I pretty much just wander along behind or run out in front, but always stay with in eye shot of the Turtle man. He needs care, and I enjoy hanging out with him. When we're in the canoe, I watch him do all the paddling as I bask in the warm sun. My life is easy! Walk in the woods, ride on the water, sleep in the truck, and even stay in an air conditioned house. It's called a dog's life, and I love living it! I've heard it said,"It don't get no better than this!"
Why, just the other day we were paddling along the shore of Lake Keowee, a nice lake there at the Keowee Town Landing. I was all laid out in the bottom of the big red canoe, had my cool shades on and a cold Pepsi between my paws. Turtle was doing the stealth paddle seeing just how quiet he could be, I'm half asleep looking for animal figures in the clouds{don't try to chase a cat cloud, you will look pretty stupid-Been There/ Done That} So here we are floating real quiet like, me half asleep, Turtle thinking really really hard about what he is doing-when I hear a rustle. Faint and slow. Silent and cautious. Earthy and moving. Big and bold! I must see and experience this rustle,it is all consuming! Ever so carefully I roll over on my belly, put on my WWJD ball cap, adjust the shades and peek over the gunnel to see and hear this rustle. Nothing to see, but I still can hear. Turtle has quit paddling and we come to a smooth stop on a glassy lake waiting to see the Rustle! The bank has a rise to it, not to fast, gentle like with tall grasses and some brush.covering the ground all the way to the tree line. I wouldn't have a picnic here or even lay around and chew a bone, my guess is bugs and ticks live there, not for me. Voices, gruff harsh voices! Voices, use to being loud and crass coming from deep down barrel chests covered with hair and dirt and twigs and body oil and odor! The sound of voices, louder then the Rustle! One, two, now three black pointy noses protrude through the grass and out into the dusk light. Oh! yeah! I remember these things. Late one night, when the moon was high and the water was dark--SMACK--scared me right out of my skin, these things with their big flat tails and coal black eyes. Tough guy image and long yellow teeth, chew trees and make them scream timber before they crash to the hard unforgiving ground! I remember I was scared! had never seen or heard of these creatures before. Now they are back and dog nose to beaver noses we stare. "Yo" I say in a high girly giggle. No response. I see before me three hard cases. Two of them have on black leather vests with LOG DAM stamped on the back, the third vest is trimmed in pink and says DEN MOTHER over the left breast, the back also has LOG DAM stamped on it. At first I thought I was looking at Larry, Moe and Curly, but no way! This here is Buck, Bo and Mother. The three baddest beavers to swim the clear waters of the Keowee. Turtle is just sitting in the canoe whispering "I wish I had the camera." I'm wantin' to get moving and get away, but Turtle still just sits and stares. Don't dare jump into the water and swim, I may be a yellow Lab, but can't out swim a gang of biker beavers. Did I tell about their hats? all three have on a leather hat with the full floppy brim, a band of rattle snake skin is holding an eagle feather, dark and stained from the smoke of the late night campfire. A unfiltered Camel cigaret is protruding from the vest pocket of Mother, Bo is chewing a cigar, and Buck is cleaning his yellow tooth with a pine stick. Buck says,"Yellar hair is purdy." Bo replies,"Real purdy." I, Gracie am having a fit and start moving to the back were Turtle is sitting and saying in a low quiet mood," They are so nice to see in the full moonlight" "Wish I had the camera! I'd get a picture of those three cute beavers."-- Is he seeing the same thing, or hearing the same things I'm seeing and hearing?-- Mother steps in front of Bo and I read the tattoo inked in the middle of her wide tail, "EAT MORE WOOD" Not sure if I should be scared or not, it's surrounded by an oak stump with a sapling growing out of the top. Bo, not to be out done, flips his paddle up and a heart with BO LOVES WATER is skillfully tattooed and centered for all to see. Now Buck is different, his tat is on the underside of the tail and it simply states-GONE!!
That's it- they slide into the water, smack their tails and swim under the canoe. We watch them come up on the other side and swim to the far bank. Three fat glossy beavers waddle onto the shore and disappear into the woods. I must have been having a bad dream! They look and act like beavers in the water. Oh! well' I'll never forget Buck, Bo, and Mother. May they live in our hearts forever.
On the water or in the woods,
Gracie and Turtle
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