I dropped the tailgate of my truck at Dry River Campground last summer and reached in to pull out my stuff. I heard a thump and looked up to find a chipmunk doing a trampoline routine on the soft bed cover. It was amusing for a while but, not having my usual many feet of towering advantage (we were now almost eye to eye), I thought it wise to get the little fellow back on the ground. I pulled out a four-foot stick with a hook in one end that I use to drag things out from the front of the truck bed and used it as a plow to move the critter off the truck. Time after time, like some kind of circus chipmunk, the little guy jumped over it. Okay, rodent, try this! I waved the stick up and down as I herded it over to the side. At the last moment, MightyMunk jumped onto the stick and started climbing up toward my hand! I no sooner grabbed the other end when it also reversed and started coming up again! Time to stop fooling around. I vigorously shook the stick and finally got it off but, just as I was about to declare victory, another one ran out from under the truck and jumped onto the stick! Trampoline spotter? Tag team partner? Whatever, the routine started anew. I really hate to put it this way but, for a few very brief moments, I actually had more chipmunks than I could shake a stick at!
I have plenty of chipmunks in my yard. If I am lucky, I see them once a month. Why aren’t the neighbors be so engaging?
