In less than ten seconds, I went from thinking I’d need to break its neck to wanting to squeeze it, love it, and make it mine forever.
I swear, I didn’t wake up thinking a chipmunk would become the latest addition to our family. But when Cora—the dog—injured the little guy just enough to leave him struggling, I quickly assessed my options. Watching him push himself through four-inch-high grass, I abandoned the idea of putting him out of his misery and pivoted to rehabilitation mode. I scooped him up (no bite, thank you very much) and dropped him off on our screened-in back porch.
Without a plan, I went on with my day until I heard the familiar scrape of Archie’s nails on concrete. He was pouncing from corner to corner, tail high, totally jazzed. I knew the chipmunk had made an appearance.
Tim, after watching the little guy dart from one end of the porch to the other, said, “That guy is agile!” And he wasn’t wrong. Just moments ago, I saw the chipmunk climb the porch screen all the way to the top like a furry little acrobat.
So, that was my cue.
Bunny (the rabbit) and I are now safely inside, and the porch door is open to the wild night air.
Do I secretly hope he’ll choose the safety of our screened porch as his forever home? Absolutely. There’s nothing I’d love more. But realistically, I imagine he’ll head off to greener, quieter pastures—where hawks don’t hover and porch dogs don’t chase.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 