In the garden, the quiet garden, the chipmunk sleeps tonight. Well, most of them are asleep but Grandad Chipmunk is awake and he is in a grumpy mood. It was probably too many tomatoes nibbled or raspberries ruined but he just can't get to sleep.
Part of the problem is that damned mulch they are spreading all over everything. First it is cypress bark, thick, heavy stinky stuff that is a bother to live with. Now, they have a deep layer of grass cuttings on top of the bark. Yuck! Let them try living in a little hole underground with that mixture all around. And what do they think they are doing with that liquid stuff? It says "Cougar urine" on the bottle. He has never seen a cougar in these parts but the stuff smells exactly like Seven-Up and suspiciously attracts ants.
He knows he ought to get to sleep. The lawns have grown rather tall and every time they do, that damned loud machine comes around, cutting all the grass short again. Nobody can sleep when that happens so he ought to be rested before it does. He can't sleep for worrying. The girls are too damned trusting and the boys are too curious and sure of themselves for their own good. Between the terriers, the eagles, the hawks and the neighborhood cats, life is precarious at best. It will be shorter than needed if the young ones don't learn to watch out. One wonders what the schools are teaching these days. A little critical thinking, a bit more wariness is clearly called for. Quite a few of the neighboring young ones have had their necks broken in traps, or otherwise come to their end, just from being too curious or trusting.
It is a comfort that it is early in the season yet and there is still plenty of time to get enough food stored for winter. The big worry for Grandad right now is rainfall. When will he ever get some?
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
