A few years ago, word on the street was that all the BLMs were moving to Belmont because it was *the* hot new neighborhood. Well, times have changed, and I was really concerned that a tepid real estate market paired with unwise mortgage choices might have caused the BLMs to flee. Luckily, my good friend Heather just spotted a BLM right in the heart of Belmont. And it’s a fat one at that, so it’s obviously doing OK. Thank goodness:
OMG, OMG, I just saw a huge BLM – in my backyard in Belmont! It lives under my neighbor’s dilapidated shed just on the other side of the fence and is a never ending source of aggravation for Miss Izzy, the younger of my two dogs, and, by extension, all of the neighbors within earshot. I just stepped out onto the back porch to let the pups out and there it was in my back yard making a dash for the shrubs along the fence line. God knows how it got into the puppy-proofed yard, but you can be sure I’ll be investigating. Izzy’s down there now madly dashing up and down the fence line trying to follow the scent.
As for a description, all I can offer is fat, round, brown, and fast.
Cheers, Heather
Thanks Heather! Keep dogs and BLMs separated, please.
…which is more than I can say for most of my friends and acquaintances. I know *some* of you have seen BLMs this summer. Come on!
Hi Phoebe - On Sunday, June 29 at 11:30 AM, I spotted from the kitchen window a medium sized groundhog meandering across our garden underneath the bird feeders. She/he seemed in no particular hurry; I think she/he was there to celebrate Aunt Rita’s birthday….who knows. This morning I spotted a rather large rabbit. I realize a rabbit is not a “beaver like” mammal but thought I would report it anyway. In that ilk, we are now getting hummingbirds since I put up a special feeder for them AND there is a deer coming at night to nibble on some of my flowers. All of this from Rood Avenue in Windsor, CT (the oldest town in CT celebrating its 375th birthday this summer) and where wildlife is always welcome. Love from your Aunt Holly.
Thanks Aunt Holly!
braddock: a flourishing city of 20,000 residents. home to andrew carnegie’s first steel mill and free library. wealth. amenities. expansive shopping district. dozens of churches. movie theaters. furniture stores. breweries. schools.
braddocc: a malignantly beautiful town of 2,500 residents. unofficially renamed by dropping the ‘k’ for a ‘c’ by young and disenfranchised for its crip allegiance. still home to carnegie’s first steel mill and free library. no movie theaters. no furniture stores. no breweries…no hope?
the battle for braddocc: can a town that lost nearly 90% of its population, homes, and businesses come back? could braddock’s remaining assets be leveraged by new ideas, energy, individuals to spark a cultural and economic revitalization?
richly historic. large enough to matter. small enough to impact. an unparalleled opportunity for the urban pioneer, artist, or misfit to be a part of a new, experimental effort.
This beaver-like mammal calls Braddock home:
See: www.15104.cc and/or braddockactivearts.org.
Published at March 28, 2008
in General.
We have achieved our second piece of press coverage! Thanks cvillain.com for spreading the word about this website.
Published at March 27, 2008
in Illinois.
Dianna provides us with our first submission from Illinois:
Okay. I have searching the internet all day to figure out what I saw this past Saturday. I wish I had taken a picture, but I was just trying to figure out what the little buddy was doing in the middle of the road. I live in Plainfield, Illinois. I was driving and in the middle of the road (next to a corn field and Family Video) there was a beaver-like mammal right there. I was at a light, so I rolled down the window and literally said “Hey, are you alright little buddy?” He looked at me with his beaver like eyes/face and turned around and starting walking slowly the other way. That is when I saw his tail. Not at all beaver-like. It was long and hairy, but sort of flat like a ribbon, and didn’t look stiff. I have no idea what I saw. Maybe he was a muskrat with a hairy tail, or a Nutria…but they are extinct in Illinois.
Hmmmmm…the mystery. I hope I see him again.
Published at March 27, 2008
in Maine.
Skip writes:
You should ask WBLM radio in Portland, Maine to link to your site. The generally leave off the “W” when doing station identifications and just use “BLM”.
Anyway, my name is Skip and I saw this really tame groundhog in Fort Halifax park in Winslow ME on July 25, 2007. I was using a zoom lens, and was about 30 feet away from him. I was surprised to be able to get so close, since he would have had to cross about 100 feet of open lawn to get to some sort of cover. Here he is, at a life-threatening distance of about 30′ with no crop at 400mm. These guys are faster than greased lightning and can cover small distances like that in the blink of an eye, so I was pretty nervous. Luckily, he had fed well, and the desire to slash human throats was suppressed enough to allow this encounter with no direct confrontation. I stood my ground when he flashed his razor-sharp teeth and growled at me. I don’t expect to always be this lucky.
Thanks Skip for the captivating story and great photos. Let’s hope this exciting sighting is a preview of things to come for BLM Season 2008.
Bill writes:
From my back porch sometimes I can see as many as 3 BLMs at once, scattered across my neighbors’ yards. The City is to BLMs as Shenandoah National Park is to deer. The City is a place where BLMs can live without fear. No danger from hunters, no danger from off leash dogs. CHO is a BLM center. Charlottesville is the Number One City for Beaver Like Mammals!This silver-back in the yard of #### Woolen Mills RD (a.k.a. Market Street).
Thanks so much Bill! I hope you are right that BLMs are safe in Charlottesville. I am always so concerned when I see them grazing by the side of the road. I do wish we could hire BLM crossing guards. Do you think Charlottesville would consider changing the official city slogan to “CHO is a BLM center” or “Charlottesville is the Number One City for Beaver Like Mammals!”? I think both those phrases have a very nice ring. Also, this is an awesome photo of a very noble-looking BLM:
And the BLM’s closeup:
