Spring came early this year. Still, the pond water must have been frigid the day I first saw the beaver, floating on his back while the sun warmed his belly. When he flipped over I could see his gorgeous silken and shiny fur. He was bold and brazen, glaring at me, the newcomer to his turf, with his striking black eyes. He was also curious. He’d swim to within 20 feet of me, never breaking his gaze.

The first time I heard him slapped his tail it was a thrill for me as I’d only read about this – I’d never heard it before. The trees were still bare so there was no muffling of the ‘crack’. I thought it sounded much like a musket shot, which I have heard, several years ago when I and other guests fired one while staying at Battlefield B&B in Gettysburg.

He’d disappear under water after the slap. I was sure that his tail was giving a warning that I was near and that submerging was his way of protecting himself from me. But, as often as not, he’d resurface closer to me. I think this is when I first considered that I am as novel to the creatures of this setting as they are to me.

I was struck at how fast he could glide through the water, leaving a steady stream of ripples in his wake. And, I could almost feel how refreshing it must be to have the cool water pass through his coarse fur.

For three or four weeks, if I walked in early evening, I’d see him taking his end of day swim. He was playful and seemed to luxuriate in it. After 20 minutes or so in the icy water, he’d waddle up the shore of the small island that sits at one end of the pond, shown in the photo above. Sometimes he’d gnaw on a tree trunk. Other times he’d simply groom. It seemed to me he had a routine and I imagined the evening swim was his bedtime ritual, just one last bit of enjoyment at day’s end.

And then, after a few weeks, he was gone. I have since found that the creatures of the pond have their seasonal rhythm, one that I’m sure has been occurring since long before my arrival. I fully expect to see the beaver again, I just have to wait and see in which season he’ll next present himself.