The pond 

By Kathy Brown & Nico Brown

The beautiful sight of the leaves turning and the air starting to get cooler means that fall is coming. The beauty of fall also means deer hunting is right around the corner. My family all gathered together in Antigo, Wi. Ready for another deer hunting season. 

Everyone is preparing for the cold days ahead packing blaze orange and much more. Driving up while everyone is heading north for the week-long hunt. Everyone in my family gathered at our cabin. Greeting uncles, cousins, and friends that I hadn't seen since last year's hunt. 

After we were all settled in, my uncle started preparing dinner. Most of us went to bed early preparing for the next morning. My dad and I are always the first two up. We got up early and started getting ready. By the time 5:30 came around me and my dad wanted to drive over and get out there sooner than the rest. 

My dad and I walk in together until he reaches his stand then I have to keep going for a while. The pitch black morning with a cold chill in the air, every noise you hear is disturbing. I finally reach my stand but can barely see it with the pitch-black sky.

As I awaited the sunrise. All I heard were loud cracking noises. Which is scary while I sit alone with no one around. I figured it was just a tree or something and I would have a look a little later in the afternoon. 

Several hours passed and I decided to walk around and look. I heard the noise from behind me so that's where I went. I wandered through the woods for maybe five minutes. Then I couldn't believe my eyes. 

It looked like a frozen pond that I'd never seen before. It was an incredible sight with the trees in the background and the sun shining off the ice. It looked like the pond was two feet off the ground in spots. I  was amazed. As I saw it more I realized it must have been beavers. 

It never stops amazing me at the sight of this. Being able to walk up to it and stand on the frozen ice is incredible. It amazes me how small animals can create something as astonishing as they did.