By Erika Kar
I’m going to begin this by telling you about Sally Gatlin’s beaver. I’m reporting the one that showed up along the stretch of river at her home. Last month, when the rivers were running high and fast, Sally was walking her little dogs and they excitedly sniffed out something in some bushes. Sally went to investigate and found a 50-60 pound beaver.
He seemed to be in poor health, so Sally called the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to ask what she should do, if anything. A guy came out and took a look and reported that the poor beaver was just tired and was resting, which I think many of us can relate to.
Beaver at rest: Eventually, the tuckered-out critter moved on.
The next morning, Sally went to check on the beaver and it was gone. This was a huge relief, as the WDFW guy also told Sally that if the beaver died, she’d have to bury him. If you know Sally, you know that she cannot deal with dead mice (or let’s be honest, living mice, either). A dead beaver would have pushed her over the edge. Mazama needs Sally, so we should all breathe a sigh of relief.
Not to be outdone in the wildlife department, Jen Schumacher has seen a big beautiful bear near her home in Edelweiss. Is that Mazama? More on this later. But back to the bear — it was seen in an aspen grove, chowing down on some birdseed at Jen’s neighbor’s home. It also seems to be fond of ants, as it was witnessed taking a few swipes at some big anthills before moseying through the meadow and toward the Rendezvous. The bear was definitely not a nuisance, but in order to keep it this way, just a reminder for everyone to keep your trash and pet food unavailable for bears to get a taste.
The votes have trickled in and were counted in the most scientific way. I’m sorry to report, but according to the voters, Edelweiss is not Mazama. Please don’t shoot the messenger. Reasons reported were:
• Winthrop address
• More athletic crowd
• Don’t eat enough sugar
• Don’t have to drive far enough to get to town
It has been proposed that we split up into several areas: Ventura, Lost River, By the Sitts’ (sorry Spencers, but I think it might always be known as the Sitts’ place), LeDuc, Mazama Proper, Chechaquo, Foster, Edelweiss and West Boesel. We could all then make flags designating where we are from and then perhaps gather for a battle. Dilly Dilly.
Jen Schumacher
spotted this bear near her home in Edelweiss.
