The Creek Expansion Project
After the Moving Day Project, Steve came to the realization that no matter who you are or how small you are, you can still make a difference if you can get the community to work together. He had gained such self-confidence and self-respect. He felt… empowered.
He was out in the T-Bone’s Place area, getting around to all the residents and creating relationships with them, as well as getting a grip on things around there that need attention.
The common consensus was that with the population at T-Bone’s Place increasing, the gathering location at the creek didn’t have enough area at a useful water depth to accommodate everyone during peak usage hours.
Steve wound up down at the beavers’ house. The matriarch and patriarch of the family, Jimi Lou and Carl, were very fond of Steve. After being fed until he was stuffed, Steve began inquiring with the two concerning his ideas to improve the creek common area.
Years before, the beaver family had built a dam and backed the creek up, flooding T-Bone’s Place. The resident humans at T-Bone’s blew up the dam to save the neighborhood. It upset the beaver family, but Arthur helped the family find a branch of the creek they could dam up without being so destructive. The family was so appreciative of Arthur’s help that they told him if there was anything they could ever help with, to come see them.
The two were all on board with Steve’s mission.
The next day, Steve got with the residents of T-Bone’s Place and informed them of the work he had done the prior day. The beaver family, as a trustworthy engineering family, even if the task was a little unorthodox, stood by what they had told Arthur years before.
Steve, with the engineering expertise of Jimi Lou and Carl, had engineered a low dam to raise the water level. He had spent the morning with Arthur and his brothers explaining the plan. All four of the brothers were impressed, and in agreement that it was a good idea.
But the creek was going to need to be diverted around the area needing attention.
Steve wasn’t unprepared. He had already spoken with the armadillo couple, Peggy Sue and Biff, and gotten them to agree to excavate an alternate route for the creek while the area was under construction.
All was resolved except for the supplies. The beaver family would supply the mud and branches for the pre-dam to divert the creek and the same for the low dam that was the main topic. They needed a more substantial media that would make the dam low maintenance and cosmetically pleasing.
The media that seemed most logical for all involved was small rocks and pebbles.
The four brothers and Steve went to see Cranford, for help with the clerical end of things.
After discussing the plan, Cranford was all on board, seeing as he was quite a large bird and wasn’t always able to get a good bath. He put together a media collection project. It was like a petition for all who used the creek; from that day forward until the rock and pebble pile got large enough to cover both sides of the dam, everyone who visited the creek would have to bring a rock or pebble with them and place it on the pile with each visit.
The next day Steve brought the first rock to begin the media pile.
No one at T-Bone’s Place was really held accountable for their cooperation with the project. Some days they couldn’t find rocks and some days they might find two.
The human residents in the area were scratching their heads, wondering where their driveway gravel was going.
After a bit, the humans had more gravel brought out and put down, and the locals responded with, “Hey, looks like the humans are working with us.”
Steve was never able to convince them that he had not created a pact with the humans to do their part in the project. The community thought he could sell acorns to the oak trees, and they made the carnivores aware that eating Steve wasn’t the, “love your brother” type behavior.
The project had been approved, and all were on board.
