Muskrat Love

A few weeks ago on my morning watch I saw a muskrat in the small mudflat next to the road. There was a small pool of water left by recent rains and about a ten foot wide area of cattail reeds, standing about four to eight feet tall each. The red-wing blackbirds had just about finished there nesting cycle in those reeds but other than the blackbirds and the barn swallows that swooped low snagging bugs from the air I had never seen another creature in that area.

I watched the muskrat swim across the small pool of water and waddle into the tall reeds. She stopped at numerous reeds, smelling them, touching them with her paws, very much the way someone might pick out produce at the grocery store, especially if they were very particular about exactly the ripe apple they wanted.

Once she had selected the reed she wanted, she chewed it off at the base. Then she dragged the reed back through a winding path until she reached the pool of water. Once at the water, she washed the ends of the reed and herself, clearing off the mud.

Once it was cleaned to her satisfaction, she dragged it into the water and then disappeared.

A few minutes later she reappeared from the water and repeated the process. I noticed she was careful not to select reeds from an area she had already taken one from, in much the way sustainable foresting would select trees to thin but not devastate an area.

Each trip involved careful selection, cutting down the reed, dragging it to the water, washing it off and then dragging it underwater. This went on for at least a half an hour and I saw here take 5 reeds. Most of the reeds were long, but the last one I saw her take was very short.

A friend who knows such things told me they use the reeds in building their lodge, perhaps as a soft flooring. Since I witnessed this, I have thought a lot about how carefully the muskrat was preparing her home to be a safe, warm, dry place of refuge. It has me thinking about the ways in which we can carefully prepare our own homes - both our physical dwellings and our emotional “home” - to be safe, warm, dry places of refuge.

Over the past pandemic year, I’ve thought a lot about what it takes to feel safe and what it means to feel at home in my own space. One of the most important parts is taking the time to care for ourselves with love and kindness. The experience has given me a new meaning for the term “muskrat love”.

What kind of things do you do to create a safe, loving home for yourself?