There's beaver in them there hills

It seems like it has been forever since the last outdoor adventure took place. Winter sure does have a way of slowing down life as I know it. It's not the cold you see, it's just that there is less daylight hours to work with. But thanks to some pretty good weather this past weekend, I found myself once again heading for the hills. This time it was a local trail that gets way too much traffic any other time of year. I guess the winter does separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to outdoor activities. That is good for me in many ways. Less trail traffic, less road traffic, and you get to see things this time of year that normally would be hidden from view by the foliage. Sure these little short day hikes are not any replacement for the more serious stuff that I like to do, but it does offer a nice substitute when cabin fever sets in. Even though we as humans are held at bay by the grip winter has on us, nature itself, that is all the creatures that live in these places must also endure change and hardship. Remember.....this is there home and we come to visit there world. Proof of this is all around, on every trail I cross. Thee are tacks, left over pieces of nut shells, bark stripped from the bottoms of trees, holes in the creek banks, nests in the trees.
The trail I was on this time has a family of beaver that called the creek home. I was only a small section that they were living in that might range about 200 yards or so. They have been working on a dam for quite awhile. I have talked to people who have walked this trail many times tin the past and they say that each time they are there they see new construction on the dam. These little rascals are hard working engineers who don't need building plans and Home Depot. I am amazed at how well they can build a structure like this from nothing more than sticks and logs. There must be something we can learn from this. I stopped there and snapped a few pics and hoped to see them at work. I guess all work was finished for the week. After all, it was Saturday. Maybe they were out for a hike somewhere. It was a good day for it.