Bedtime with Mrs.
Honeybee.
Today,
In the Honeybee neighborhood,
We will venture down the Honey River to meet a very busy beaver.
My friend,
Barry Beaver.
Barry Beaver's about to build us.
All you have to do is close your eyes get cozy and listen to the sound of my voice.
Mrs.
Honeybee will be your guide.
Let's begin.
The other beavers of Beaverton are excited you two are finally back because they were just about to start up the fish races.
They swim up to you and Barry standing on the shore and invite you to the races.
Everyone in Beaverton is going to be there.
The fish and the beavers have been neck and well,
I guess neck for the last two races.
This is the championship of all championships.
Whoever wins this last race is officially the fastest swimmer this side of the Honey River.
It's as if Barry cannot hear what's being said to him.
He's paying no attention to the other beavers and isn't responding.
Without saying a word,
He alternates between staring at the lodge and looking worriedly back to the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Everything looks different and it's unsettling to him.
Just then,
A fish practicing for the big race whirls through the still waters of the lodge pond trying out his new racing moves.
This fast fish whirls and splashes up so much water that a branch is knocked off the lodge and creaks as it hangs dangling off the side.
Barry puts his head in his paws,
Frustrated knowing that the flood is coming and he has to do something.
He wades over to the dangling branch to align it just right like he usually spends so much time doing.
It falls back down to a frustrating dangle.
That gives Barry an idea.
Who knows when floods will happen?
Floods can happen any time.
Even when there are fish races,
Even after the most wintry winters,
It doesn't matter how perfect or not perfect the branches and the podge and the podge of the lodge are if the whole thing floods.
The other beavers have heard about floods but never experienced one.
There was one wayward beaver who came through the lodge long ago,
Who followed the flood wherever it led,
Even right over a waterfall one time.
Floods are very scary.
The beavers of Beaverton look around to see how pleasant the Honey River is flowing and think Barry is overreacting,
Practiced at the art of drama as he is.
The other beavers go back to their games,
Not giving another thought to Barry's flood concerns.
That emboldens Barry even further.
He is so happy he has you by his side to help him save Hodge Podge Lodge.
The other beavers just don't understand because they've never climbed a tree or put a toe out past the tree line.
But Barry has,
With your help and encouragement.
Mr.
Roan said he can set up a nest anywhere with sticks and fluff because he can use what he finds laying around.
The Hodge Podge Lodge isn't like that.
It's made out of logs,
Mostly,
And you don't usually find logs just lying around willy-nilly.
If it can flood at any time,
Even during fish races,
Then there should be enough logs in one place that we can use in case of a flood that happens in a flash.
That's it.
That's just what the Hodge Podge Lodge needs.
As the head beaver in charge of the Hodge Podge Lodge,
Barry Beaver is now not only concerned with protecting the lodge against this flood,
But flooding in general.
If there is one flood this year,
Then there can certainly be another,
And maybe even another and another.
You and Barry have already done the excellent work of planting all of those acorns from here to the tree line.
With all the snow melting into the forest floor,
They will sprout up before you know it.
In the meantime,
Since none of the other beavers are taking Barry's concerns seriously,
He needs your help setting up a log pile for the dam.
If there's always a stack of logs at the dam and at the lodge,
Then there will always be something to quickly use in case of a flood.
Barry scurries into the lodge and reappears with two yellow hardhats.
He holds out one for you and explains,
These belong to my dad's dad's dad's dad and his best friend.
They built the Hodge Podge Lodge and the very first dam together.
I want you to have this now.
Together,
In unison,
You and Barry Beaver lift the yellow hardhats to put them on.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose and place it snugly on your head.
Hold your breath in your chest for a moment and make every single muscle you have as strong as it can be like the hardhat.
Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth and let your body go squishy like the rushing river that splashes up onto the shore,
Full of even more fish friends than before.
To wear the heirloom hardhat vest,
Make sure your neck is straight and up tall with your ears as far away from your shoulders as possible.
Now you are ready.
First,
You and Barry clear a big enough spot for a log pile by the dam.
Barry carefully walks the perimeter of the area to measure 50 beaver feet by 50 beaver feet.
That's about how long the logs are usually.
Within the perimeter,
You help by sweeping away all the debris to make a clear space.
You do the same down by the lodge.
When it's all clear and ready,
Barry Beaver grabs your hand and leads you climbing up to the very top of the hodgepodge lodge where there's a golden bell you've never noticed before.
Barry rings it three times to get the attention of every beaver in Beaverton.
They are still enjoying their fish races,
But the bell gets their attention.
This bell has not been rung in the history of the hodgepodge lodge because it's an emergency bell used only for emergencies.
Beavers,
This is an emergency.
There is a flood heading right for the hodgepodge lodge.
A flood like we've never seen before.
The lodge isn't strong enough.
We need to.
.
.
Barry is interrupted by the beavers who quickly go back to their fish games.
One beaver yells out that the hodgepodge lodge has been around for over a century.
It'll be fine.
It lasted this long after all.
Barry struggles to get their attention back.
This is an emergency.
We have to stockpile logs and pledge right now.
The beavers laugh thinking that Barry is joking.
Beavers aren't supposed to plant acorns because acorns are snacks.
Why would beavers worry about planting trees?
There's a whole forest.
Beavers chop down trees.
They don't plant them.
Beavers have been winning lumberjacks at logging trees for years.
Even with all their fancy machines,
Beavers do not plant trees.
The beavers of Beaverton continue to joke and laugh at Barry's expense,
Returning their attention to their fish games and frog fun.
Standing next to Barry beneath the emergency bell that hangs over the roof of the century-old hodgepodge lodge,
You can see that the river's shores have expanded in each direction.
The waters are rising.
Barry is right,
And the beavers of Beaverton don't understand what's happening.
You're not sure how Barry feels at this moment?
It seems he expected the beavers of Beaverton to respond differently.
He sees the rising waters,
Too,
And with all of his determination still intact,
Regardless of whether he has the help of the beavers or not,
Barry stands up tall and proud,
With his hands on his hips,
And says,
Barry Beaver's about to build it.
Barry Beaver and his furless friend are about to build it.
He reaches up for a best friend high-five,
Because he has you to help,
And that's all he needs.
Just like his dad's dad's dad's dad,
Who built the hodgepodge lodge so long ago.
Two smart,
Determined creatures is better than a whole beaverton of beavers to get the job done,
And that,
You too do.
You immediately get to work.
Barry says that each clearing should have a pile of ten logs at all times,
And they should be lined up in such a way that they can be easily rolled down to resupply the dam and the lodge with logs quickly.
Now,
To get the logs.
Just like you did to build the tree trunk bridge over the river,
Barry chops the tree trunk and gnaws around the bottom of the tree trunk until it's standing up by a thread.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose to get ready to push the tree down with all of your strength.
Feel the rough bark against your palms,
Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth and push the tree over.
You and Barry yell out a friendly Timber!
To warn the forest of the falling tree.
It hits the ground with a thud,
Crunching all the leaves beneath it.
Before you and Barry get to work rolling the log over to the stockpile,
Barry hands you an acorn.
For each tree you chop down,
You will plant two more nearby.
Plant your acorn seed in the warm springtime soil and pat it gently to make sure it's snuggled into its new home.
You and Barry stand next to each other on one side of the log with a look and a nod.
You two run and roll the log down to the clearing by the dam and put it into place.
You continue this process,
Chopping down,
Planting,
Rolling,
And stacking up.
Chopping down,
Planting,
Rolling,
And stacking up.
The sun moves all the way through the sky several times.
You and Barry diligently work from sunup to sundown.
Day after day,
Chopping down enough trees,
Planting double what you chop,
And piling up the logs.
When you are finally done,
In what feels like the blink of an eye,
You and Barry sit in the warm sunshine on top of the log pile,
Which is secured with a pulley system made out of tree vines that allows one log to be released at a time when needed so your stockpile doesn't roll right into the river.
You and Barry are so very proud of your work,
Sitting way up high on top of the logs by the dam.
The sun is shining bright,
Warming your skin like a blanket.
To enjoy this much-needed rest and relaxation after so much work,
You and Barry take your slowest,
Deepest breath in through your nose and place your hands over your heart,
One on top of the other.
Feel your heart beat once,
Twice,
Three times,
Each stronger and more able to handle anything life flows your way.
Then,
Slowly,
Breathe out through your mouth,
Letting your chest fall back to its regular size and your body sink into the log that supports your weight effortlessly beneath you and Barry.
Looking up to the clear blue sky,
There are eagles circling closer and closer to the lodge.
They call out to each other to signal where there are more fish to have for lunch.
The flood brings the fish,
And the fish are getting closer and closer.
More fish appear by the day.
Barry points up to the sky.
It's Mr.
Roan.
He's out to lunch as well with the other eagles.
He spirals down in a smooth glide to join you on the top of the log stockpile.
As he lands,
His gigantic wings shade you from the sun momentarily.
Well,
Haven't you been a busy little beaver?
I do have to admit,
This is a mighty nice stockpile of logs.
You two have done great work.
Thank you,
Mr.
Roan.
It was exhausting,
And we had to do it all by ourselves,
But it's done.
And we've done everything we could possibly do for the Hodgepodge Lodge.
And the rest of the forest,
I see.
Oh,
Yeah.
We planted two acorns for every tree we chopped.
I have something else I'd like to show you.
With that,
Mr.
Roan picks both you and Barry gently up with his claws and takes flight.
His gigantic eagle wings seem to carry you effortlessly,
Higher and higher into the sky.
It's exhilarating.
Barry has his arms up like he's on a roller coaster,
Which makes you giggle.
Mr.
Roan flies you in a winding path that takes you along the path of the Honey River and allows you to see the entire forest at once.
Looking down at the forest floor through the sprinkling of treetops,
You can see all the hundreds and hundreds of trees that you and Barry planted.
Barry gasps in awe of all the work you two have done,
Not only for the lodge,
But the whole forest.
Happy little trees have sprouted up,
Strong and tall from the soil.
They are growing quickly,
Ready to be used if needed.
Enjoy the rest of your eagle flight with Barry as reward for a job well done.
Mr.
Roan brings you back to his nest at the top of the tallest tree in the forest.
Where two eggs sat in perfect stillness,
There are now two eagles.
His eggs hatch and have grown into healthy adolescent eagles in the blink of an eye.
Mr.
Roan places you and Barry on a sturdy branch beside the nest and squeezes between you two,
Again wrapping his full wings around you.
You two are some of the bravest,
Most determined creatures I've met in this forest.
I fly overheads all day long and meet many a creature,
So it's saying something when I say what I said.
Because you two have left such an impression on me,
I wanted to introduce you to your namesakes.
These two kiddos were named after you because I hope that they grow up to be as brave,
Determined,
And compassionate as you two are.
You and Barry are honored and shocked.
The eagles themselves don't really notice you,
Though.
They seem very focused on flapping their wings and looking over the side of the nest.
Barry asks Mr.
Roan what they are doing.
They are preparing for the most important and most defining time of their lives.
Your namesake eaglets are standing on the edge of the nest,
Looking down through the branches from the highest of heights.
They each spread their wings as wide as they can and hop up and down.
With each hop,
They pull up their little eagle legs and flap their wings as fast as they can before they land back on the edge of the nest.
They continue to do this over and over without even really acknowledging you.
They are so focused on this seemingly important task.
Barry asks,
What's so important about hopping up and down while flapping their wings?
Mr.
Roan lifts his own wings and raises up a bit to hover just above your hopping eagle namesakes.
He circles around them a couple times as they hop and flap their wings more and more intently.
Now,
Without looking down at all,
They are only looking up with their heads turned toward the sky.
Mr.
Roan's circles get narrower above them as he hovers down closer to them,
Right above their heads.
Then,
All of a sudden,
He swoops both of his wings down and shoves the young eagles right off the edge of the nest.
You and Barry gasp.
The little eagles drop from the nest,
Falling through the branches,
Rustling all the leaves with their frantically flapping wings.
You and Barry watch on in disbelief as they struggle against gravity.
Then,
After what seems like eternity,
Their frantic flapping starts to slow.
They hold their wings out perfectly still to catch the wind.
The eagles then begin to calmly soar on the breeze,
Heading out away from the tree in their nest.
You look over to see that this whole time Mr.
Roan hasn't been looking down to see how they're doing.
His face is turned toward the sky,
Waiting to see his young eagle soaring up among the clouds.
And,
Sure enough,
They do.
Both of your eagle namesakes catch the wind and soar along the breeze.
Then they gracefully push themselves higher and higher into the air until they're circling above Mr.
Roan.
He smiles a big,
Proud eagle smile.
They're fledgling.
It's something all eagles have to figure out how to do if they want to be eagles,
And they just did.
You all watch in amazement as the young eagle soar off into the distance,
Disappearing around the majestic mountains and off to new heights.
Looking out over the mountains in the late afternoon sun,
You notice how much less snow is capped over them.
Suddenly,
A ring cries out throughout the whole forest.
Mr.
Roan points his wing in the direction of the lodge.
You can hear a faint commotion coming from that way.
Was that the emergency bell?
When it rings out for a second time,
Barry is sure of it.
There's an emergency at the Hodge Podge Lodge.
Mr.
Roan scoops you and Barry Beaver up for an eagle flight back to the lodge.
He holds you tightly as he picks up speed by circling in a downward spiral closer and closer to the Honey River below.
A strong gust of wind blows against Mr.
Roan,
And he struggles for a moment to right himself to glide with the wind instead of against it.
The water below has risen considerably since you looked down last.
It's beginning to flood.
Mr.
Roan flaps his wings with all of his strength to fly you and Barry back to the lodge.
He weaves around boulders and over waves of rushing water that splash up off of them out of the river.
Looking below,
As you glide with Mr.
Roan and Barry Beaver,
You can see a gigantic rushing river swelling just behind you.
All of the winter snow has finally melted,
And it's being funneled right through the Honey River.
The creatures of the forest along the banks take cover and protect their homes as best they can.
More and more fish are accumulating in the current.
Schools of them are even visible from the sky.
Barry Beaver is so worried for the Hodge Podge Lodge.
Are there enough logs in the stockpile?
Before you can worry too much,
The river swells even more,
And now you can clearly see you're racing the flood down the river.
Mr.
Roan is focused,
Determined,
And flying as fast as he possibly can.
Just up ahead,
You see the tree trunk bridge you and Barry made.
As you pass over it through the air,
The water below you is stopped by the sturdy tree trunks and boulders used to secure them.
Luckily,
You and Barry Beaver made that bridge.
Who knew it would be used for this purpose?
He looks over to high-five you because that has bought you both some time.
Mr.
Roan speeds up somehow and gets ahead of the flood.
He delivers you back to the lodge,
Dropping you onto the ground right by the stockpile of logs that sit ready and waiting by the dam.
The waters around the Hodge Podge Lodge rose to the highest they've ever seen.
Nearly half of the lodge is submerged underwater.
The beavers of Beaverton couldn't figure out how to release the logs,
Or even what to do with the logs.
This kind of thing has never happened before,
And certainly not during the fun of the fish races.
They were terrified,
So they rang the bell,
Hoping you and Barry Beaver would hear.
Immediately,
You and Barry get to work on your emergency plan.
Barry Beaver unties the vines that hold the stockpile,
And one by one,
They roll down and kick the whole plan into action.
As each log rolls down,
You and Barry maneuver it into place to form a wall of the tallest,
Strongest tree trunks you've found in the forest.
You begin to make a wall of trees as extra fortification around the dam,
Which will reroute the water away from the lodge.
When the beavers of Beaverton realize what you and Barry are doing,
They begin to help without being told what they have to do.
They watch you two intently,
And then follow suit,
Continuing to build out the even stronger wall of trees.
While they do that,
You and Barry start on the other stockpile,
Which will protect the hodgepodge lodge itself.
You do the same thing,
Creating another wall around the lodge that will direct the floodwaters away from the lodge and continue on down the river.
Even the frogs and the fish help as much as they can.
When all 20 stockpiled logs are in place,
There's nothing more you can do.
You and Barry Beaver stand on top of the hodgepodge lodge,
Watching as the flood heads right toward you.
Will all of your preparation be enough?
A rush of water expands the river nearly twice its usual size.
Watch closely as the rushing river approaches the dam,
Fortified with 10 extra tree trunks.
All the beavers did what they could,
Then took cover deep in the forest.
One of the older logs comes loose as soon as it floods and rushes along with the redirected river,
Missing the hodgepodge lodge entirely.
It seems like the plan is working.
Barry Beaver doesn't want to be optimistic yet.
He also doesn't seem to want to move,
Despite the flood approaching.
It gets to and passes the dam with only one log coming loose.
As it splashes and rushes closer and closer,
You get nervous up on top of the hodgepodge lodge.
Even hidden behind the secondary wall of tree trunks.
Suddenly,
Just as you can feel splashes from the thrashing flood,
You also feel yourself being lifted into the air and out of harm's way.
It's the young eagle who was named after you.
The eagles came back to make sure you and Barry Beaver,
Their namesakes,
Were okay,
And they got here just in time.
As they lift you up into the sky,
The flood rushes over and around the lodge,
But does not get through to the barricade of protective tree trunks.
Your plan worked.
Hodgepodge lodge survived the flood.
From high up,
You can also see that Mr.
Roan has gathered his eagle friends,
And they're using all of their strength to hold the logs in place with vines,
To keep them from flowing away with the rushing river.
It was a community effort that came together in the nick of time,
But the lodge is saved.
Barry Beaver is so relieved and so very grateful that you were here to help him,
That Mr.
Roan and the eaglets were here to lift you both up in all the ways they did.
The water level is still higher than usual,
But it's much calmer now after the swell of melted snow has passed,
And the Hodgepodge lodge is better for it.
The beavers of Beaverton come out of their hiding places in the forest,
And Pinky Paw promised never to doubt Barry Beaver again.
Not only will they not doubt him,
But the beavers have formed themselves into committees to ensure the well-being of the lodge.
One group of beavers is the farmers.
They plant two seeds for each tree the lumberjack group of beavers chop down.
There's another group of beavers whose job is to make sure there are at least 20 logs in the stockpile at all times.
They routinely check the vines and the pulleys to make sure everything is in working order in case there's another flood or emergency.
The most adventurous beavers of Beaverton have formed the Snow Watchers Committee.
This is the group that Barry leads.
It's the bravest group of beavers who travel beyond the tree line to assess the snow caps and monitor the water levels to be alert to possible floods.
There are also two subcommittees of fish and frogs.
Since Barry Beaver has accepted that fish and frog friends are here to stay,
Yet another group of beavers are in charge of making the Fish and Frog Fun Park,
Which is an amusement pond just for the fish and the frogs,
Filled to the brim with lily pads to hop on,
Branches to whirl around,
And hollowed-out tree trunks to race through.
The sun is setting over Beaverton and shining its glittering light down onto the Honey River,
Which is now perfectly calm.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose with Barry Beaver.
Hold your breath in your chest for a moment to feel your heart beat once,
Twice,
Three times,
Filled with love for this peaceful place and for all the new friends you've met.
Then,
Slowly,
Breathe a sigh of relief out through your mouth.
You and Barry Beaver built it.
That deserves the highest of fives.
Always remember,
Mrs.
Honey Bee believes in you.
You are special and you are loved.
I can't wait to see you again.
