On the way to the construction site this morning, I was shocked to see an old friend lying dead on the side of Sudbury Road. Bruce, an extremely large male beaver, was a frequent visitor at the River House. When our site supervisor first saw him lounging on the ice he mistook him for a small black bear, which was an easy mistake to make given his massive size. His tail slap was loud enough to make you jump out of your shoes if you were close by and I think he enjoyed the reaction. Even though he did fell a favorite dead tree that was a popular and very photographic bird perch, I was very fond of Bruce and will miss him. When I returned from the site on the way to my annual physical, Bruce was gone. Perhaps animal control had picked him up but I am left to wonder if someone saw the potential for a magnificent beaver fur and seized the opportunity.