Park Swing

As part of the annual Woodpile community service project this year, we built the kids a playground. We used some recycled string and a piece of tree bark to make them a swing. It was a big hit once they got into the swing of it. The concept of a swing is a bit foreign to us chipmunks. It took the youngsters a bit to understand the idea. I think you will see what I mean when you look at the photos.

Here I am finishing up the swing’s ropes

Whoa, what just happened?

Oh, I see I need to sit on it.

No one mentioned going airborne!

After the kids are taking a nap, the parents use the swing as picnic party platter.

Tea Party

The Woodpile has a gala event each summer. The long standing tradition is to do something different each year. After twenty years, the old chairperson of the event has retired.

I am not much for politics, so I skipped the Woodpile Council meeting and went fishing instead. Boy was that a big mistake. In my absence, the council unanimously voted me the next chairman of the event.

The next day, I went deep into the underground bowels of the Woodpile to look at the archives and see what had been done in the past. I needed a new exciting idea for the event. I spent hours pouring over old dusty ledgers. It seems that they have used all of the great ideas in the past. No wonder the last chairwoman retired. She had run out of ideas! I emerged from archival vaults no further ahead.

Exhausted from my efforts, I lounged on my favorite perched. I was thinking, “What would Mr. Carson the butler from Downton Abbey do?” … Well, he would do what any respectful Brit would do, serve tea. That’s it! We’ll have a traditional Tea Party. I was off to the library to borrow the Downton Abbey DVDs to see what I needed to do.

 

First, I need to find some tea cups. Off to the local thrift shop. “I will take these two.”

I better check to make sure the kitchen crew used Earl Grey tea.

Everything is ready. Let the guests in.

Look, they are serving biscuits!

Some of the guests simply have no manners at all.

Don’t even think about drinking my tea.

Personally, I like my jam and biscuits with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds.

Chipmunk Innovation

Mom got her boots all muddy while bird watching. (Personally, I don’t understanding this fascination with watching the birds, we chipmunks are so much cuter to watch). She brought out her boot scraper to the Woodpile to avoiding tracking the dirt into the house (this is what humans call their wooden burrows). She forgot to bring it back on the porch. I am always fascinating by anything new and interesting. I spent sometime pondering what I could potential use this for. While I was in deep thought, I kept getting this persistent itch which wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. It was driving me crazy.

Spot dropped by and asked “Chippy, what is this? How does it work?”

Then hit me like a ton of seeds, “This is the answer to my prayers: an itch scratcher!”

Boy does it do a nice job brushing my tail

 

Rubbing one side 

 … and the other side

… and the hard to reach spot

Soooo much better

Balloon Ride

The other week, I was stuck in the burrow during one of those torrential summer downpours. I was surfing the internet and came across a video posted by a very clever chipmunk who claimed you could build a hot air balloon for less than $2. I am always up for a new challenge. All you needed for the project is a ball of string, a balloon, and wicker basket. I found some string in Mom’s gardening supplies, bought a pack of balloons for a 99 cents at the discount store, and small basket at goodwill. Total cost $1.99. By now you’re probably wondering how the little lungs of a chipmunk going to blow up a balloon. Well, they are not. I put on my cutest face and knocked on Mom’s door asked a favor. She can’t resist my charming whiskers.

With the balloon inflated, I installed the ropes over the top and secured them to the basket. I had the whole outfit tethered to a large stone while I was working. My project got a lot of attention in the Woodpile. Some of my buddies thought I finally had fallen off the edge of the Woodpile this time. Merry dropped by and asked a thought provoking question: “Where do you plan on traveling to in your hot air balloon?” I was so caught up in building it, I didn’t give any consideration as to a destination. Merry offered to suggest a place, if I would take him for a ride. That sounded like a good deal. Merry ran off to his burrow to pack a picnic lunch while I got the balloon ready for take off.

I was testing the setup and realized something was not quite right. With only two support ropes the basket was a bit tipsy.

When the wife dropped by I pretended everything was okay.

I was at a loss as to how to fix the problem. One the kids kept trying to get my attention.

She asked why I didn’t Google the answer.

Duh why didn’t I think of that.

Turns out you need four ropes for the basket not two. I fixed it.

… then the tether rope snapped and the balloon started to ake off without me. I made a flying leap to grab it.

Hey, Merry hurry up with that picnic lunch.

 

And we are off!

 

The finished balloon

DESTINATION: Mount Agamenticus, York, Maine

Merry spent the entire trip huddled in the bottom of the basket. He discovered he is afraid of heights! However, once we landed on the summit, Merry had a grand time.

Mount Agamenticus overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. On a clear day you can see Nubble Lighthouse. No luck today, too hazy.

Here is Merry touching the clouds.

Merry has dreams of climbing Mount Washington someday.