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Looking out the window

Joey the chipmunk came to me in 2009 in the early spring when chippies first venture from their moms.

My dog Skye saw her in the driveway and I saw this stand off between them. I walked towards the little baby thinking at first it was a little frog. I couldn't see her well from a distance. As I approached she moved and Skye picked her up in her mouth and shook her a little and then dropped her from about 1 and a half feet up. Joey's leg was hurt badly and she dragged herself around the side of the garage while I put Skye in the house.

I went to the garage and found her hiding in the leaves and picked her up and put her in a box outside while I gardened, hoping the mom would show up and find her baby. I figured the baby was only about 5 weeks old judging by the size and the amount of fur on the little ones body.

Long story short, Mom never showed up, but a big hungry hawk did. So for the next couple of hours I researched Chipmunks on the web, found out I needed to get puppy formula and raced to the vet's office to buy some.

Joey stayed in the bathroom while I nursed her back to health. Every 3 hours for 4 weeks, I woke up and fed her her puppy formula from an eyedropper. I had to be careful not to choke her. She was delicate but so determined and feisty.

Her leg eventually healed and she was able to use it. She grew, although she is still the tiniest of the chipmunks outside. I released her in September of last year back into the wild where a chipmunk belongs. They do not make good pets and to leave her in a cage would be cruel. She survived the winter and comes and sits with me every night on the deck. She had her own litter of pups in June of this year and she is still very tame and eats from my hand and loves to come into the sunroom while I'm potting. She is an amazing little friend and this has been the adventure of a lifetime for me.

My mother loved chipmunks and whenever she saw one she named her or him Joey. I followed the tradition.

Joey's fight in the wild

Ouch. Very well healed now. I have two animals with eye injurys. Well one that had a couple of tumours removed from his eyelid and he is one day post op, so that hurts!

Joey has healed from this fight now quite well. Man is she FEISTY. I'm proud of her. She reminds me of my little 4 foot 10 mom!

Thank you Lord

Thank you Lord for this family that gives me anything and everything I need and that saved my life and that I love!

And we love her too!

Joey loves grapes

This is a spoiled little GIRL!
Yes girl....

Joey and Colette Wrestling

April Fools Joey

I don't think there is a cuter chipmunk in the world than my chipmunk.

Waiting patiently for a snack

This is what I turn to find looking over my shoulder as I commune with my chipmunk!

Joey's tail

So if you look carefully here, you can see how spindly her tail is. Really what a horror. When it's wet, it is just like a little mouse tail. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

How can I kiss this guy and be scared to the core about mice. What the hell is wrong with me?

Look half way up her tail too and you can see that it is almost bare. That's the easy way of telling her from the other chipmunks.

Sweet baby Joe

Well here she is this morning. Very nice to see her in the morning coming for a treat. I sat with her for half an hour before my class came and she is completely like she was last year. Not so patiently waiting for peanuts.

JOEY IS BACK

My baby chippie made it through the winter. She came out of Torpor yesterday and joined me on the deck.
Today she lost his fear and fed from my hand. Of course when I cracked the peanuts and handed them to her, she handed them back to me to take off the papery covering. Then she stuck them in her little cheeks. She looks very healthy, but a little thin.
I also saw crooked tail out there. They may be a couple. I'll keep an eye and report further!

I couldn't be happier right now.

His tail

My friend Kirstin was asking me how I could tell it was Joey. I must admit I have never spent a lot of time trying to tell Chippies apart, but since hand raising one, you can see the variations clearly. This is Joey digging into some seed outside this summer. His tail is rather spindly (great doesn't he know I hate mice) and not very furry. We have one with a break half way up so his tail goes off at a 90 degree angle, one very, very fluffy tailed chipmunk and one with half a tail. Thanks to the barn cats we used to have. Also Joey has one very large toe (from his injury I suspect) on his hind left foot. So when he is in my hands or on my lap, you can see this. Of course the mere fact he is in my hands tells you who it is!

Joe's funny little face

Just like a puppy, trying to get a grip on my hand. Gosh I hope she has enough hoarded food. But she know's where to come for more.

Joey's funny face

I wanted to include this picture in her album. If you click on it it will enlarge so you can see the expression on his face. Like a puppy. She is so cute. Hope she hoarded enough food! Well she knows where to come if he needs to.

Joe joe

So I haven't written for a while and those that know me, know why.

I haven't seen Joey for several months now. She is in Torpor and trying to stay warm, I'm sure with the temperatures above ground registering - 36.

How warm is it underground I wonder.

We are still feeding the birds and squirrels galore out there, so come spring it will be a chippies heaven.

The last time I saw her, was just after Halloween. Don had been in and out of the hospital from his surgery and subsequent infection and I was in a low mood. Looking out the back window there she sat on a big decorative birdhouse I made a few years ago. She was looking in the window she knows he can catch me at. I went outside immediately and he jumped right into my hands. So after not seeing her for 2 months she had remembered where to come when she needed some food, love or attention. I can't wait to see her. When the spring comes I will feel as if my sparing her life from the clutches of Skye's jaw and later the cats attack was a good thing to do. I miss her pretty much every day which I know is silly, but that's me. What can I tell you.