Mr. Chipmunk and I are cohabitating

Last fall there was a momentous event. An event which caused me to be immobile for 3 days, do you recall, the gardening overhaul? Last October Mum and I spent 10 hours ripping out the gardens, adding 5 bags of soil, building a perimeter to protect the garden from the lawn mowers, and redesigning the plant layout. It was excruciating (my that’s a big word) and felt anticlimactic since nothing would grow until this spring. During the excavation I was mindful of the fact that a certain chipmunk had been residing in the front center of the garden. By mindful I mean that we did not plant anything over his hole although we did cover it with soil and mulch. The next morning he’d dug out and I was happy I hadn’t scared him off. My mother warned me that he’d feast all winter on the new bulbs we’d just spent so long planting and arranging.

Fast forward to last night when I rushed home so I could sit in the back yard and knit. It was nice and sunny and I thought a good opportunity to check on the gardens. My mothers warning about the chipmunk echoed through my mind. But I had been diligent about feeding him peanuts all fall and then again this spring when the snow over his hole had melted. Hopefully he’d left my bulbs alone. I am happy to report I have a few small purple flowers but I can see that the tulips, lilies, and daffodils are all about 4” of green, right on the cusp of blossoms. With all of the growth in the garden I’d say it worked, the bulbs are all there, and Mr. Chipmunk and I have successful coexisted in the garden.

And yes, I’ve knit my mile. It’s amazing how much yarn you can burn through when you’re motivated to knit mice. Ok more like obsessed to knit mice. I feel like a mouse freak. April’s total yardage is 2,067 yards or 1.2 miles.