Not the ones outdoors They sleep in the hay bales along the foundation, resting up so they can steal sunflower seeds off the bird feeders.
No, I mean the house chipmunk. I was sitting here at the computer early this afternoon, after a morning of general aggravation. Suddenly Daisy hopped up from where she was sleeping by my feet and darted into the dining room.
I caught just a glimpse of her target.
Something small and dark and scuttle-y.
My first thought was rat. Or mouse. Or something else from the order rodential (class mammalia wouldn't you know.)
It ran into the living room and under the dozens of giant plants I keep there. Daisy was hot on its heels. We moved this and shifted that and cleaned up other clutter, but could only catch tiny glimpses of it. Just enough to know that Tamias Striatus had come to call.
Better than a rat anyhow.
Daisy finally got tired and lost interest. Soon Ralph saw it in the dining room. Good choice. Couple hundred pounds of dog and cat food there. Sunflower seeds. Peanuts. Cracked corn and millet. Yeah, practically perfect.
Daisy is a stinker. It was RIGHT THERE, but when she was done she was done.
We called in Mack. Jack Russell terrier. Born and bred to chase rodents right?
No go; he found and ate two stale potato chips by my chair, ran off with a fair ribbon someone was using as a bookmark, and then widdled on the rug from excitement. What a dog.
And so....I wonder where it is right now....where is it sleeping, waiting to make my life miserable on the morrow when we will need to hunt it down? I wish I knew. I wish it knew that it is supposed to live in deciduous woodlands and not our house. I used to like chipmunks.
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I'm sorry. I'm laughing out loud and handing this to hubby.
Sorry :( I know you're frustrated. But this!
"No go; he found and ate two stale potato chips by my chair, ran off with a fair ribbon someone was using as a bookmark, and then widdled on the rug from excitement. What a dog."
(What great writing. Your challenges - our win :)
My money is on Mack. Thousands of years of JRT selective breeding should not have been for naught. If he doesn't come through call in the barn cats and humiliate him.
LOL!
The chippy is porbably bribing the dogs with some of those dog treats you're storing in the diningroom. And sleeping with the dogs to keep the cats at bay.
I hope he don't decide to crawl in your nice warm bed tonight. It could cause some real excitement if he snuggles up against your leg tonight.
Demon is willing to volunteer his services in the morning. Based on how he treats toy mice I think he can take on Alvin....
Cathy, thanks, I have to laugh myself.....Everybody had a rough day yesterday...well not me so much....but the kids...and I am trying to let them all get a little extra sleep this morning. They were out doing laundry til nearly midnight, mine included. So doesn't the little stinker rattle the bags in the dining room every few minutes? And don't my little doggies go nuts barking at it? Only barking mind you, not biting it into submission. Daisy is a heck of a mouser, but I guess chippies are outside her job description. And Mack would rather bark at my tennis racket. Best weapon I could find.....I am sure we will get it at some point, but for now it keeps creeping out and eating up my peanuts.
Jan, we are discussing bringing Becky's house cats down. There are three, each about the size of Chicago, and they might....might....mind you...go after it. Daisy has just quit. I am wondering if it bit her, because she was all gung ho and now she won't even look at it. And Mack just wants to scavenge. Dagnabbit. lol
Joated, you are quite probably right. Mack is eminently very bribable. The word trade is one of his favorites.
Ellie, oh, what an awful thought! The box elder bugs are bad enough....friendly darned things. When Alan was a tiny baby in a crib next to our bed, a deer mouse climbed right on the boss's face while we were sleeping. Naturally he batted at it and it landed right on the baby. What an uproar! We lived in town then so where the deer mice came from I don't know, but it took several days to catch the two that moved into our bedroom. Now if we can just get chippy....before he finds his way upstairs.
Becky, that option is on the table.
Ya can't make this stuff up . .
And I gotta say . . I feel a little guilty chuckling and hacking (as I clear my flu/infested lungs) as I enjoy your account of this furry little interloper.
Our lives are so danged boring. (I know. I know. You could wish for a little 'boring' :)
Oh! Just read you comment to Ellie. I'll never forget my mother's account of having to swipe a big cockroach off my nephew's face when he was an infant and they were babysitting him in Florida.
I hope you all get some well-deserved rest and that the sun is shining there at Northview.
Cathy, I don't mind a bit that you laugh. If I entertain people, then my job is done. lol The sun is out, the day is calm and warm, the trees are full of early migrants....can't complain. I hope you both feel better real soon. It hung on a long time with us too. Orange juice and ginger ale and lots of rest and comfort.....hang in there.
It just ran up to the dog gate and literally stared right at me. Brazen little bastard!
Cathy we do have some big cockroaches here in Florida. When my dad visited us from Ohio he got up one morning and said I think a mouse was on me last night, I knocked it of but could not find it. I told him no it was just a bug. There are a lot of palmatto bugs that are a lot like the roaches only bigger. They seem at appear on the wall when you have company.
OH MY GOSH this entire feed of commetns is worth reading at this late hour , only trouble is I am laughing so hard sleep is not goign to come for pictureing Chippy, Mack, you and chips and laundry..wow what a wonderful , colorful life, and hey someof the comments here are really good writing too. All of you outgh get togethre with a common thread book of fun ..I mean it...it would be a best seller...do not lose these ocmments they are a hoot, and then yours. Consider to start keeping NOrthview Journal...for the non common folks.. ha ha ha ha ha seriously you are a great writer and your lfie is your manuscript you do not even have to go looking for mateiral. Linda Brown is the same, wonderful, glorious writer.. Blessings and thank you for sharing your wonderful, enchantingly funny, alive LIFE!!---Merrixoxoxoxoxo
Liz, right under my footstool!!! While I was using it!!!
Ellie, sorry to laugh, but my grandma and grandpa moved to Florida for a little while when I was a kid. She hated palmetto bugs with a passion. My folks crafted lovely jewelry by hand back in those days and sent her a brooch made in the shape of a stylized owl.She thought it was a palmetto bug and was mad as heck. Thought they were making fun of her. lol
Merri, thank you. We do live in an interesting world, although sometimes I wouldn't get mad if it calmed down a little around here. Fewer stories, but a little peace and quiet wouldn't go amiss. lol You take care
For some odd reason I missed this post! Thanks for the link!
Linda
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