz Saw's teeth were his saw and he cut trees faster than anyone else near Hollow Point. He was building a dam along the stream which when finished would be their home for the colder months of the year. Before he could build his lodge in which he and his family would stay he had to build a dam. He had been very busy cutting trees and arranging them in such a fashion that when completed it would become a deep pond. It had to be very deep and still so that they could carry their food supplies and store them under the water. Some were cutting trees and others were bringing branches and weeds. The smallest beavers were bringing lots of mud to fill in the gaps much like a log cabin would be. There home was called a lodge and it had to be surrounded with water in order to keep their enemies away. Pushing the trees and limbs into the water was a simple way they used to allow the water to carry the wood for them until it reached the place they wanted it to be placed. Then they would dive in the water and grab the wood pulling it into the exact location for the lodge. It was a very hard job and everyone had to pitch in and help. There were no lazy beavers in Buzz's family.
"Get a move on!" Buzz shouted to the little beavers that had stopped for a quick swim to cool off. "We got lots of work to do before we can all rest. Try to be as quiet as you can so we don't alarm the wolves and coyotes. Remember people have good ears too!" He instructed. "Mom is collecting food for dinner. If you plan to eat some of the carrots, cattail, mushrooms, potatoes, berries, water plants, and fruit you best get a move on."
Soft bark was the main food for the beavers but tonight they would have the good stuff. Sometimes father beaver would scamper to a field nearby and bring corn on the cob home. Buzz would laugh at the site of the little beavers sitting upon their hind legs and eating the corn the ole fashion corn-on-the-cob way. If everyone worked they could have the dam almost finished in a couple weeks. Then they could concentrate on storing the food.
Buzz was making big plans. He wanted a mate and once finished with the lodge he would begin to send signals.
"Mom, I'm planning to make a scent post like dad used to do. I'll need mud and grass for the hill. Then I can put some oil from my castor glands on the grass. Hopefully I will have several ladies to Choose from. Dad said to make it about a foot high and a foot around. Maybe it will attract a sweet lovely beaver to be my wife! " He blinked his big eyes and spread a wide grin over his face.
"It works! His mother replied." I could smell your father's fragrance for miles. I had to work hard to get into first place. Several other beavers came to see your father. You do know people capture beavers and use their oil glands to make perfume for women? "Mother beaver continued." Just make sure you don't get captured or they will cut off your glands! "She said in a very serious way. She He knew her husband was not Buzz's real father but they had adopted him. He was a loving son to them he would share in whatever they had. So would his chosen mate. She treated him just like her own babies.
"Mom we need a bigger lodge this winter. It was cozy last season but with my mate we will need a little more room. Don't you think?" He asked hoping his mother would agree.
"Absolutely we will need more space. I am going to have more babies and the more room we have the more comfortable it will be."
Buzz smiled as his mother gave instructions on how she would like the lodge constructed.
"We need a lodge that is about 20 feet around and 8 feet above the water. We will need about three or four entrances that can open up under the water so if we have lots of ice in the winter we can still get in and out . The more entrances we can have, the better our chances of escaping from wolves and such. " She said pointing to areas she thought would be very good places.
"Once I finish with it I think you will be happy!" He chuckled. "I'm planning to build a lodge we can live in for many years to come. I hope to use birch and willow trees but you will need to tell the little ones to keep the mud supply coming. They are small but they can carry some mud! " He knew that was all it would take to have his mother see that the little beavers kept busy. "One beaver cannot do it all by themselves!" She smiled as she went about her work.
So as the weeks passed by Buzz did indeed build a splendid lodge with lots of room. He also made himself a scent post with lots of mud and grass. Each day he would go to the post and put a fresh supply of oil making sure the fragrance would last as long as possible. It did take long at all for several young beavers to come calling. Buzz chose carefully the beaver he liked the best. She would spend the remainder of her life with him so she had to be special.
Buzz and Galoria danced in the sunshine, went dipping in the warm summer water and collected a great deal of things to store for winter. Buzz was so happy! He wore a smile upon his face daily and pampered his new wife with berries and blossoms. So the summer went lazily by and the two love birds enjoyed each day to the fullest.
If you ever walk into the forest down about Hollow Point you will most likely see Buzz Saw still falling trees to add to his lodge. Galoria and his mother will be watching over the young ones for Buzz is now the proud father of six little baby beavers. Life continues and the sweet fragrances linger all around Hollow Point.
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Source by Andrea Caroline
