Andy alerted me to our little friend Chip sitting on the front step curled up in a little striped ball and trying to stay warm on one of the first cool days of the season. I crept up to the window and stole these photos as this adorable guy surveyed the yard beyond the hydrangeas.
This wasn’t our first guest on the front steps this year, nor will it likely be the last. But this was definitely one of the cutest, and as destructive as vast numbers of chipmunks can be, I don’t have the heart to hate on them in a one-on-one situation.
Besides, these creatures will be scarce come winter, so I’m enjoying them as a lingering symbol of summer, embracing them like I embrace the sun when it has deigned to shine these past few months. They’ve been busy scooping up acorns and nuts, shoring up seeds, and storing their provisions for the long fall ahead.
They also look good in stripes, which is not a look everyone can pull off, so this sight tickles my fancy.
