I went kayaking on the Vermilion River after dinner today (or should I say half-kayaking and half-hiking?). The Vermilion River is too shallow, at least right now on the part I went on, to easily navigate with a kayak. I had to climb out and carry it around trees and across shallow areas countless times. I am not going back on that river unless we get a lot of rain!

Anyway, while I was at a fairly deep bend in the river, I spotted a large brown animal on the east bank in front of me. As I got a little closer and saw its tail, I realized it was a beaver! I was delighted to see one, as I heard they were making a natural comeback in the area. I had my Dad’s camera in the dry bag, so I quickly got it out, but the beaver saw me and slipped into the water before I could take a photo. I did see its handy-work on a couple trees right next to where I spotted it, so here is a shot of a tree gnawed by the beaver: