chipmunks

My Tiny Friends

| Flower Roberts

There are two chipmunks that stay close to the house. Stubby has a short tail and Flash is fast as lightning. They both were on the deck this morning gathering acorns which constantly fall from the giant oak above. This is what I have referred to as the Magic Tree in past posts.

FLASH


This gorgeous tree has its roots in the septic lines so it has grown three times as fast as its neighbors. It seems to be leaning over the house now. I will stop there.

The Magic Tree full of acorns


Anyway, the acorns are plentiful and noisy. You cannot sit outside without threat of a ping to the head. Many times they bounce and hit the glass doors.  This bounty is a boon for my tiny friends who stuff their jaws full and run to stash their booty.

This is what goes on here as the planes and helicopters fly overhead to help victims of Helene.


Friends around me and helpers overhead.
Life is good.

FLOW

My Little Joy

| Flower Roberts

I am home for the holidays. We are frantically cleaning before our son, the sneezer, arrives.
All dust must be ousted.


I tossed out some dusty items onto the bench outside. I forgot that this is the spot where my little friend sits each morning. I call him “Stubby” because he is missing the end of his tail.

Stubby and the ousted dust.


He has never been frightened by me. I would like to believe he is the baby I rescued from the koi pond.

Chipmunk Rescue

Chipmunk Rescue


These are the things that bring me joy.
I consider them gifts from the Universe.
I hope your holiday brings your heart joy.

FLOW

My Morning Visitor

| Flower Roberts

I look out the front door every time I pass through the foyer from one side of the house to the other. On many a morning I spy my little friend, Chip, sitting on the bench outside. I have tried several times this week to get its photo. It disappears so quickly that sometimes I wonder if I imagine these visits.

I finally got its photo this morning. It is cold. We had frost. My friend moved more slowly than usual.

I am glad to have evidence of these visits because something happened here. I do not know for sure, but I fear some human put out poison. My gardens used to have many little friends darting around as I worked. Some of them got so used to me that they would stop and watch me.

Then one day this summer, they all disappeared. I did not see any for weeks. My neighbor and I discussed this. She would text me to report a sighting. We were relieved to see even one. Now, there are two or three at the most. I know there are at least two because one is very small.

They skitter across my acorn strewn deck filling their cheeks with the best acorns. The little one looks comical with his bulging head and tiny body. I like to think that the small one is the baby I rescued from the fish pond.

I do not put out food. That creates dependency. I do grow plants that provide food for them to forage.

When I see my visitor on the bench, I wonder if it remembers the Ground Cherry ‘Goldie’ that grew in a pot on that very spot for two summers. They would climb the plant and shake down the fruits. I enjoyed watching this trick.

This is one of the joys of gardening, the visitors that come.

FLOW