Caesar Pond Prowl Hour

I have been neglecting the pond lately, and really felt the need to get grounded by nature. I rounded up Neighbor Shannon and we went for a short boat ride from 5pm - 6pm.

We had to do a good bit of paddling, as the pond level is down by about a foot, due to the drought we are in. But, that didn't deter us as we traveled to the north cove. As you can see, the maple leaves are starting to turn, and there are a smattering of red trees lining the boggy part of the pond.

The water lily flowers are gone, but their leaves still float on the pond surface. I found them to be particularly beautiful with the cloud reflections.

The stillness of the water, the approaching sunset, and the reflections yielded a view of the lily pads that is almost surreal.

My favorite part of our pond hour was the discovery of a new beaver lodge on the northwestern side of the pond. I couldn't believe my eyes!

And, right nearby was the beaver's diner. You can see several little islands, that serve as luncheon tables, all over the pond.

The new lodge may have been a surprise, but even more exciting was that an old, dilapidated lodge had been refurbished. Check out the green leaves that are still attached to some of the underwater branches!

This lodge has been on the pond for many years, and it had been worn down to practically nothing. We had thought that it had been taken over by some otters, about 5 years ago, but it is now active with beavers.

Check out the gnaw marks on this log. I'll have to look for tree stumps along the shore as the beavers sure have been active. Shannon heard a beaver tail-slap the water somewhere behind us. The beaver always has the last "word" when I am boating nearby, so we decided to head for home.