3 2009-09-08T15:57:12Z false I planted a bunch of seeds in my Northeast beds yesterday. I have tricky fall sun in my backyard, and I mostly depend on the Northeast beds for fall crops. I sat on the ground, quietly planting seeds in the raised bed for about a half hour. Then I sat back and kinda zoned out and stared at the bed. I was enjoying the cool weather, thinking about how different my backyard garden is from the community garden, and trying to visualize where I could plant more seeds. I sat very still and quiet for a while, probably 15 minutes or so. The lone chipmunk that lives in my neighbor's yard apparently didn't know I was there, because he came around the corner of the raised bed quite boldly and started nibbling on a seed packet about 6 inches from my hand. The sound of the rattling seeds caught my attention and I turned my head, and Chippy and I scared each other half to death. He jumped straight up in the air and fled to the corner by the trash can, and I screamed like a little girl. He whirled around at the trash can and we stared at each other for a few moments. I'm not sure who's heart was beating faster -- his poor little chest was heaving. Then he blinked once and turned and scurried away. I don't know what to make of this chipmunk, or the ones that have turned up in the front yard. Squirrels in my area have been very, very stressed lately due to a lack of tree nuts, likely the result of unusual weather patterns. They've been starving to death. I've read that chipmunks, who have more varied diets than squirrels, have been moving into areas previously dominated by squirrels. I'm not sure what the ecological implications of this are, or more immediately, the implications for my garden. I've left this little dude alone. With the exception of a few sprays of garlic on my tomato plant, I haven't done anything to discourage him. Will I regret this next year when he brings his family around for a snack? Or will it be ok? Should I be concerned about this shift from squirrels to chipmunks? 8 false 68124 false false false Entry 2009-09-08T04:00:00Z DMY Public 2009-09-08T15:57:12Z 1713 73 F