Our dog, Jack, rarely barks. There have been a few times when he sits on the patio and just…. barks…. all day, for no reason. But mostly, he only barks when someone’s pulling in the driveway or our neighbor and her dog head out for a walk. There was one time when I heard him barking late at night and went out to see him chasing a coon that had our rooster, Junior, in his jaws. Junior, ran back to me, squawking loudly at the indignity of being hauled out of his tree by a ratty coon. I don’t think he ever thanked Jack for saving his feathers that night. Mostly coons stick to the barn, trying to steal whatever goodies I’ve got out there for the horses and Jack stays in his domain, the garage. In short, it’s normally quiet around the farm.
Saturday afternoon Ed and I settled in for a movie when we heart Jack barking outside our bedroom window and went to look out. This is what we saw.
A beaver! Until he swished his tail around I was thinking it was just a huge coon but when I saw it was a beaver, I grabbed the camera and then asked Ed if beavers attack people. Ed assured me that there’s never in the history of mankind been an attack on a human from a beaver. I believed him and headed outside for a closer look and more pics. Ed stayed in the house. I think he said he was going to vacuum or fold laundry or something.
He was all wet and looked pretty slimy to me. I know nothing about beavers but I didn’t think he got cuter as I got closer, coons do, but not beavers. He sat calmly and didn’t look too scary. Our farm is about a half mile away from the creek to the east of us and just what he was doing walking up our driveway towards our house is the question of the day.
That tail was huge and when I saw his paw or toes or whatever that is on his back legs I was totally freaking out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a beaver in real life, although I think the zoo in Wichita has them so maybe I have. He just stayed hunkered down while I watched him for a few minutes and then all hell broke loose.
Either Jack was afraid for my life or trying to show off but he came a’running around the house. The beaver literally jumped into the air about a foot and was slapping his tail all over the place. Jack wasn’t growling at all but rather he was whimpering like he’d already lost the fight. He’s not a very macho dog.
Jack did his best to act all brave and stuff but this thing just started jumping up in the air and at one point, was actually moving pretty quickly towards me so I did the only sensible thing I knew to do. No, mother, I did not put the camera down and run like the wind, I screamed. Really loudly. It was a terrifying scream that neighbors for miles around could hear. Several called later to see if I still needed help. I’m talking a loud scream.
Ed was still in the house.
Jack quieted down and quit barking but he did finally get into a great, threatening posture. Seriously, just look at that amazingly tough beast! He even managed to get his neck fur standing up.
By now all this growling, barking, and screaming had attracted a crowd….
The horses were all full alert. But what’s really important here is, notice Silver? You know, our white horse.
What? So I like mud, what’s the big deal?
Oh. My. God. She needs a *slight* grooming wouldn’t you say?
After this I figured the poor beaver had had enough of dogs and humans and cameras and muddy horses so I locked Jack up and ten minutes later Ed checked all around the the dude just vanished. I’m wondering if he’s getting into the grain bin that we have in the barn or maybe hiding out around our pond. I might just check around on that tomorrow.
