Normally when I think of beavers, I think of these eager little creatures who come out at night, find some little saplings to gnaw until they fall, and build a dam and homes for themselves at the surface and under the water. The other day, I had been working hard and decided to go out for a walk to see what I could see. I live only two blocks from a beautiful Alcyon Lake and Betty Park in Pitman,NJ, so I decided to take advantage of the Fall weather and walk down. I have lived in this town for almost 40 years and at the lake, there is a huge willow tree that has always been my favorite. To my shock...amazement...consternation...sadness...I discovered that someone/something else also has been favoring the tree and IT IS NOT GOOD. The beavers, busy on the other side of the lake, have now come over and begun chewing away at the giant willow. For all of the layers they have chewed through, it has not been an overnight thing. Once the outer layer is destroyed, where the tree gets all of its nourishment, the tree will begin the dying process. This is not a Fall thing with opportunity for regrowth in the Spring. It seems that it could be permanent. I called Bill, on his way home from work, to come and see this. I could take his picture next to it so you could see how really big the tree has become. The Photo Schmoozer develops relationships with people, places and things. My willow tree has been one of them. Sad.
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