the deborah show

part two, what's the crowd doing?



a month or so has passed since we've been to the cliff-side of lake trummel. we'd been training in many locations at other lakes and recreational facilities, but one of our favorite spots is at lake trummel. the peace, the solutitude, surrounded by nature (even if this body of water was made by man), and all the adventures. the drought has put a toll on the levels of water, the amount of rainfall or lack thereof; the insects have declined in number, the great blue herron flock has decreased to three birds. there are fish but the pickings are slim. the larger fish are eating all the smaller fish (the birds' food), because there just isn't enough to go around.

once we've embarked on our first romp on the base of the plateau, we noticed the large crowd of turkey vultures across the way at the cliff-side of the lake. oh well, they are just doing their job. this adventure is quite unique because the low level of water has exposed the numerous trees that died when flooded by the waters. the trunks are most interesting and there are many smells (so the dogs tell me). the cove where we go across the way is almost dry, but the desert willows are still swaying in the breeze. it is a very hot breeze that blows this day. there is dust in the air making it hard to breath. we take a slow pace and take in the changes of the environment.

the vulture crowd still draws my attention. they seem to be having trouble with whatever it is that has attracted so many birds in one location. "well kids, let's go see what all the fuss is about." we head to the other side via the car and the barren path. using the car's air conditioner, because of the heat, we make our way. we can park closer than before and there is no shade, but we don't intend to stay long -- it is just too hot today!

i've decided we'll train on-lead this time, and the dogs oblige. they are very well behaved, and i am very proud of them. we make our way towards the crowd of turkey vultures who immediately start to scramble in the sky with the worst protests you can imagine! the closer we get to the shoreline, the more beautiful rocks we find. then to my surprise we stumble upon a bloated corpse. i am saddened. the beaver who was so strong and alive is now in front of me bloated and dead. his body is in about a foot of water and the wind blows the ripples over his remains. how could this be? what happened? why did such a time come to pass before we ever got to experience his life?

as nature would have it, the dogs could care less about the dead beaver. they are ready to run the flat bed lake, so i release them to "stay in sight and you are free." my curisosity takes hold and i begin to "mess with the dead animal." using a stick and a rock, i observe that he is in fact a male (no genitals left in the center of his abdomin -- that is one of the few places where a vulture can penetrate a corpse). he has no head wounds (visible), nor any gunshot wounds, there are no claw marks on his body, and he appears to be asleep. his eyes shut tight, his tiny ears (very tiny ears) shut to keep out the water, and it is a sad sight. i pull him towards the shore out of the water -- that is what the fuss was about, because vultures don't like to get wet! here they come my loving dogs, they sniff, they look at me, and off they go on their own adventure again. they are such good companions, i am a very lucky person!

there is little fur left on this corpse due to the vultures and the water. it is still pliable and easily manipulated. i begin my adventure and observation of the beaver. he has the most unique physique with his tiny front feet to the larger webbed paws in the rear. the head is small in comparison to his body, which is rather large. his tail, oh my, his tail is magnificant! it has to be as long as from my fingertips to the middle of my arm! his tail is as wide as my palm and some. his tail is covered with a flesh that is almost like a scaled catfish skin, much different than his hide. his fur-hide is different than his body-hide. there are some physical traits hidden due to the water bloat and the time since his death, which must have been a couple days ago -- preserved by the water. i think maybe he died of old age or sickness.

when i turn the corpse over, the mouth reveals the fangs and teeth. i am amazed at what i see. there are colors and depth to this mouth of the beaver. i touch these fangs that claw down logs so easily. one comes loose very easily and i retrieve the upper and lower fangs, and the bottom jaw teeth for my collection. this may seem like a waste, but i feel it is important to my education and the education of others in my community. alas, i have not brought my knife and i have no means to transport this animal's corpse. i am saddened, but refine myself to the knowledge of the beaver's tail. i think the vultures will do their job and leave the remains for me to find another day. i take my leave with a heavy heart. the thought of losing a fantastic being to nature means the honest truth, we cannot control nature.



part three, from the shoreline
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this was written around the end of august 2006. i did not take the time to edit it again, although i see several changes that could be made. i am lazy this day. hope you enjoy the read.