Once, I set up a birdfeeder with the intention of feeding birds. But, that's not how it usually ends up. The squirrels took over, but at the time I welcomed all animal life, so I didn't interfere. Over the weeks that followed, a hierarchy took place among the squirrels. It ended one day with one squirrel taking over. He laid back in the feeder like it was some kind of food sauna. I could swear it was a whole morning he was there, but I wasn't watching him the whole time. I just remembering how it was strange how none of the other squirrels challenged him.

Then, later in the day I walked to the front of the house to check the mail, and there on the driveway, splat on the ground was the squirrel with all limbs stretched out as if he took a leap from one tree to the other, expecting to make it the way he had countless other times, but failed, landing splat on the ground.

I think he underestimated how much heavier he was after the food sauna.

I only let the fat squirrels eat a little before I chase them off. I do have 2 that were probably born last Spring, and I let them eat as much as they want to get through the winter.

I lived for a year in PA, and I saw more chipmunks than I’d ever come across. I ‘made friends’ with one, who would come running from the woods like a cruise missile when I called his name (Alvin!) to get peanuts from my hand. I only touched him once, and he made it clear that he wanted no physical contact.

... I'm seeing some VERY fat squirrels.

My wife, a lover of all living things, would drop sunflower seeds on the deck and the chipmunks would approach cautiously and eat the seed. After a few days she had them eating out of her hand and was able to pet them, which was a thrill for her. They're so damn cute!

This year of course we have at least 20, digging holes in the garden, attacking the roots of our Japanese maple, building cities under the deck, etc. We just planted several areas with tulips and we've had to cover them with chicken wire and dose them with capsaicin oil.

The expression 'We've created a monster' comes to mind.

I remember being around ten years old and being sent to somewhere near Spooner WI, and that was the very first animal that I could honestly say I became attached to.
Every day I would go out and sit and hope he would visit, and when he did, I would talk to her as softly as one does to a baby. I never got to touch it of course, but looking back, it made me be still even back then. What a gift that experience has been formatively.

so, what I read was "I've been hooking up with this chipmunk that lives in the backyard". Naturally, I did the cartoon head shake and my immediate thoughts were, how is that possible? And, I know Duncanpup likes animals so that didn't happen. Then I re-read your post and it went from weird to cute.
That's what I get for having just awakened and started reading DU before my first cup of coffee here in So. Cal.
Then again, it's lucky for me I wasn't drinking coffee yet because I might have accidently spit it out, and it's so expensive I had to take out a 2nd on my house to buy it.
Anyway, good morning everybody and thanks for the laugh, Duncanpup. Y'all have a great weekend.

..after the " hooking up with chipmunks" part and before you got to "gonna have to widen..." part.

(Sorry to all decent humans on earth. I'll let myself out.)

We have a cage style feeder on a pole with a baffle that keeps the chips and squirrels out. But we take care of them by putting seed on the ground. This also provides for ground feeding birds, like doves and cardinals.
Its quite enjoyable to watch them do their thing.
We also have a hummingbird feeder that's attached to the side of the house next to one of the kitchen windows.
Not only is this entertaining for us, but ll this makes for an excellent cat-TV channel for our two cats, Houdini, and S'mores.

To me it's phenomenal because it is literally the only chipmunk I've ever seen since moving to NC in 2007. His name is Chippy.

It's ridiculous how much joy that little guy gives me. Caveat: we think we may be on Chippy 2 and the original Chippy may have passed on.

My family went to some sort of campground in the Adirondack mountains in NY. Little cabins, not tents. There were very tame chipmunks that would come and take peanuts off your shoes. It's a favorite childhood memory, and I have loved them ever since.

only with chickadees eating out of my outstretched hand!!

Core memory for sure.

or maybe it's Pearl.Takes peanuts out of my hand; makes my day.

the bears aren't officially in their winter digs, but I've been spreading some seed on the ground and putting cakes of seeds out a second story window. I've also been feeding Cottontails and opossums apples. I love watching the birds and animals.