cover

.copyright

AUTHORED – PRINTED – PUBLISHED
IN UNITED STATES of America

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording, save as: or otherwise, without the prior permission of /from:

SQUARE CIRCLE PUBLISHING COMPANY

406 FEMRITE DRIVE – STE: E

MONONA, WI –53716

 

Copyright © – 2000 – 2012 — Square Circle

Publishing – Print edition – All rights reserved

§

Copyright © – 2012 — Square Circle Publishing

 – 1st eBook edition – All rights reserved

 

.dedication

 

.preface

This author has been surrounded and involved with type composition for many years. One picture is worth 1,000 words.

Enjoy 70+ colored photos.

Tamias striatus have 2 breeding seasons.

This is quite unusual among sciurids.

They do not form monogamous pairs.

Lustful males surfacing in March or April call on female burrows only to be bitten and chased away until the female is ready.

Females are in estrus for 3-10 days.

The couple will nuzzle and play, lounge and squeak together for hours before and after mating.

After that, the relationship is over.

The gestation period is 31 days and the usual litter size is 4 to 5, although litters as large as 9 have been found.

Young Chipmunks do not appear above ground for 6 weeks after they are born.

The noisy chatter heard in the forests peaking for a week in June and another in September is the result of mother chipmunks driving their six to eight week old youngsters off on their own.

Both male and female Chipmunks reach sexual maturity at about 1 year old.

.prologue

“quality entertainment, education, scientific and professional content”

You are holding the only book I could locate about “trials, tribulations and daily life happenings explained in detail, not just for one day, week or year.
How about two generations!

This author has been surrounded and involved with type setting for many years.

One picture is worth 1,000 words.
Enjoy 70+ colored photos.

• Excel [.xls] tables [computer]
(3) with answers: Application – everyday Math [Arithmetic] —
Grades 5 – 9

A most entertaining and informative book for Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Moms, Dads and Children over age 5 plus other Children under the age of 85 years old.

This book is written by a person that captured [14 years / 500+] color photos of various antics, habits and happenings. Following pages depict 75+ photos and text what he has observed.

This author includes a smattering of technical information about mating, gestation, life expectancy, territories, etc.

These chipmunks that I talk about are not in a confined environment.
Just plain ol’ outdoor type “chips.”

You will definitely laugh. You might cry. You will moan and groan and roll your eyes but you won’t stop reading it!

You'll get the inside scoop . . .
surviving . . . 240 inches . . .
under the earth surface.

This book could quite possibly have a positive impact on the life of anyone who reads it.

§         §         §         §

. . . . more clips . . . .

March 3 . . . I took another look-see outside

WHOA! [stop! (used especially to horses)]

I have to explain something about what to expect . . .

 . . . if you’re going to put dirt into your mouth

 . . . not at all compatible

. . . “chip-kabobs” . . .

 . . . when the corn pickin’ is this good

 . . . grab you by your ankles . . . shaking you up-side-down

WHOA! Never saw some of these things before

 . . . crush any one of us in a New York second

 . . . don’t taste like ice or snow and aren’t even cold

 . . . 302,940 sunflower seeds

 . . . find the cereal box section and make a stack

 . . . 34,768 kernels of corn

 . . . drop kick me . . . . . ‘thru goal posts of life

 . . . “dent” in the . . . is a signal

 . . . 278,144 feet . . . traveled

Not bad for ½” long . . .

Thousands of persons sitting in. . . seats

ZIP! Half the FUR from my tail – like a . . . . in whirl wind

. . . Dad asked `Chelle why she didn’t . . .

Oh Happy Days!

. . . blaze orange deer hunting . . .

. . . co-exist (get along) better with . . .

.toc      v50108127448

. . . it’s tough above and below earth
. . . junior’s first trip to the roof
          wasn't sure if I was going to be
             included in this book . . .
. . . taste buds get a treat?
tbl1
. . . 302,940 sunflower seeds
. . . rainy day survival — late fall
         cinnamon bread . . .for ?
. . . other activities at this resort
. . . chickadees never leave
tbl2
. . . 34,768 kernels of corn?
          what happened to them
. . . 100 bushels = approx.
toc2
        7,280,000 million  30
kernels?
. . . heart of corn kernel?
. . . dents in corn kernels?
          kernels also have heart
tbl3
. . . 278,144 feet traveled?
. . . what equals 300
. . . sewer pipes?
. . . things get settled down,
         once more
. . . daily siesta time  40
. . . another new kid on the block
          ZIP — chewed first batch off
. . . the curse of cemetery bandits
. . . to shell or not to shell
. . . Results for `Chelle are
          six ? versus 18 ?
. . . occasional visitors to resort
. . . blue jay feathers are not BLUE
. . . sure is cold today 
. . . gettin’ deeper by the minute
          got ourselves into!
. . . hunted versus hunter
          (steak cubes) on a stick

Hi !

I’m on top a bird feeder in Wisconsin.

I found some tidbits up here that taste like – ?

Not sure yet.

The following pages depict & document with fine detailed pictures and attached notes plus many words describing what
REAL CHIPMUNK SURVIVAL
is about.

 

There were round things like marbles on this bird feeder in Wisconin. Color is brown. [we chips don’t distinguish color very well . . . only gray scale – chart in Chapter 3].

Had no idea what these things were or tasted like.

S-o-o-o I gave each one a tongue lick.
Not bad. Smell test next – intriguingly good!

Chew test next– WOW! — I struck gold. GREAT!

My tongue, teeth, eyes, feet, ears and sniffer never failed me before.

Stuffed two brown balls, [I’ll tell U about them later], into my mouth – one in each cheek pouch. Grabbed a peanut – what you see hanging from my front teeth, then off to my burrow.

We chips use both cheek pouches to carry sand and dirt up from 20 ft± deep burrow tunnels we dig underground [create burrows] plus use mouth pouches to carry goodies (food) back down for storage in our burrow.

Many different things are eaten during cold winters when we are inactive, sluggish and dormant – like hibernating.

However, we don’t really hibernate. [deep sleep] like bears that crawl into a “den” about December and don’t usually come above ground level until March of next year.]

Our body temperature and heartbeat rate decrease. We wake every few days to eat stored food items and defecate.

That’s when it happened.

A very bright flash of light from inside the building, rite into my face, got my attention.

I froze for a second, jumped onto a maple tree behind me, then down a “cane fishing pole” to ground level.

Flew across blacktop drive without looking both ways – I could have been squashed like an ant by one of those things that have s four large doughnuts [tires] I see using this lot.

I did a belly flop into my burrow entrance.

Once inside the tunnel it took me 1.5 seconds – down another 25 feet to storage area where I emptied my pouches and peanut from my front teeth – all the while thinking how lucky I am to be alive.

I’ve seen lightning flash across the sky while sitting on the log pile during bad weather but never anything this close to me.

I can jump from the feeder roof to the windowsill.

That’s how close it was!

This gray, whatever you call it that I was staring at had a large black round circle and glass in the center was larger than a Silver Dollar, which measures 1.5”. [black circle = 2” across]

See camera: End Page     
Return link exists @  End Page destination – returning to this location.
Just a click will do it. Enjoy.

Also there was this long cube that is thick as a caramel from top to bottom and as long as 1”. The flash of light came from there.

Next day I lurked around back of parking lot watching other kinfolk [grandparents, relatives, kids] climb up to bird feeder roof, grab some goodies and haul them off to their under ground burrows.

I didn’t see any flash of light while other kinfolk were on the bird feeder roof.

Could be my eyesight is failing me.

I saw resort owner standing in open window clicking that box with the big black circle on the front. [resort owner had tape over light]

Third day I got enough courage to try that “fast food” station on the feeder roof once again. It worked just fine.

No flashing light until about noon time . . . then it happened, three times.

It didn’t seem to bother me at all. I just kept on stuffing goodies into my cheek pouches and hauling them to my burrow.

I'm the best looking and smartest chipmunk that has come down the road – ever!

We, all us chips, have this person who somehow balances while walking on two long sticks [people legs] with big flat things [shoes] on the bottom of the sticks that could crush any one of us in a New York second.

I don’t know how or where he learned what we chips like to eat.

He keeps hanging out the lower back window of this building – pointing whatever U call this gadget at us that spits out quick flashes of lightning.

First time I saw it happen, it almost looked like the end of the world was happening.

The back property lot line of this building is attached to Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona, Wi.

There is a cleverly designed feeder plus “corn ear” holder. [chain and spring that holds ears of corn + sometimes a jar that has all kinds of seeds inside].

The bird feeder is directly outside a window within reach.

This “stilt walker” opens the window, leans out and places “treats” onto feeder roof plus another feeding area under the main roof.

I’ve lived here a few years now. First winter, 1998, wasn’t bad for us chipmunks. Normal Wisconsin snowfall depth = 48”.

The winter of December 2000 had more snow than anyone wanted to shovel.

The month of December had 11 snow storms totaling 48”. I stuck my nose out of my burrow for just a few seconds one day.

What I saw? Very deep Snow.
REALY deep, fluffy and dry.

Three storms were very wet. The resort Mgr. [one that walks on stilts] was pretty busy clearing snow and ice from side walk in front of building.

March 3^rd, 2001 I took another look-see outside my burrow. WOW! There was 17” more of white stuff on the ground.  CREATE LINK..

BINGO…13

In 5 seconds, [blink your eyes real fast – 5 times] I saw enough snow to last me for a long time.

Immediately I went "down under" [that means down a 25 ft. deep tunnel] slept and ate until the first week of March 22^nd 2001.

I did another look see above tunnel entrance.

Winter wasn't done “snowing.” We still had places that were frozen with ice.

I went "down under" for a few more days.

March 31^st weather wasn't much better. There were places still frozen with ice.

Next day I sat in the sun on this special log, which is out of the wind. I grabbed a couple peanuts to chew on.

Also went sliding around on small ice rinks [frozen water puddles] in parking lot. Few days later we had water puddles all over the blacktop parking lot.

That means it’s getting warmer during daytime.

Tried lapping [drink water with my tongue] however the water didn’t taste good at all.

Like small chunks of white stuff were in the water. [stilt walking person with flashing light box flips salt onto ice/snow]

Salt melts snow and ice so these big boxy looking things . . . with round donuts [vehicles] don’t get stuck in snow or slide around on ice.

We chips go under ground from October – November of one year to March – April of the next year.

Chips are called rodents.

bingo 8…

[see Wikipedia “chipmunks”]
Rodents

Getting thirsty for clean water, we chips climbed 70 foot high Jack Pine Trees.

That’s a long way up for our short 1/2” legs. Tree bows Tree Bows and pine needles collect falling snow. Nine of these trees are growing behind the building where bird feeder and our burrows exist.

All of us chips ate mouthfuls of fluffy white stuff [snow] from tree branches. Taste was scrumptious. [yummy,fresh]

Every flake untouched by human processes called chlorination, filtration or purification. No chemicals, purifiers or chlorine. Not even a charcoal or silica sand filter system.

[Under 7 yrs. old? Ask your parents to explain — and if U DO know what chlorination, purification or charcoal and other processes do – Ur’ a very smart kid. Keep up the learning process.

It took several rain storms to wash the parking lot clean from the winter salt taste to get washed away.

Nature has a way of providing for us chips. The rains washed all the snow and ice from limbs of the pine trees and also washed the parking lot clean of salt. No more climbing trees for a drink.

Got our drinks of water from puddles the rains left for us on the blacktop.

Near as I can figure I’m the 5th generation of chipmunks that's been in this area. About 6 of us are living at this resort. The food is plentiful. We never know what this flashing light box operator is going to put on top the bird feeder for us to “taste test.” Some of the stuff he sets out is a big fat zero (0).

Generally he knows what we like. Sure beats trying to find food for winter time.

So many different things we’ve never seen or tasted before show up – like magic.

It’s like we’re doing science research experiments for him.

Hey! We’re beggars that can’t be choosey.

 

The other thing that we chips have going for us at this resort is 3 oak trees out front of these 2 buildings.

The trees are more than 100 years old, are 65 foot tall monsters.

These trees are referred to as "Burr Oaks."

bingo 8….. oak trees…

All About Burrrrr Oak Trees

Acorns that drop down each summer (August) are unpredictable where they will land.

One hit me on the back the other day. Acorns are not that heavy, however when it drops from 50 or more feet from up in the air, lands on ur’ back, you know you got hit with something.

The black top drive under the trees is loaded with acorns. We grab one in each cheek and head off to our store room – 30 plus ft. below the earth.

 

. . .it’s tough above and below earth

I have to explain something about what to expect down under the ground. There are NOT, NONE, NADA NO lights down here.

Yup, that's right. The electric company said our money wasn't ANY good.

We usually pay in acorns, corn kernels or marshmallows.

Electric company didn’t want any part of this burrow installation.

Here's a test to do. Go into a NO window closet. Close the door. Turn off lights.
Push rug or towel against bottom of door.
What do you see!

Now you know what it's like for chipmunks 15 ft. to 30 ft. under ground.

 

We start constructing a burrow by digging a tunnel approximately at 22° to 32° angle from earth flat surface (kids, ask your parents for help with angles) down in the ground.

 

Two (2) cheek pouches of dirt at a time. Then it’s up to earth surface to spread the dirt around; away from our entrance and back down for another load. (mouth full– cheek pouches)

[kids, don’t ask about angles… see below]

Below the ground surface we might create 4 to 8 tunnels for entry and exits. We have to be careful where we dig these tunnels and burrows.

 

If we don't look around at the terrain [ask parents] on top the ground we could end up by flooding our own burrows.

That's why we chips are all considered professional engineers.

Another reason we have many exits is the same reason that people buildings on earth have emergency fire exits. It’s to exit [get out] of the building in emergencies. [ask parents]

In our world you never know when a snake or fox would like steak for lunch. [that means they eat us]

 

This entrance tunnel will go down into the ground for approximately 20 to 30 feet. The size of the opening is from 1½" to 2¾". (size of opening in small jar of salsa) Our burros are under the freeze line.

In winter the freeze level reaches from ground surface down for 6 to 8 feet in the Midwest area.

We don't go into a deep sleep like bears do.
It's like a series of 1 or 2 hour naps. [sleep time in middle of day]

We get up and have some eats. Maybe run up one of the tunnels for a quick look at the real world and then down again for more sleep.

If it's not freezing cold and the sun is out we might stay outside for 15 to 20 minutes sitting on the end of a log chunk of wood and collect rays of sun.

We dig tunnels near wood piles if available. For sure we always have two tunnel entrances or more plus many exits under a wood pile if available.

That way when we're in danger of being chased we head for the wood pile and disappear between logs. It takes awhile.

We work our way thru the stacked logs to our tunnel opening and disappeared 30 plus feet under the ground.

We start constructing a burrow by digging a tunnel at approximately a 30° angle (kids, ask your parents for help about the angle) down in the ground.

Fill our mouth full of dirt, crawl up the tunnel to earth surface.
We then spread the dirt at least 15 ft. from entrance (we don’t want to draw attention to burrow entrance) then back down for another load (fill pouches again).

We also have to eat to keep our energy for all this digging.
So you see, our days are quite busy.

Kids – if you’re going to put dirt into your mouth to do the taste test, don’t do it when people –
[grand parents, parents . . . nosy neighbors, anyone twice your size are lurking in the area.]

They go spastic, bizarre, weird, semi ballistic, start waving their arms, making loud noises, jump up and grab you by your ankles
and START shaking you up-side-down like a salt shaker while spewing out words you never heard before —plus babbling – declaring:

“you could die from eating dirt.”

I’ve seen it happen.

p.s. this author has eaten a ton of dirt . . . along with carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, melons, field corn pulled out of a dirt -
cow-poo mixture – over many years
and he ain’t died yet!

We chips also have to constantly store and eat food in order to maintain our energy. We’re continually running, storing food and digging new tunnels.

We’re not nocturnal. [ask parent]

Remember . . . “Hooty” the owl sits in a tall 70 ft. pine tree from about “midnight” ‘till 0300 hrs. [midnight to 3 a.m. – early morning] just waiting for something to stir or move briskly.

We know Hooty is out there. We hear the ‘hooting’ sound every few minutes.

We chips are NOT volunteering to be Hooty s next “chip kabob” snagged with a sharp claw.

It's most difficult for people to find our tunnel entrances. Sometimes we place rocks and leaves over openings. If we have a chance we create our tunnel entry holes under wood piles.

Sometimes we place rocks and leaves over openings.

Under 3 or 4 stones. [see yellow circle - above] is an entrance to a chipmunk burrow.

Compare peanut [red arrows] to the size of stones [white arrows] that chipmunks can move/push.

They get behind them and push with their nose and head.

There are six of us chips living in separate burrows at this resort. The food is plentiful and good.

We never know what this person with the flashing light box is going to put on top the bird feeder for us to taste test next.

Some of the stuff he sets out, [experiments of his], get a big fat zero (0).

We chipmunks tend to be very territorial. (that means we like our own space.

Kids like their own room and so do parents.)

If Ma chipmunk has babies in late summer they might be allowed to winter with mother chipmunk.

Create your own feeding station:
Materials =:
6” length of “S” chain
1 spring – 3/16” dia. x 1.5” long.
Follow below instructions.

Attach 1 end of chain to end of spring.
Hook other free end of spring to equal length of chain. 1.5” from end of chain.

Attach free chain end to feeder with screw.

Close-up of “contraption” holding corn cob
Remove a line of kernels FROM AROUND EAR OF CORN for spring.

Normally we encourage our early summer births to leave the burrow and create their own burrows, (dig a burrow of their own) store their foods etc.

The mother and father chipmunk are not at all compatible.
In fact when the young are born and begin to forage for food the male will attempt to drive them from his space that has a food source such as a bird feeder roof.

Both male and female are very territorial.

Another chipmunk invades their space and the chase begins – plus squealing and biting until one of them decides they’ve had enough.

Resort owner created a corral out of one inch mesh wire fence.
Shaped like an up-side-down U.

           

Things were going along well . . . until one nite . . . one member of below group got inside the corral . . . and didnt have sense enough to figure out how to find one of the two exits!

Mr. “SKUNK” started across the yard with  on his backside.

Eventually it fell off.

Three ft. long with two 6” high sides
both ends open.
Toss sunflower seeds or corn kernels onto ground around this corral. Some go to left or center into wire corral or to the right side.

Now, when three chips gather seeds at the same time, one on left side of coral, one in side – center, one on right side they are separated with three foot long wire mesh fence to navigate around.

Before one chip starts after another chip, it has to reach end of corral opening before contact occurs.

Eliminates a lot of squealing and bite marks.

Wolves, Fox, Geese and Pigeons are different. Once they mate both the male and female put forth an effort to raise the offspring.

§    §    §

Most pictures appearing in this book revolve around a bird feeder just outside a window in back of where resort owner’s computer is. The resort owner can look into the computer screen and see a reflection of the roof on the bird feeder. (like the rear view mirror on a motor vehicle.)

September of 2000 I was getting’ acquainted to this person with the flashing light box.

He was testing me as much as I was testing him.

Resort owner appeared trustworthy. Never makes any threatening moves. That’s a green light to go for the kernels.

Believe it or not, you can get to know people by their voice. This resort owner talks in same low voice all the time.

That’s me on the roof and son Chip Jr. is below.

About three months old.

I knew he was down there but I have to tell you, when corn kernel pickin’ is this good, I stuff like chasing the kid from my territory.

I filled my cheeks with 23 kernels, then disappeared down under into my burrow.

. . . junior’s first trip to the roof

I`m Chip JR. Born in May, 2000.

I’m 12 weeks old rite now.

Didn’t think I was going to be included in this book.

Notice the light colored skin on my feet. It’ll be another 2 months before they become dark like dad has.

I was waiting and watching the feeder roof. When I saw Dad go to the side of blacktop parking lot, where his burrow entrance is, It was my chance to go “top shelf” – up to roof feeding Palace.

I’ve watched this “stilt walking” humanoid that operates that flashing light box. He keeps all corn ears in this outdoor grill.

Dry corn has great smells that float out vent holes of the grill all the time.

Many squirrels have tried to open the grill cover. They have chewed the wooden parts of grill cover handles, however cannot get the heavy cover off.

There is nothing special about who gets which ear of corn. All came from same field of corn.

The cover vent and bottom burner vent are kept open to allow air to circulate through grill which helps make the corn kernels dry and become dented. [Dented . . . explained later with pictures]

The dryer the kernels are; the easier for us chips to “pop” them off the ear of corn. [Ears of corn have kernels on them. Corn cobs have NO corn kernels]

Also dry kernels don’t get “mildew” on them under the ground. [Similar coatings or discolorations caused by fungi, which appears on fabrics, paper, leather, etc., when exposed to moisture.]

I have to admit this is “classic” living at this resort.

Something you don’t find everyday, and the price is right.

That flashing light box operator put out a tin cover full of water this summer. Temperature was about 98°F.

Not a swimming pool for us.

Just for drinking.

Resort owner refills it 3 times a day.

Sure knows how to treat us chipmunks. I’m sticking around this resort.

. . . taste buds get a treat?

You’ll never believe this.

We chips had a meeting and think this person with the flashing light box is ready for a course in Chipmunk 101. [beginner, freshman course of study]

After my siesta today, I charged up the tunnel for 25± feet, out of my burrow, across the blacktop parking lot, up the cane fishing pole, hopped onto roof of feeder and discovered a great looking line of goodies.

NOTE:
First picture of Chip – 1999
Chip, due to fright of camera flash
disappeared from feeder roof
for three days.
Dave, Computer Graphic Artist,
created front cover from this clip, –
moving peanut on rooftop to left.

Now appears in front of chip
see cover page – top of this publication.

I hopped onto the bird feeder roof and . . .

toc2

WHOA! [stop! (word used especially to stop horses)]

Never saw some of these things before. Peanuts in the shell, I’ve seen.

But these other things were really strange looking. Some items up here were big, round and brown.

Looking down the row I noticed what looked like little round beans. Colors I never saw before.

[Remember: We chipmunks only see the world in colors called “gray scale.”]

             

After a few sniffs I grabbed two peanuts and took off for my burrow.

Came back for another look and decided to check out other things.

I moved toward one of these big brown balls. I did a couple licks on one. Not bad.

What a variety of new tastes.

Grabbed it with my front feet and chewed into it.

Again not bad!

I finally chomped [ate, eat] half of it down.

The stuff inside tasted something like sweet sand.

Much different than the sand I haul out of my burrow which is plain old everyday dirt.

I finally got to those little colored things. Not too sure just what I want to do with them so I did another taste test. Again it was a new taste to me. It had a very hard coating when I chewed on one of them.

Good taste to me so I picked up as many as my cheek pouches could hold. These things taste a lot better than acorns.

My cheeks can stretch just so far. Maximum limit is 3 large peanuts in the shell. Put one in each cheek pouch.

The 3rd. was in my front teeth.

By now you have probably figured out the “Resort Owner” is the same person that leans out the window with a flashing light box that Chip keeps talking about.

We all know that chipmunks crave peanuts — in or out of the shell. Being curious – I found out what else these chipmunks liked to eat. I knew they were nut and seed eaters. I observed that they like other items below.

I’ve seen snow and ice before, but not when it’s 70°F outside. So here’s all these little white things mixed with colored flat things that I discovered a couple of days ago.

The white things don’t taste like ice or snow and aren’t even cold. They don’t melt in your mouth. I sniffed one. There wasn’t any smell.

I did a couple chews on it.

It was hard as a rock like we move up and out of our burrows.

Then I swallowed a small piece. It was ok. Started to put them into my cheeks and discovered that I could get 2 in each cheek pouch. They’ll be the last things I eat before I go above ground next March.

OK kids — what do you think the mystery white items are?
Answer =
s w o l l a m h s r a m

One item I don’t care for is this green circle. Wow!
One lick was enough. It’s a “thumb down” [no good] vote from me.

Lime is very tart. Some people squeeze lime juice on their food. Try it. You might like it! A very tart [bitter] taste.

Something else I checked out was this white stuff. It was ok.

I talked to other family members, however they didn’t know what it was either. The resort owner placed 60 or more pieces on feeder.

Chipmunks store many different things they like to eat. I’m not sure all are eaten up.

I found this one study done on chipmunks that stated “a chipmunk’s carry pouches are like a separate compartment in their cheeks.
They are completely dry which prevents moisture from getting onto seeds and other goodies being stored.
No moisture — No spoilage — No Mold.

Next I had to make a choice between a chip and a round cracker. The nacho was ‘kinda plain tasting but it was still worth storing. (Beggars can’t be choosers)

The other was this great tasting cracker. Someone must have taken a bite out of it before they placed in on top the bird feeder but that’s OK. It’ll taste good next January when temperatures above ground are near zero.

Sweet chocolates are popular.
p.s. remove foil.
We Chips won’t eat or store them if wrapped in foil.

When seeds fall from a Maple tree they are connected to what looks like little propellers
when spinning down to the ground.

The seeds taste great. We eat maybe 15 seeds immediately and then haul a mouthful down into our burrow. When the seed leaves (propellers) dry out and break into little pieces – it makes great insulation to sleep under.

toc2

. . . sunflower seeds in cubic inch?

Due to spring rains during corn planting season one year there was a shortage of corn kernels.

During September -October the resort owner fed sunflower seeds to us chips.

tbl1

Created with Excel
Application Math — Grades 5 – 9
Change numbers in math questions = New answers daily!

Chipmunks primarily eat peanuts, insects, different types of grains plus they are known for eating eggs from robin nests [resort owner witnessed] and various types of fungi plus worms.

I haven’t seen chips eat any worms, however researchers have.

Chips must find them when digging new tunnels. I’ll never know. I don’t/can’t fit into their tunnels.

In springtime when first rains appear I’ll see many worms on the warm blacktop drive. Chip’s don’t seem to eat those.

Chipmunks also search around on ground underneath hanging bird feeders.

Chickadees and Nut Hatch birds seem to drop two to five seeds to the ground before finding the right one for eating.

Resort owner has also seen chips chew on fresh bananas, apples, peas, grapes, sweet corn, cucumber & dried apricots.

The other fruit they like is vine ripened tomatoes.

NOT the ones that fall to the ground.

No way! Chips only go top shelf. The freshest and best!

Excellent tomato vine climbers they are.

Resort owner was hopeing they would eat the whole cherry size tomato –

NOPE. . . They head for the best llooking – most red, tasty and juiciest tomato.

Chomp out a chunk, roll it around inside their mouth, munch on it a few times and the next thing I see them do is spit out a wad.

Just like baseball players spit out “Backy-Chews.

They’re off hunting the next best llooking tomato for another “fresh chew.”

. . . rainy day survival — late fall

It was October 23^rd, 2000. I went charging out of the burrow on the run and ran smack dab into this sheet of rain. The rain wasn’t all that bad. The temperature must have been around freezing. No ice yet but really cold. Off to the feeder to see what’s for breakfast. Much to my surprise there was nothing on the roof.

However the lower level had the most delightful smell coming from it.

I jumped down there and did a taste test.

Did not eat before I left the burrow so why not chomp this good stuff right here and now.

The more I eat, the better it tastes.

links jan 6 1520hrs

Cinnamon bread was on menu this rainy Monday morning.

Resort owner is great at thinking of different things to do here.

We do our antics.

He duz flashing light box things
A win, win operation for all.

. . . other activities at this resort

Resort owner took a long pipe and placed it across limb on one tree and other end on an iron pipe stand.

He then got some hanging feeders.
Some held ears of corn, another had flat seeds [sunflower] and this third swinging thing seemed to be the most attractive.
The smells coming from it were scrumptious. [ask parents]

I did two practice attempts. Wind was blowing feeder back - forth. My timing wasn’t good. Missed landing on feeder by a foot.

The ground was green and soft. No damage done to my bones. I finally figured out how to time my leap to latch onto this swinging feeder.
Third try from tree limb – A winner.

Grabbed hold of wire mesh on the feeder.
Maybe I could join the circus some day?

I don’t have a “beak” like a bird has that pokes thru the squares on the wire mesh to retrieve chunks of shelled peanuts [a new smell coming from feeder] or seeds.

Eventually I got it going my way about “snagging” hold of a nut or seed with my teeth which allowed me to pull them out of the ¼” square mesh wire.

. . . chickadees never leave

Rain or shine – these two to four ounce balls of feathers are permanent fixtures, year ‘round residents and DO NOT disappear during winter weather.

Their throat and top of head is black. When they fly it’s not like a robin. These birds fly up to the top of an undefined circle [arc] then glide [stop flapping their wings; move smoothly and continuously without effort or resistance]

In winter they consume 1 to 2 ounces of seed daily which turns into body fat. [metabolism-energy] When they roost [sleep] for the night their energy system shuts down. The ounces of food they ate that day are turned into fat which is burned at night time. Keeps them warm while they roost.

Where do they roost? Sometimes they find a tree that has a hole where a limb broke off. Other trees have pieces of loose bark and they squeeze behind the bark. Especially white birch trees.

This resort owner converted a bat house [removed ropes that bats cling to during daytime rest] then installed 7/16” dowel rod roosting bars inside. Each bar holds 6 or 8 chickadees. [not territorial like chipmunks]The opening [which is wide open for bats] at bottom is covered over with a board that has a hole size of 1 1/8”.

Take a look!.
Chickadee roost

An idea how a winter roost box might be created.

When Chickadees eat peanuts out of a hanging feeder they never seem to find any bad tasting peanuts.
None get tossed to the ground.

When eating small black sun-flower seeds . . .
only one out of three to five
is worthy of eating.

The below are specs for Chickadee NEST box.

Interior box dimensions should be about 8 x 13cm (3 x 5in) for the floor and 19cm deep. Designs using PVC pipe have used 35cm (14in) lengths.

The entrance hole should be 2.8cm (1 1/8”).

The roof should prevent rain from flooding the nest.

Drainage holes drilled or poked in the floor provide drainage and air circulation.

Filling the box with sawdust up to the entrance hole gives the birds something to excavate while nest building.

It should be possible to open the box easily for cleaning.

Enter Mr. Shrew

 

Mr. Schrew, isn’t fussy about seeds.
[small mouse-like long-snouted mammal]
Although its external appearance is generally that of a long-nosed mouse, a shrew is not a rodent like a chipmunk.

Seed sorting by chickadees helps shrews survive.

In general, shrews are terrestrial [living on or in the ground] creatures that forage for seeds, insects, nuts, worms and a variety of other foods in leaf litter and dense vegetation, but some specialize in climbing trees, living underground like chipmunks, under snow or even hunting in water.

They don’t spend a lot of time above ground. Basically are night-time feeders. They have excellent ability to smell seeds that chickadees flip onto snow, under the feeder.

toc2

The shrew tunnels just under the surface of the snow – Subnivean [a zone that is in or under the snow layer] – up to the seed, pulls it under the snow cover and has a picnic.

Their tunnels under the snow go many different directions – always leading to where a seed is sitting in the snow-bank.

. . . 34,768 kernels of corn?

tbl2

Created with Excel
Application Math — Grades 5 – 9
Change numbers = New answers daily!

And I’m not kiddin’. I know ‘because I chewed each and every yellow kernel from ears of dried corn cobs that resort owner put into that “spring holding contraption” on top of bird feeder.

One by one I stuffed them into my cheek pouches and hauled them off to my burrow – 20± feet below earth surface – for winter survival.

Corn = America's number one field crop? Corn leads all other crops in value and volume of production.

Here's more interesting facts about corn.

. . . 100 bushels = approx. 7,280,000 million

An ear of corn averages 600 - 800 kernels in 16 rows.

A pound of corn consists of approximately 1,300 kernels.

Each year, a single U.S. farmer provides food and fiber for 129 people - 97 in the U.S. and 32 overseas.

In the U.S., corn production measures more than 2 times that of any other crop.

Most farmers in the mid-west plant corn in April and it’s ready to be picked in September.

It’s used for animal feed, people feed and sometimes used as a byproduct for creating fuel for the automobile. It grows on a stalk which can be from 4ft. to 10ft. tall.

Also has large green leaves and grows from 2 to 5 ears of corn on each stalk.

The resort owner will put this into a relational perspective, using an average size cereal box [not a monster size].

This example reflects [shows] the amount of storage space we have to dig out of the earth before we can store our kernels

One box holds 6 to 8 ears of corn kernels, depending on the ear size. The 53 ears of corn I cleaned of kernels took me at least 50 plus days.

When storing winter supplies, our work days are from sunup to sundown . . . minus a one hour “siesta time” – midday.

Kids, next time you’re at the store shopping with mom or dad, find the cereal box section

Create a stack on the floor using 6 “Flaky Cereal” boxes.

That’s how much storeage space is required under ground.

Resort owner has no idea how much dirt chipmunks carry in two mouth pouches.

It’s a monster project for one chipmunk to create a space under the ground that will hold 6 to 8 cereal boxes worth of corn kernels.

Remember, everything we haul down into our burrow for storage we have to make a space for, under ground. We don’t have any earth moving equipment down here. (no lights either)

Guess how dirt and stones get moved up to the earth surface and spread around? (we’re not like most rodents or animals that pile dirt next to tunnel entrance)

We Chips take time to spread stones and dirt away from our entrance areas. That way it makes it more difficult for predators like owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes, snakes, cats, etc. to figure out where we live. Remember –

They eat us for lunch.

Being a chipmunk ain’t all that great.

Constantly we have to be on guard to protect ourselves.

Only one out of four chipmunk survive longer than two years.

. . . heart of corn kernel?

 

Black circle – end of kernel shows what farmers call the "heart" of corn kernel.

The heart is nourishing and most tasty part of kernel. Chipmunks will eat the complete kernel of corn.

Other rodents eat heart only and discard the rest.

Don’t worry though. Shrews will eat discarded kernel part.

Strange words about an ear of corn.

Most people buy corn at the market, take it home and eat it.

53% of all corn grown in U.S. is shipped to other countries.

The “dent” in the kernel is a signal that defines the dryness of the kernel.

Deeper the DENT – denotes less moisture in kernel which calculates into higher price per bushel when growers sell to grain market.

. . . dents in corn kernels?

 

Look for dents in kernels of sweet corn
selling at markets

No dents . . . = kernels are jucy and tasty

DENTS . . . in kernels of corn =
deeper the dent . . . drier the kernel

Might want to look at other “ears” of corn.

While not strictly a stage of grain development, harvest maturity is often defined as that grain moisture content where harvest can occur with minimal kernel damage and mechanical harvest loss.

Harvest maturity is usually considered to be near 25% grain moisture.

How the corn kernels are removed from the corn ear and delivered to corn drying operations?

Cost of ONE monster [link below] $250,000.00 to $300,000.00. . . give or take a few thousand. Depends on “how plush da’ ua’ want it?” What accessories etc. included.

But wait! An acquaintance purchased one and was invited to the factory for a week to observe his purchase being assembled.

[All expenses paid by Mfgr. —
wining/dining/fishing/golf + lodging]

Harvesting corn etc. looks glamorous in some eyes!

Take ur’ pick!

However it ain’t a bed of roses.

Hot Expensive Stuff up in smoke!

Author of this publication operated a 4 row corn sheller, 1972, and spent many hours repairing damage done by 10 lb. rocks being picked-up by the sheller head.

Wisconsin fields are nutorius for rocks finding their way to the earth surface after spring plowing and planting.

Traveling around country roads you might noticed silos with large pipes connected to tops of other silos.

Auger, \/, is placed inside /\ metal pipes that protrude from silos and connect up with other hoppers or bins.

Some farms have signs @ drying operations offering a tour and explanation of why they dry corn kernels before selling.

toc2

 

. . . 278,144 feet traveled?

Table follows below text:

I didn’t buy any new boots for this corn kernel operation. Still have same 4 feet attached to my body. In excellent health. All this distance traveled was done within a 50 ± day time frame during September, October and November — 2000.

The resort owner calculated I stored 34,768 kernels of corn. That’s great!

I can carry, in my cheek pouches, approximately 23-25 kernels at one time.

Resort owner told me that a one way trip from the top of the bird feeder, down to the ground, across the driveway to the entrance of my burrow is 70 ft. Then I travel down my tunnel 30± ft. to my carved out areas to store my goodies. Next . . . back to top of the bird feeder. Fill my cheek pouches with corn. Off again to burrow.

The round trip equals 200± ft. Let’s do some arithmetic. [Math] I’ll use 200 feet for a round trip.[Top of feeder to storage – then back to top of feeder.]

Created with Excel
Application Math — Grades 5 – 9
Change numbers = New answers daily!

tbl3

. . . what equals 300

Let’s compare 278,144 feet to something that most readers have seen on black/white or color television can relate to.

My chipmunk translation of what I learned from resort owner follows:

I may not use all the correct words or terms, however I’m sure you will understand what I’m talking about.

This massive green space – [300’ x 160’ = 48,000 sq, ft.  [approx: 1.3 acre] playing field existing inside a multi million dollar stadium.

Thousands of persons sitting in many rows of seats dressed in their “Sunday best” or green shirts with large numbers on them or blaze orange deer hunting clothes.

 

bingo….

Voted second most popular color in Wisconsin— 1962 to present date!

GUESS what #1 is.

Some rows of seats are close to the playing field near green grass, or white ground – if it’s snowing – can’t predict weather in Wisconsin. Many more rows rise up toward the sky. When you get twenty or more rows into the sky, these seats are referred to as “nose bleed” country.

At this level you’ll need “eyeball” help @ $200.00 + a pair.

Look for “sporting field glasses.” They make it possible to see what’s happening at ground level or other end of field.

Three days ago I was watchin’ a crew of artist’s that had sum kind of machine going around this neat looking green grass field.

Seems like they were “dumping” sum white stuff onto the grass.

I thought it looked better without the white stuff.

This green field also has, on each end, a pair of large sewer pipes sticking outta’ the ground.

All four pipes reach w a a a a y up into the sky. Almost look like giant clothesline poles.

§    §    §

Next, specific Sheriffs, gladiators and warriors have sum kind of meeting right there in the middle of the field near “brown pointy ended thing” lying on the ground in front of thousands of people.

However, the only one doing any talking is the Sheriff Captain who’s looking at a player on the team that last had the ball.

No idea what the question was.

One more time, both gladiators and warriors line up facing each other.

Sum squat down and put one hand on the ground while others prance around back and forth flexing their muscles, plus blurting out all kinds of words at whoever will listen.

All of a sudden things start to get serious.

These two lines of contestants give each other stares that could make icicles melt in 15° below zero temperatures.

Each team has special colors on their head protector that has grill work on the front, almost like animal cages at the zoo, plus color matching shirts

One player bends down to the ground and places one hand on the ball. Another player starts to holler sum numbers. [like counting in octal].

“16-32-64-128-256”.

All of a sudden . . . ZIP . . . the player with his hand on the ball pitches this “pointy ended brown thing” between his legs to another player who is kneeling on the ground a few yards behind him.

This player has one knee is on the ground.

He grabs this pointy brown thing and mashes one end down onto the ground while holding the top end that’s pointing skyward.

toc2

Wow!

Pretty good catch.

A third person of this “threesome” who’s been staring at the ground where the pointed ended thing is placed takes one or 2 steps forward and kicks the back-side with one of his boots with pointy things on bottom.

That pointy thing . . . sittin’ on the ground is “launched” . . .

bingo 12

 

WhOOSH!

lightning fast

Outta’ here like a shot

catapulted    sea launch    air launch
up into the air like a jet plane on the end of a steam propelled launch aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76).

This “pointy ended brown thing” flies just above outstretched arms and hands of opposing group of players that wear different colored shirts and helmets.

If nothing else, this pointy ended thing should be awarded a first place
“Gold Medal”
 for performing excellent Olympic style backward summersaults –
as it barnstormed towards and split a “pair of sewer pipes” sticking out of the ground pointing into the sky.

Everyone jumped up from their seats.

They started yelling and screaming names and words I never heard before.

Plus wavin’ a piece of colored laundry in circles – like trying to get it dry!

“Never saw anything like this in my life time.”

toc2

§    §    §

. . . things get settled down

Once again gladiators and warriors get lined up on different ends of this big field of grass, mud, ice or snow – take ur’ pick.

Someone gets to “boot” this pointy ended thing to the opposite end where someone else catches it and tries to bulldoze thru opponents that “steam rolled” from the “kicking end” of the field.

Again, trying to get the “pointy ended thing” to other end of field begins one more time.

Sounds like a game called
“Keep Away” or Pickle in the Middle.

All Gladiators and Warriors get dressed up with space helmets that are painted specific colors for each team.

Not only do they have face masks, they also have shoulder, hip and knee pad protection plus boots with “pointy spikes” on the bottom.

I guess the spikes must prevent the gladiators and warriors from slipping on the green field of grass or “frozen tundra.”

This game of “keep away” lasts for about three hours.

. . . deputy sheriffs arrive!

There must be 15 to 20 people, maybe more, who dress in black and white striped shirts plus black or white hats & white pants

These “officials” also have boots with sum of those pointy things that stick into the ground.

Plus there are all kinds of important looking persons on each side of the playing field.

A couple lines of persons that have two or three of these “flashing light things” line up on each end of the field behind the “sewer pipes.”

One side line worker called a “Down Marker” [box man] holds a long stick with numbers one thru four. It’s called a down marker. The Sheriffs Captain gives a hand signal to stick holder to “flip” the card to display next number.

The number that shows on that pole never seems to get above # 4.

Being an urbane, well-traveled, worldly chipmunk, I wonder what would happen if someone added more numbers, like 5, 6, 7, and 8 onto that sign board?

Makes the game last longer, maybe?

That way the seat viewers would really get their $’s worth of entertainment plus laundry drying time.

Each time the gladiators and warriors bang heads and fall down, the sheriffs sort them out by color of shirt.

A couple more persons on one side of the playing field control a long chunk of “tow chain” with two poles.

Each pole is attached to a separate end of this chain.

. . . again deputy sheriffs on scene

After gladiators and warriors get all piled on top one another on the ground, the “black & white shirts” take over, like a sheriff department restoring order.

The deputy sheriffs separate each participant wearing a colored shirt into two separate groups.

The green shirts stand on one side of “pointy thing” and purple shirts on other side.

The “black & white shirts” get into a circle and seem to be reporting [like company board meeting] what they saw, to Captain White Hat.

All of a sudden the Captain adjourns [discontinues, stops] the meeting, runs off to find the “Chain Gang” [rod men - two person crew] that move a long chain attached between two poles, from one end of playing field to the other.

The Captain of the sheriffs operation directs the Chain Gang crew when and where to move this chain.

Sometimes they haul the chain onto the field, only with the Captain’s permission while he is holding onto a very special link.

Took a few seconds to find the special link.

It appeared to me that all links were the same size.

HOORAY! The Captain found the “magic” link.

He picked THAT SPECIAL link up and started running onto the field, with chain, and Chain Gang following close behind.

The Captain of Sheriffs finds a certain spot on a certain white line and places this special tow chain link [in his hand] onto it.

Then the Chain Gang member closest to the pointy brown thing, stretches his end of the chain toward same.

This “pointy brown thing” is snapped up, by another Sheriff, then “laid to rest” at another spot on the green grass, designated by the Captain of Sheriffs.

At the present, this “pointy brown thing” is sure getting respect from these gladiators [green] and warriors [purple].

The two groups are in separate circles making plans for the next attack on each other.

Other times it looks like these players are trying to end the life of the “pointy brown thing.”

It’s constantly getting grabbed, thrown like a dart, kicked in the side, stepped on and squeezed to death under the weight of 300 + pound players.

NOT just a couple or three.

I’ve watched two and three sheriffs dig thru 10 or 12 bodies before they retrieve this “pointy brown thing.”

Once again these giant sized people in different colors line up on opposite sides of the pointy thing.

The Sheriff Captain moves to a neutral place on the field and starts to wave his arms while explaining to [humanoids in seats] what’s going on and what happens next.

While the Sheriff Captain lectures to the “seat viewers,” the “Chain Gang” drags the chain back to edge of the field.

One member of the gang re-inserts his pole into the ground while the other member stretches the tow chain to its maximum length and punches his pole into the ground.

These seat viewers must have poor hearing ‘cause everything the Sheriff Captain in white hat is saying gets “blasted” out of super large “boom boxes” located all around this field.

Don’t those speaker boxes have sound level controls on them?

Standees [seat viewers] might want to think about getting their hearing checked.

This volume is cracking LOUD.

However Sheriff Captain White Hat keeps it short, sweet and to the point.

I could tell rite away whether standees [seat viewers] accepted or rejected.

Signals from their hands, arms and voices, – sometimes language I never heard before, plus laundry wavin’, whether they approve or disapprove with Captain White Hat.

Does NOT make a difference!

Captain White Hat in black/white striped shirt doing the telling & arm waving
a l w a y s
has the final word.
 . . . what about down under?

Not many people know much about what we chips do down under ground. A BIG mystery to them.

It’s dark. (no electric) We don’t have running water. (no showers or saunas) NO garbage pickup.

We don’t have any garbage – we eat most of what we haul down to our borough.

We do our own excavating. Remember, all us chips are born professional engineers.

No trucks for moving dirt and stones around. We do that with our nose, head and mouth.

No heaters or air conditioners. We’re deep enough in the ground — well below the freeze line. So we don’t need a furnace to heat the place.

We’re careful not to build near water ponds, creeks, rivers or water springs.

If we must do that . . . we move to elevated [higher] ground.

Remember – we’re BORN
as a professional —
[P.E.] engineering degree

Our problems begin – when humans show up with earthmoving equipment and start messing with the ground – in order to create highways, shopping centers, condos, 40 to 150 story high office buildings etc.

We chips tolerate [handle; accept] wood logging operations such as Bobby Goodson, Swamp Loggers.

Swamp Loggers! Discovery channel. Wednesday night.

They show up with HUGE, [big, large, giant] smoke belching mechanical machines referred to as stackers, yarders, cutters, crunchers, chippers, end loaders, ditchers, knuckle-boom loaders and swing machines.

Plus classic, functional, beautiful looking pickup trucks along with a one-of a kind $10,000.00 outdoor charcoal grilling operation on wheels pulled by one of above pickup trucks.

One of their machines clamps onto the tree trunk.

Next, this monster circular saw starts cutting thru the tree trunk.

When the “cut” is complete, this clamp lifts these 100 ft. high trees and lays them onto a pile of other cut trees.

They cut hundreds of trees daily.

It’s referred to as “selective cutting.”

When done, they leave and usually don’t return for another fifty years.

Our normal heart beat rate is 80. During winter rest times it drops to about 4 beats per minute. (kids — ask your parents) Our body temp. drops from 98°F to 37°F. If my body temperature gets too cold there’s a mechanism (kids —ask parents) tucked away in our brain that will cause my body to start shivering, which in turn causes my heart beat rate to increase which then starts the blood flowing thru my veins. This raises my body temperature. Shouldn’t freeze now!

If you’ve ever watched us run you must have noticed that we always have our tail straight up in the air. That’s part of our personality.

When an intruder invades my territory, I can run the 50 foot parking lot in less than 4 seconds. Pretty quick, don’t ya’ think? One speed . . .

FAST!

Other chipmunks are not so fortunate to have a resort owner that keeps a variety of things for us to taste test and if we like them, store `em away.

This resort owner observed chipmunks collecting onion skins and hauling them down into their burrows for use as insulation or blankets.

About 20 to 30 feet down in the ground we’ll create a cavern about the size of a shoebox. (more food we store requires a larger space we must create) This will be our main room where we store food and sleep.

We not only collect food for the winter, we also haul some dried leaves into our burrows.

Sleeping under these leaves is like blankets on your bed.

Leaves are moved on top of food storage. Since we sleep on top of our food, under the leaves, it is sorta a lumpy bed.

And we’re doing this in complete darkness! Remember the closet test?

Another room that we carve out in our burrow is a latrine.
 [can, convenience, head, john, johnny, lavatory, privy, water closet, potty, bathroom.]

Yup, you got it. We have one.
It’s about ¼ the size of a shoebox.

No running water. When it fills up and can’t be used anymore we create a new one and fill in the old.

Another thing we have to create are exit tunnels. [fire exits like you have in schools]

We might have 5 or 6 different tunnels leading into and out of our burrows. Never know when we might have to make an emergency exit.

So kids appreciate what you have. Because you could be less fortunate like us chipmunks that have to work for a living, and earn everything we have, starting around 45 to 55 days old.

Resort owner heard of gophers or chipmunks creating a burrow under a cement floor of garage.

They dug many caverns and spaces.

Eventually, certain areas of the garage cement floor collapsed into the ground.

. . . daily siesta time

Our day begins about 1/2 hour before sunrise and is finished about 1/2 hour after sundown. It is also called a sunset.

In the middle of summer, that makes for a very long day. We have a one hour siesta [nap, rest, time out] every day. Starts 1400 hrs. [2 o’clock; after noon] When the day is very hot, about 2pm. in the afternoon and lasts for about 1½ hours. Once again we’re up and raring to go again.

Gathering food to store is our top priority.

Winter time is approaching fast.

. . . another new kid on the block

Hi. — Mom named me Michelle.

I arrived on the scene – April – 2001. I’m Chip Jr’s sister.

The way he treats me you’d never know I was a sister.

Constant turf wars – deluxe – exist between us. [kids – ask parents]

My brother Chip Jr. and Dad, Chip Sr. want control of everything that happens at this birdfeeder the resort owner keeps stocked with goodies.

A constantly never ending problem is Dad and Chip Jr. become involved with on-going fights about whose “KING” of the bird feeder.

Now I show up. Mother told me if I played it right, the resort owner, who’s the guy with flashing light box, stilts and big feet would be throwing some ears of corn out back of 50ft. parking lot.

So I didn’t aggravate [kids-ask parents] my father and brother.

It’s a hoot!

My brother, Chip Jr. was chasing me. He grabbed ‘hold of my tail.

ZIP!
Half the FUR from my tail . . .

GONE!

Disappeared like a feather in a whirl wind. You got it?
[if not ask parents what all that means]

For four weeks all I had was this skinny little thing, like a toothpick, hanging out my backend with no fur on it.

DON’T LAUGH. It was most embarrassing for me!

It’s now October. I hung out at the back of parking lot most of the time. Fur has grown back. Not quite as bushy as the rest of my tail, however it’ll do for now.

This resort owner with that flashing light box was just itching to get pictures of me. One day he sat on the tail gate of a truck for over 2 hours. No flashes of light seen.

The corn ears should be coming any day according to Mom. And she should know.

Mom has been here 3 years.

. . . to shell or not to shell

I’ve been watching my boy Chip Jr. and daughter `Chelle.

Chip Jr. stuffs 3 peanuts in the shell into his mouth and hauls them off to his burrow.

`Chelle comes along and starts to eat the ends off peanut shells.

I thought she was just messin’ around and eatin’ the peanuts right then and there.

(like you do when you go blueberry pickin’ —
eat 4 and put 1 in the berry BUCKET)

One day I asked `Chelle why she didn’t store some of those peanuts down under in her burrow for “winter time?”

`Chelle told me she was.

“As long as the shell isn’t any good to eat why haul them down into my burrow? All they do is use up a lot of space.”

(remember, what I haul down into my burrow –

I have to move that amount of dirt up to ground level –

which makes more room for storage.)

When pouches are full – I’m off to my burrow to store ‘em.

A couple extra long shells had three peanuts inside.

Never know what to expect when looking inside peanut shells.

 

. . . Results for `Chelle are?

I also explained to Dad how I take 9 peanut shells, chew ends off, stuff 18 peanuts from shells into cheek pouches. [Two peanuts in each 2 peanuts in each shell.]

With pouches full, I’m off to my burrow to store them.

Never know what to expect when explorer inside peanut shells. A couple extra long shells had three peanuts inside.

`Chelle’s logic

[9 shells contain 2 peanuts in each shell: removed 18 peanuts from 9 shells]

Cheek pouches are full.

Chelle makes 1 round trip to burrow

Results for Chip Jr. are . . .

[3 peanut shells x 2 peanuts in each shell = 6 peanuts per trip]

Chip Jr. makes 3 round trips to burrow; stores 9 peanut shells containing 18 peanuts

Also, I might add . . .

“Chip Jr. might know how to chew fur off my tail

He’s not too sharp when it comes to plain old everyday logic!”

+ plus +

Chip Jr. has to remove

75% more

dirt from his burrow than I do . . .
to store his precious peanut shells
holding peanuts

[See measuring cup(s) picture above]

I search out a smooth log with “dominating fragrances” on the wood pile. Set myself down to catch rays of sun watching Chip Jr. scorch his 4 limbs [legs – feet – claws] moving dirt out of – then hauling peanuts in the shell back down into his burrow.

It’s a hoot!

toc2

. . . the curse of cemetery bandits

MOTHER also told me the cemetery (graveyard; boot hill) across the street can’t begin to compare to this resort.

The cemetery has cats that lurk day and night.

Ma and I watched the resort owner deal with these cats when they show up.

The window opens a bit. This funny looking tube sticks out.

'splat'!

Another intruder gets showered with water.

They seem to get the message.

They automatically head back across road – (graveyard;boot hill) . . . [cemetery of frontier years]
 . . . never returning to this resort – again.

Wow! Some of those cats should be in the circus.

They go straight up in the air 6 feet above ground –

They let out a loud yowl, do a back flip into the air, then land on their feet.

Before they even touch the ground their feet are going 40 miles per hour in fast forward.

Once they land on the blacktop drive they head toward the cemetery like a jet car taking off down a dragstrip. (kids, ask your parents)

What a show!

. . . occasional visitors to resort

We seem to co-exist (get along with each other) better with some birds and mammals much better than we do our own kind. [other chipmunks] When required, we fight among ourselves for territorial rights.

There must be a ‘thousand crows living, roosting and nesting in tall pines [70 ft. or more] in this conservancy land, Aldo Leopold Center adjacent to the resort.

These crows get up about 2 hours before daylight and have this big discussion (crow talk) about who is going to watch the dumpsters (large garbage bins that hold used food)

Who’s assigned to the truck stop, food market, taco joint, Italian restaurant, french-fry shop, pizza joint, shopping center, etc.

Must be 30 or so places, within 1 square mile of the tall pine trees that deal in throw away food.

I often wonder why these crows don’t have “dumpster assignments” sorted out the previous afternoon and sleep an extra 2 hours the next morning.

Some others who roam thru the resort each spring for just a short time are a pair [2 – two] of ducks. They create their nest in the same bush each year. Line it with leaves.

Mother duck lays 10 to 13 eggs, incubates them (keeps them warm with her body heat by sitting on them) for about 21 to 23 days. The eggs hatch, usually in the middle of night.

The next morning mother duck and all the ducklings have disappeared back to a water pond in the conservancy. Ducks seem to like day old bread the resort owner flips out the back window.

What really aggravates [bother, bug] me is the resort owner will shell kernels of corn from corn cob ear for ducks. When it comes to me he just puts the whole ear in that spring and chain contraption on top of the bird feeder.

Took awhile to learn how to “yank” [pull or remove abruptly] each kernel from the corn ear.

The morning – November 3^rd, 2001, I heard this growling and banging around in the maple tree by the feeder.

Max the dog next door started barking like crazy. I stuck my head out of my burrow and saw this masked bandit or whatever you call it. A massive ball of fur. Black around the eyes like dressing up for Halloween. It had a large bushy tail that would make more than 200 of my size tails.

This masked bandit begins to crawl up the tree by bird feeder. Smelling and looking for something to eat. It didn’t find anything interesting.

Chip Jr. ate all the kernels off the ear of corn on top the feeder yesterday afternoon.

This enormous ball [size of large beech ball] of fur was trying to balance on the conduit pipe, where bird feeders hang, and reach over to the bird feeders that had peanuts and seeds in them. (this masked bandit needs to practice a whole bunch before he gets hired by the circus high wire act) He’s moves very slow, has no balance and about 50 lbs. overweight. What a sight.

About that same time I noticed the window on the back of the resort building open a little and you guessed it.

The flashing light box operator was at it again. He must have a very large collection of pictures of us chips.

I don’t think that guy ever sleeps.

The fat furry ball sat there and  looked like it was posing for a picture.

The flashing light box operator kept doing his thing. Flash after flash.

The ball of fur kept climbing around in the tree.

Finally the owner tapped the tree with the fish pole that Chip uses to reach the bird feeder. This must have made the ball of fur nervous.

It climbed down, backwards, [like people do on a step ladder] which was more difficult than going up.

Last time I saw him – it was headed toward the conservancy behind this building. Don’t know if it will be back again or not.

About November 12^th, depending on the cold weather, us chips kinda go down under and start our rest time.

We wake up every couple of hours, run to the "johnny", eat a little bit then hit the leaves for another sleep time.

Hibernating animals sleep all or much of the winter living off stored body fat.
Do not wake up to eat.

Some hibernating animals are bears, woodchucks and bats.

Chipmunk’s heartbeat rate declines from around 350 beats per minute to perhaps 4 beats per minute during periods of “deep sleep.” in Winter months.
Not total hibernation. For us Chips
It’s referred to as a deep sleep which lasts from 24 to 36 hours.

We human beings have:
Typical resting heart rate in adults is 60-90 bpm – (beats per minute); children and small adults tend to have faster heart rates than average adults

If we sense the weather above ground is reasonable – 20 degrees above zero – we’ll grab a couple kernels of corn and dash up to ground level. Find a sunny spot on a log pile and chew corn kernels.

That’s it. Back down for more sleep.

I’ve wondered what the resort owner does with his time.
He has wa a a a a a y to-o-o-o-o much spare time.

If we chips are going to continue with the “table of treats”
 . . . we will learn to live with this “flashing light” operation – for sure.

We won’t/don’t bite the
hand that feeds!

I asked him [resort owner] about winter activities at this feeder.

Resort owner response: “there are many winter birds that show up.
Some like seeds and suet. We feed all. (kids, ask parents)

Chickadees and Nuthatches hang up-side-down when eating.

Sparrows, Cardinals, Woodpeckers stand up-right on ring platform attached around feeder that swings from a tree branch.

[Tree branch is used. This deters squirrels from chewing holes in feeder mesh.]

Feeder should be at least 6 ft. from places squirrels could jump or drop from. a tree limb or fence.

They are very creative when hungry.

Use 20 mm non-insulated wire, for hanging feeder.
Squirrels cannot hold onto non-insulated wire – it slides thru their claws.
Any wire larger might NOT work.]

Want to feed squirrels. . .?
Find a bicycle repair shop. They usually have many front wheels that got twisted or bent on street curbing.
Next stop: Hardware store and get 4 springs. 2” long x 3/16” dia. Wrap spring around rim of wheel.
Attach each end of spring with 20 mm wire twisted three times.
Attach remaining three springs, spacing them around rim. Hang rim from limb of tree, more 20mm wire, so U can reach rim by standing on ground.
Get a bag of dried corn-on the-cob. Pet/Hardware supply stores usually have that item. Slide corn ear between rim of wheel and spring.

GOT smart squirrels ? – that pull or slide the ear of corn from under the spring and haul it off somewhere?
Use a small screwdriver and pop kernels of corn off the cob.
Do this in the middle of the ear of corn, one kernel from each row AROUND the circumference of corn-cob.
Next: Slide the corn-cob between the rim and under the spring. Make sure spring falls into space left by kernels U popped off.

GOT a real smart squirrel ? that knows how to stretch the spring and slide corn cob out from under spring?
Take a picture of it happening. I’ll publish it on my Face Book page.   Pete Krunch

Resort owner also stated: “once you start feeding birds – late fall or winter – DON’T STOP.

They depend, rely [kids – ask parents = depend; rely] on you to continue `til spring. They will find other food sources at that time.

[8 lb. bag $6.00] approx.

. . . blue jay feathers are not BLUE

The blue color of Blue Jay feathers is a structural color that results from sun reflection of blue light from the feathers.

Light refraction causes a Blue Jay's feathers to appear blue. This process depends exclusively on the integrity of the feather's structure.

This Blue Jay likes pizza. Especially the sliced pepperonis. Jay grabs a slice [1 ¾” circle] then flys off to a high tree and eats lunch.

They also relish [like, enjoy] peanuts in the shell and last but not least — meatloaf. (kids, ask your parents)

Blue Jay visits to the feeder are different. They actually eat foods that are called “people food.”

Jay tried raw hamburger. Last thing eaten that day.

If Jay has a choice it eats 1^st -meatloaf, 2^nd -roast beef and 3^rd -chunks of meatloaf. [maybe likes the spices?]

Also likes pieces of sliced apple, cinnamon bread, popcorn, and pepperoni.

Most Blue Jays make a high pitched sound, however the resort owner has told me they also have a very low 2 note noise they make just before flying down to roof on bird feeder.

Flashing Light Box operator discovered this one day while working on the computer.

He heard a strange noise, leaned back, looked out the window and there was Jay on a tree limb just above the feeder.

. . . sure is cold today

Typical March Wisconsin weather.

Grass growing one day.
Six inches of NEW snow fell within four hours –
White stuff is still falling.

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. . . gettin’ deeper by the minute

. . . hunted versus hunter

Mom told me we are the hunted.
We’re called “chip-kabobs”.
(steak cubes) on a stick.

All wrapped up in one little ball of fur. Hawks, owls, snakes, fox, bears, dogs and cats eat us for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Trick is — catch us. Not an easy feat.

Remember – We prefer to create tunnel entry and exits under wood piles.

When crows start squakin` and flyin` in high circles we know there’s a hunter lurking in the area. It’s time to pay close attention to the sky and tall trees.

. . . chipology 101

Learning from past experiences is valuable. (kids, ask your parents)

We chips learn to look left, right and most importantly – UP.

Our most feared hunters fly.

However, living next to a blacktop parking surface, behind the resort has advantages.

Chip Jr. was tearin’ across the grass one day while I was on top the feeder.

I saw a big shape drop down from the sky, like a big airplane.

The minute Chip Jr. saw the hawk doing a circle in the sky he cut across the blacktop drive.

At that very same moment the hawk did an abrupt up-turn UP into the sky and back to a tree in adjacent field.

We barn owls hunt mostly @ night time when it’s pitch black.

Then we look for a high tree and grab onto a limb. Then wait, watch and listen!

Whoosh! Cat or rabbit (steak) delight for dinner – 2:00 a.m. early morning!

It makes no difference to us Owls.

. . . pipeology 101

Chip’s Great Grandfather showed up at this resort – 1989.

Found some scraps of plastic pipe and fittings.

Resort owner stacked up four milk crates then wove the pipes around and thru the crates.

One of the pipes went to a 2 gallon glass jar added at a later date.

Grandpa Chip showed up, inspected our work and started crawlin’ in and out of these pipes.

Matt and I would make bets on which pipe opening Grandpa Chip would come out of next.

We filled the jar with seeds, sat back, made bets and watched the show.

Those were the fun days.

PS: maximum
house bet = 25¢.

. . . treeology 101

Maple Tree in the beginning was just a frail 2 stemmed sapling. (kids — ask parents)

Picture above was clicked Nov.10^th , 2001.

It took sixteen years (16) years for this frail seedling to reach above this two story building.

If you happen to see a Maple tree seedling growing next to a building where you don’t want it – dig it out and find another place to re-plant it.

They’re easy to grow.
Maple trees make GREAT shade tree.

.

NOT
TO BE CONSTRUED AS ADVERTISING.

Camera = Chipmunk antics
Return link — bottom of this page.

It won’t/doesn’t fit into every-day shirt pockets.

Camera requires large shoulder strap carry case.

Model Year: 1999
Using 35mm camera – COLORED film operation
1 hr. developing = $$$
No idea what to do with pictures
NO scanner

Re-furbished camera = eBay bid
Three days later . . . in mailbox
No idea how this monster worked
Friend talked me thru steps
More settings available than jet aircraft contain
Never messed with them
Just point, click and + download .jpg files Hundreds of them.
Dave re-formatted many – Photo Shop & Corel = appear in this eBook –
plus front cover
Camera = left in rain storm = 2001
Camera – not author = fell into Pacific Ocean 2010 . . . 70 mi. South – San Diego – Blue Fin Tuna fishing –
80 ft. party boat – bad roll = rough sea
10 ft. monofilament lanyard attached to camera + wrist
Pulled it up like a hooked fish
removed storage chip + batteries –
Wind blowing + sun = 8 hrs.
GUESS WHAT! . . .
Works Perfect!

Rtrn = to Silver Dollar/Camera Lense

The End   

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