Chipmunk War

Journal: Entry Four; Chipmunk War
One of the things we do for entertainment in the summer is having a war with the chipmunks. When I first moved here I thought they were so cute, furry creatures, who sit on your deck and stuff their jowls full of the sunflower seeds you placed out there for the birds. Then the chipmunks, with these seeds stuffed in their side cheek pouches, scurry down to their holes in the ground to prepare for winter. Another unfortunate treat they like to eat though is your flowers you plant to enjoy for summer color. Each morning when I get up I have fewer flowers and more and more wonderful planters of lush green stalks. I must say I have tried everything and I am still open to try new things. So far, no matter what I use to deter these creatures from snacking on my flowers, they seem to be immune to it. I look out my kitchen window and have a staring contest with the grand-daddy of them all. He is really large and sits on the rail of the hot-tub, just as defiant as he can be. I can tell he is not taking me serious. Here is my current list, dog hair, egg whites, liquid fence, fox urine, Cayenne pepper, and the newest deterrent is Juicy Fruit gum. Supposedly the little furry creatures, my husbands’ cousin calls them Mini Bears, eat the gum and it stops up their intestines and they go somewhere else to find a more amiable food source. I have several friends offer to “relocate” these furry creatures also. The one thing that worked the best happened last year. I had a black, bob-tailed, feral cat that was actually living under the hot tub deck. He obviously ate and scared off the chipmunks. We decided to live together as long as he agreed to earn his keep, which he did. But this year I have not seen him, so the war is still on.