Sightings, II

Today I saw another beaver. I think it was a giant beaver. It was like a log with a big rodent head. It was at the Shady Grove Metro station. Along the walkway that connects the parking lot to the station itself is this canal with trees on its banks. Until today I thought of it as the Umbrellas' Graveyard because in addition to the usual plastic bags and paper coffee cups it had a few abandoned umbrellas in it. I was looking at the geese that apparently don't mind how depressingly dreary it is and I noticed a man several feet ahead of me looking at something that was not the geese. And there was the big beaver, just lolling about in the water. Also, across the canal, two young trees freshly gnawed through. Now I guess I'll have to rechristen the canal.

That would seem to be an unlikely place for a beaver, but judging from his size he has prospered there. I hope he has company.