Construction Completion

On July 1, 2010 I put up the last 3 Welcome signs and the last 5 You Are Here signs. That brings to completion all of the construction work for the Beaver Boardwalk. I don't have anything left to do that I wanted to do. Guess it's fitting to finish it on Canada Day, 4 1/2 years since the start. I sure didn't think it would go on that long when I got the original idea, nor did I think it would get to be such a big project. The reward was just as much in the work as it was in the achievement. It gave me something to focus on, and I met a lot of great people who volunteered their time to help.

The best reward though is seeing people using the Beaver Boardwalk and enjoying themselves. While I was putting up the last sign at the east end of Maxwell Lake I met a couple visiting from somewhere non-local (I forgot to ask where). It was mid-morning so they hadn't seen any beavers and were a little disappointed. As I was installing the sign they walked the lower path to the lake tower. I could hear an upset sora over there. When they came back they asked if I knew what that small bird with the bright yellow bill was - a sora had walked out right in front of them at very close range. They were thrilled. For those who don't know the sora, it's a small very secretive bird of freshwater wetlands. Although it's the most widely-distributed member of the rail family in North America, it's much more often heard then seen. There's always special moments on the Beaver Boardwalk!