Israelcraft

Chapter 10 Johannes Draws in Stubbytail’s Notebook

Johannes picked up a handful of skipping stones, put them in his pocket, and followed the arrow. The swinging bridge was long, but looked safe enough. He took the wooden ramp up to the highest point, where the span began. The bridge curved slightly downwards; at the midpoint almost touching the water. It was only wide enough for one person and had rope rails on either side. Under foot wooden planks spanned horizontally, forming a flexible walkway. The river could be seen running below where a plank or two was missing. The river could also be seen between the rope rails. The bridge was, in fact, very exposed on all sides and crossing was a bit of a challenge. However, Johannes was stimulated and inspired by the breeze, the birdsong in the air, and the swan couple exploring the river midway, where the bridge was lowest. He would like to see them close-up.
So he set out cautiously holding both rails, after rearranging his shoulder bag on his back with the strap over one shoulder and across his chest, for better balance.
The planks under his feet were sturdy but there was give in the rope rails. He found a fast pace worked best on the slightly downward slope.
The swans were preparing to perform a mating ritual, very close to the exact spot
Johannes was headed for:  the midpoint, where the bridge was at its lowest;
Johannes witnessed this riveting entertainment from the perfect panarama viewpoint, at the center of the bridge.
bobbing heads and arching necks, and making half circles in the water with quivering wings.
When it was over, he took the incline to the other side more slowly.

An empty boat was tied to a dock by the down ramp. It had room for about twenty. A roof provided shade to half of the deck and doubled as an upper deck, with guard rails, lounge chairs, and viewing binoculars at either end. Johannes intended to try the binoculars. A captain was eating his lunch. Johannes walked past. It might be awhile before the boat filled up.
Up ahead was a grove of trees. As he approached, he could hear a bubbling steam, a rustling in the wind, and the sound of construction. Songbirds were foraging here and there, and collecting nesting material. Two otters were sunbathing on a rocky outcrop. A deer was at the water’s edge. And a beaver was downing and dragging saplings through the water to his building site in the stream. Along the water line three kit beavers were frisking about. Johannes sat down on a boulder. He opened his shoulder bag intending the take out the sandwiches but changed course when he saw Stubbytail’s notebook. He took it, and the pointed drawing tool, out of his bag. He would try drawing in Stubbytail’s notebook.
He opened it up to Stubbytail’s declaration, and turned over another two pages. They were not so thick; he would draw on one side of every other page.
He drew the beaver kits: one of a kit with a frog; another of two overturning a turtle, and a third of them diving among the lily pads. One of the sun bathing otters dove in the stream after a fish, and Johannes sketched him in air. His new drawing tool and eraser simplified his work; and drawing on notebook paper turned out not to be a problem.
Now Johannes was famished and took out his sandwiches. He ate and looked around. One gigantic tree was standing high above the others. He imagined the route he would take to the high, outstanding, branch that looked like it would offer the best view. Hopefully, from there, he would be able to see what was going on back at the dock.
So after he finished his second sandwich he climbed up the way he had imagined, and saw the boat by the dock was no longer empty. He also had a bird’s eye view of the beaver dam. The otters swam under it and disappeared. Johannes had heard of beaver and otters cohabitating, so he wasn’t surprised. He could also see downriver to another swinging bridge and a wider, stable, crossing farther on with vehicles traveling on it in both directions. They seemed to be propelled in the same way as the Animal Rescue wagon.
Upriver, the way he’d come, beyond the dock, a fishing boat was drawing in it’s nets. From the size of the catch, it looked like a great day for fishing.
He descended and set out briskly in the direction of the dock. By the time he arrived, the captain was preparing to set off. Johannes boarded. It was like entering a nursery, but the toys scattered about were nothing like anything he had ever seen, all in primary colors. Two animated young women were passing out snacks. The children were all about the same age; and there was about a dozen of them; so these weren’t their mothers.
As well as what appeared to be a kindergarten on board; there were hikers with knapsacks, and judging by their hats and the field glasses around their necks, a couple of birdwatchers. Johannes took a path skirting the kindergartners, and up the stairs, two at a time, to the upper deck. He made himself comfortable on one of the lounge chairs and arranged his hat to block the sun from his eyes, and closed them. Beaver sketches filled his mind as he dozed off.
The captain, meanwhile, was supplying the refreshments table on the main deck with bottles of water. After that, he walked around the deck, checking that everything was in order. Then he took out an old fashioned megaphone and announced their departure and planned destinations. He welcomed the kindergarteners and mentioned the name of their kindergarten. The children and their caretakers revelled in the unexpected attention. In conclusion, he invited everyone to help themselves to bottles of water, and wished everyone a pleasant journey.
Johannes, who had been woken by the megaphone; listened, with his hat covering his eyes, and his eyes closed, lounging on the lounge chair.
He got up to fetch himself a bottle of water.