A deVINE discovery

The other day, we decided to go check on our blessed beaver dam.  If you aren't up to date on the dam, you can read about it here.  We've been meaning to do something about it ever since we discovered it, but we just haven't gotten around to it. Somehow planting GRASS (ha) took center stage around here.  A couple months ago at a neighbor's party, another neighbor volunteered his friend to come trap the beavers, as apparently trapping season is approaching. I was all for it - get em OUT of here!  However, our realtor (and farmer/neighbor) stopped by the other day to talk to Ben and the dam was somehow brought into the conversation.  The two of them trudged down to check it out, and the realtor/farmer/neighbor guy was just in awe. He said, as a kid, they had a dam near their farm - and at dusk they used to go sit and watch the beavers in action.  He wants to bring his grandkids over to see it! He was very shocked that we wanted it gone, as he was totally marveling over the awesome piece of nature that it is. 

Of course, I do think it's cool and 'awesome' and all of that - and I really am amazed at the engineering skills of the little devils... but on the other hand, they are totally ruining trees and transforming a natural play area into a hazardous area.  Hmph.  What to do.  

Along with that conversation, Ben also reported to me the growing SIZE of the dam and 'pond', so this weekend we headed down as a family to assess the damages.  WOW. How many freakin beavers are camping out here?

With an upcoming get-together with TONS of kids coming over, I was kind of counting on a nature exploration (by the creek) being included in their activities... hmmm not so sure about that anymore.  We continued on our trek to see what else we could find to 'play' with.  Getting around down there is a little bit of a challenge - the brush and weeds are THICK, and there are some kind of 'vines' growing on everything.  Some of the trees have actually been pulled down by these annoying vines (another thing we need to take care of), but DUDE - check it out!

Indiana Jones has nothin' on my kids!  They must have done that a hundred times, getting more and more brave with each swing. It was FUN! I'm pretty sure we would have stayed out there for hours if it weren't for Charlie dropping off his vine into a pile of something itchy. Leave it to him! 

We headed back to the house for an oatmeal bath and some benadryl lotion (which solved the itchies beautifully), and with plans of heading back... in long sleeves.  Till then -