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.

Photography Class

I was looking through last year’s family vacation album, and to be quite honest I was a bit disappointed with my photos. They didn’t look anything like those fancy photos in the vacation brochures. I decided to be pro-active and signed up for a free photograph class at the local community college. I showed up to the class and discovered I was the only four legged student. The professor was excited to see someone from the Woodpile attending. He even asked me to model for his new wildlife photography book.

Lesson #1

To get sharp well composed images it is best to use a tripod. Well that is easy to say and do when your 5 foot 6 inches instead of 0 foot 3 inches. They don’t make chipmunk size tripods (at that size it sort of defeats the purpose). I put my years of tree climbing skills to good use. I put together some specialized instructions for my fellow chipmunks.

Step one to use a tripod, shimmy up one of the legs.

Once you are at the top of the legs, you can then rotate the camera to the desired position.

This control allows you adjust the tilt of the camera. Be careful not to fall off.

 This control also doubles as a perch to adjust the various controls on the camera.

After making all of your F-stop, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, manual focus adjustments (no auto settings allowed in this class) don’t forget to actually take some time to compose the shot! Composure: “rule of thirds”, leading lines, look for distracting elements, depth of field, tell a story … who knew there was so much to learn about photography. – It literally took an hour to get one shot.

Lesson #2

The next class was on portrait photography. We were all required to ask someone to model for us. I asked Merry to join me. All the ladies in class couldn’t keep their ideas off of him. The professor decided he was the perfect model for his wildlife photograph book and I got the heave ho. Well, back to the lesson. This lesson built on the previous lesson about tripods but I ran into one small tiny problem, the tripod was way too tall for Merry. I got special permission to dispense with the tripod and use the bench.

Merry, you are not in the right spot, I can’t see you in the viewfinder.

I suppose it would help, if I had the camera pointed in the right direction. Let me rotate it a bit.

Merry I need you to look alive rather than like a piece carved pine.

I need some action and expression from you.

 That’s perfect!!!

Circus Comes to Town

According to the latest marketing research, the entertainment market in furry critter communities has great potential. As more and more critter families enter the middle class, they have more free time and disposable income to spend. A big name circus company (which wished to remain anonymous) came to the Woodpile looking to recruit talent for a brand new traveling three ring critter circus. They had heard about the legendary climbing and feeder raiding skills of some of the Woodpile’s more notorious elements.

A fearless Chippy Jr. high in the tree

Baffles and weighted perches may be squirrel proof but they are no match for chipmunks.

Chippy Jr. and his friends saw the circus tryout posters all around the Woodpile. They were talking amongst themselves. “Hey, we can climb trees. How hard would it be learn to walk a tight rope and join the circus? Okay lets go.”

Are you sure this tight rope is safe? I don’t see a safety net.

I'm not scared … I'm not holding on for dear life.

Oh no …

I can get back up on the rope. No need to rescue me.

Daylight Willey is one of the most notorious feeder robbers of all time. He finally got caught by Woodpile security in a brazen daylight robbery of First National Feeder. The judge gave him two choices: get a job or go to jail. Willey signed on with the circus as a trapeze performer. How hard could it be?

Here goes nothing 

You want me to do what? Are you crazy?

Help, what did I get myself into?

Lets try a different grip

 I need to think about this some more...

Spring's Offspring

Here are the newest additions to the Woodpile. The parents are into everything British. In honor of the royal family, they are name Charlotte and Louis.

Coming out of the den for the first time to explore their new world

 Is safe to come out? 

Did you hear something? We better stick close together for safety.

What’s that? Why don’t go and check it out.

What do you mean I can check it out all by myself!

Hurry, you need to come out and have some fun.

Double Trouble

Time to take a rest

Joy Ride

As you know I bought a human size car. In my excitement, I didn’t quite think my plan completely through. As one observant blog follower asked, how do I plan on driving it when I can’t even see over the dashboard. Okay, that is just a tiny, minor, inconsequential problem. Let’s break the problem down into its key components: (1) steering, (2) gas & brake pedals (3) shifter, and (4) navigator. Obviously, I am too small for my paws to reach the petals and shifter while steering. What’s a chipmunk going do? My solution is to get a drink at the tavern. You are probably asking how is getting drunk going to fix the problem? Watch and learn …

At the Blackbird Tavern, I said in a loud voice “Attention my fellow Woodpile critters, I have an important announcement. How many of you want to see the world beyond the Woodpile? How many of you want to take what the humans call a “Joy Ride”? Guess what, it won’t cost you one sunflower seed.”

My drinking buddies said “sounds exciting”, “where do I sign up”, “I like free stuff” … and one smart paw asked “what is the catch?” I whispered in his ear that his wife wanted him home for dinner with the kids or else … he left in hurry. Too many questions will ruin my plan.

Okay everyone lets check out my new “set of wheels”.

“Joy Riding” is a team sport. I need a navigator (sort like a quarterback) who sits on the dash and calls the plays – “steer left”, “steer right”, “hit the brakes”. I need a strong brakeman to work the pedals. I will be the coach and “steer” the team in the right direction. Now, I just need someone to handle the shifter.

There are a couple of rules we need to follow: (1) No drinking and driving (2) Not everyone gets a window view. One of my drinking buddies said, “Chippy, you never mentioned there was a catch to this Joy Ride of yours.” We can talk about that later. Lets rev up the engine.

 I had two of my buddies wanting to be the quarterback or navigator: Freddie the Chipmunk and Lucky the Spider. Freddie said “Please, please pick me.”

Then to prove his skills, he challenged Lucky to a “steering” contest

Freddie “What do you mean you picked the Lucky the Spider over me?”  

Chippy “Well, she has more eyes than you do.”

“Lets give it some gas”

“I see something in the road lets give the brakes a soft touch.”

“Hey that is Bushy the Squirrel in the road, hit the brakes hard!”

I am real natural at this steering business

Vinnie, time to shift into the next gear.

“Daddy, can we stop, I need to use the restroom.” The joys of taking the family on a “Joy Ride.”

 

An Unexpected Meeting

Today, I was gathering sunflower seeds around the Woodpile when to my astonishment I bumped into a new chipmunk whom I never met before. His name Meriadoc Brandybuck, but his friends call him Merry. Merry just arrived from Ashaway, RI. He is the brain child creation of Tom Helmer a retired furniture maker and devoted Chippy fan.