Tag: Chipmunks

Alone

PazloLeave a comment
Lookout

I knew when I saw them pull out of the driveway in the black truck with that boat following them. They were going to camp. My person did this last year, too, leaving me alone for the weekend.  Okay, so mom was home, but life without my boy is somehow missing something.

Treats, I suppose, are one thing. No Chukchi pops or chicken jerky snacks. No canned chicken dinner. I had to suffer along with hot dogs and hamburgers and some leftover steak.

But there was something more that these days lacked. Hearing my nicknames, Snazzly, Sassy June From Saskatoon. The squealing greetings. And petting. Belly rubs and butt scratches. A long hike.

I guess I never realized how much my person means to me. How much he is part of my daily life. That’s the way of things, isn’t it? Sometimes we don’t know what we have until it’s gone.

One day there were thunderstorms, and I was scared of the noise. I hid in my corner behind the bark-a-lounger, but there was no one there to keep repeating “You’re alright.”

Another day the chipmunks and squirrels were storming the cottonwood trees, but mom doesn’t often move me to “yellow”, my lead on a long run beside the piney woods. Here I can sit at ambush. I had to watch the rodents from my red lead, by the house.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they came home!

I was so excited to see my person I almost turned inside out. I leaped, I turned circles, I whimpered. I ran back and forth as fast as I could and I jumped up on my boy the way he likes it.

I could tell he was pretty glad to see me, too. He hugged me a lot and whispered into my ear.

And there were treats. Chukchi pops and chicken jerky.

I hope he never goes away again.

Wags,

Sasha

Molting Season

Pazlo4 Comments

Yep, summer’s almost here. I can tell by the way my coat is falling out all over. I look like a shaggy mess. Like I got caught in a tornado or something. And my person picks it off constantly. Then there’s the brushes. Sheesh! Next thing I know they’ll be bringing out that green kiddie pool and making me take a bath in it. Boy do I hate baths. Ugh!

The Shed

It’s great to see things greening up. This time of year there’s new stuff every week. Different flowers and shrubs growing, and chipmunks everywhere. We got back to Mr. Nishan’s tool shed on the walk, but whatever was living under there must have moved on to better digs. Or maybe no digs. Maybe they didn’t like my burrowing into their nest.

The lawn must be molting as much as I am, ’cause my person is out there constantly with the giant vacuum cleaner he calls “the mower”. That thing scares me, it’s too loud. Mom’s vacuums are loud enough, but that one is horrible. Maybe that’s why she makes him keep it outside, ’cause I never see him using it in the house. He always warns me so I can go hide in the fort under his bed.

 

Relaxing In The Sun

 

It’s been pretty quiet around the ranch, aside from the mower, and I must admit I am enjoying the mild weather and pleasant sunshine.  Also my person is out even more than he is in the winter, what with the constant work of a molting dog and molting lawn at the same time, plus cleaning up brush piles. And cooking many yummy things on the little black stove in the cabana! He tries not to bother the little bird in the moss-carpeted nest.

Moss Nest Guest
A Little Privacy?
Getting The Hairy Eyeball

 

In fact, maybe he’ll tire himself out so much he can stop nagging me with that brush. I think a lot of the hair on the chair comes from the cat. I think she gets up there when I’m out and just rolls around on my chair with glee, and laughs when she hears Mom caterwauling about the mess.

Wait…what’s that?

 

What Is That?

Oh no! The green pool!

 

Clear trails,

Sasha

 

 

Litters Of Critters

PazloLeave a comment

Here we go again, with spring birthing season. The birds are crazy these days. It seems like every kind of bird I’ve ever seen is in the yard now, and they’re all building nests, sitting on them, or fetching food for hatchlings. The noise and mess is everywhere, and you don’t see a bird flying without something in its mouth, either a stick or piece of grass or a bug or a mouse.

There’s these little darting birds that built the cutest nest in the rafters of the cabana. It’s way up about five times my height so I can’t see if there are eggs or baby birds in there. This nest is the best ever! It’s built out of sticks and dirt and spit like most nests, but then the outside is carpeted! They get green moss and put it all over the outside of the nest. It makes a great camouflage!

 

New Brood
Ground Nester
Early Bird
Nest Prep
Courting
Island Life

There are a lot of rabbit babies this time of year. And it seems like there’s more pine squirrels and chipmunks, but I never see them as babies. Or maybe they’re born that big and never grow. Poor things. Wait, what am I saying? A chipmunk as big as a dog would be my worst nightmare! Then again, they could chew some big holes into the house if I let them, (and frankly what choice would I have if they’re as big as me?) then I could sneak into the house through their hole, and I wouldn’t need to wait for a person to open the door when it’s rainy and windy!

Red Fox Kits
Learning To Stand
Doe And Twins
Study In Black And White
Mother
Shh

 

Birds I get. The animals I get. What I don’t get is the trees. They’re doing crazy mating things, too. Turning all kinds of colors, like turkeys do to lure mates. And some even have little furry kittens growing right on their branches. But I never see the baby trees running around. In fact, I never see trees moving, now that I think of it. How did they get everywhere? Maybe they only move at night?

 

Tree Kittens

 

On our hike I smelled something as we passed Mr. Nishan’s tool shed. Something made a nest under there. A weasel or a skunk, I bet. Or a dragon. I was told there’s a dragon in the cellar, maybe that’s why I’m not supposed to go down there. (I didn’t see it the time I got in there, and was told it was on vacation at the time and I was lucky to escape with my life!) Well, skunk or dragon, I wanted to have a better look, but couldn’t fit under the shed, so I had to dig my way in. I tried at one point to chew through the wood siding or move the shed with my teeth. Even my person tried, but said it was too heavy to pick up. I finally got under there, but then it was too dark to see anything. It smelled good though, and given another few hours I could have dug out the whole underside of the shed. I got called out, finally, and we had to go in, but I’ll work on it more next time.

It’s right here
A little digging
Maybe I can chew it
Hm. Pretty tight
More digging
Maybe I can squeeze in
Let’s get serious
Almost!
Last excavation
I’m in!
Now, how to get out…

 

A couple weeks ago we had five inches of snow on the trees with little leaf buds. It broke a lot of them, and we have now three places on the trails blocked by downed trees. I’m glad the trees are making more now. The world would look terrible without trees, wouldn’t it?

 

Clear trails!

Sasha