Sunday, December 28, 2008

In winter, I get up at night,
and dress by yellow candle light...
Robert Louis Stevenson
***
Granny J of Walking Prescott, mentioned a raccoon on her porch digging through her woodpile, where her little chipmunk lives. I woke up this morning wondering if raccoons commonly prey on those cunning little creatures as they sleep the winter away. Not a nice thought, but still, one that led me to think of the pet chipmunk I had as a child.
I was ten or eleven and we were living in the tiny house that my Mom and Aunt had remodeled here in Prescott, when one day, I found the cat playing with a little creature that turned out to be a chipmunk so tiny that it's eyes were still closed. I snatched it away to wrap it up in a wash cloth, knowing it needed to be kept warm. My Mom rigged a box with a light as an incubator, we took turns feeding it milk with an eye dropper and miraculously, the little thing lived.
I can't remember what we named the busy little creature, something inane like Chip I think. It had the run of the house and helped itself to pinon nuts and sunflower seeds from high, open cupboard shelves. Pinion nuts were not the expensive commodity they are now. They were available by the pound in little markets around town and there was always a little paper bag open for him next to an open bag of sunflower seeds. He would climb up into the cupboard filling his cheeks with pinons in the shell or sunflower seeds that he preferred to shell before scampering down to run around poking them into every available nook and cranny, every crack and fold throughout the house.
He loved to store his provisions in my tightly braided hair and took full advantage of easy accessibility when I was stretched out reading. (I think I had gone to sleep here motivating the picture taking. I still go to sleep in that position, wake to read a little more, and doze off again)
Up he would climb, running up to my shoulder to store his food in my hair, then away to refill his cheeks for a repeat performance.

When autumn came, little Chip disappeared. We looked everywhere, going through every drawer and cupboard in vain. We deduced that he'd somehow found his way outside and couldn't get back in, or as enchanted by the world as Mole in The Wind and the Willows, ventured off to see more. We missed his bright, busy little presence as winter bore down.
Imagine our delight when my Aunt pulled a heavy winter robe from the back of her closet to find a hibernating chipmunk curled up in a nest of Kleenex in the pocket. Carefully, she hung the robe back and we waited for spring when the little fellow reappeared as busy as ever and very ,very hungry.
The next year, he really did disappear in the fall and although we waited hopefully for spring, we never saw him again.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chipmunks are neat. Most live about 4 - 6 feet under ground all year long where they have their bedrooms, toilet, and food pantry. We have several families here and they always disappear in the fall when it first starts to get cold. They don't hibernate like bears but are fully awake but in a kind of limbo. I like them a lot and usually take hundreds of photos of them each year.

Helen/Spike and Drusilla OK Citizens said...

What a great memory. I love the old picture of you. Hiding his food in your hair for easy accessibility is great!

*~*Pooja*~* said...

I love the way you write! :) and the picture is so cute!!

Changes in the wind said...

What a great experience to have had a pet chipmunk...thanks for sharing.

Shammickite said...

What a nice story! I didn't realise that a chipmunk would actually allow himself to be tamed and live in a house with people. I had a couple of them in my back yard 2 summers ago, but none last year, I wonder where they went.

Linda G. said...

OML, thanks for telling me about the hiberation. Interesting!
We have had one chipmunk here in the 26 years we've lived here. Too far from the bouldery habitat they prefer, I guess.

Thanks, Helen..it was a happy time in my life:)

Thanks, Pooja! I'll be over to visit you soon:)

Changes, 'twas fun:)

Sham, we'd raised him from such a tiny baby that all he knew was us and the house..
I'm afraid that cats do away with many of these little creatures..I hope yours just moved into the woods..

Jan said...

Well, doggone it, She..you must think I never bother much to comment, but I do!

I was the third one to comment on this post, but I see that it didn't publish, for some reason.

What I said was that I, too, loved the picture of you..and that you have the most interesting stories to tell, and that I enjoy, so much, reading them!

So there! LOL

I guess I should hang around each time, just to make sure that my comments publish..maybe, I am making typos in the verification word.

I shall try to be more careful! :)

Gypsy Butterfly said...

Hello Linda,
I hope your holidays are going well. I'm just dropping by to wish you a great upcoming New Year!
Lydia

Linda G. said...

Thanks Jan:) That samd thing has happened to me..many times actually!
I seem to want to tell the old stories..

Hi Lydia! Thank you so much, and a wonderfully Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to You too!

Anonymous said...

You just missed seeing the large image.

There is a word, "Here" in the last sentence and it is the last word in that sentence. Click on that to see the larger view.

photowannabe said...

Oh my, what a delightful story about you. That is one ingenious chippie to use your braids for storage.
Just wanted to wish you a very Happy New Year and more Happy Blogging too.

Linda G. said...

Abe, thanks..I'll check it out!

Photo, thanks you! And a Happy New Year to you and yours!

GEM said...

I love to watch the chipmunks scamper about the yard at both my PA and NJ homes! Have a wonderful, healthy, wealthy and Happy New Year.

Gem