Alvee

I had a little friend for the last month or so that I named Aleve. Alves was a chipmunk that would run atop our old stone wall to eat peanuts out of my hand. For the last week or so I haven’t seen any sign of him. I fear he may have fallen victim to one of the stray cats that roam the neighborhood. I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible if he is gone. Maybe I caused him to let his guard down a little too much when I gained his trust. I really miss that little guy. The past few days have caused me to think even beyond my little friend, to step back and reflect on life in general. I would watch him take the peanuts I gave him, stuffing them into his cheeks, and run like lightning back to his underground storehouse. It was so funny to watch him squeeze into his ground hole with his cheeks puffed out beyond his body. Sometimes he would have his butt up in the air as he struggled to stuff himself down the hole. I must have given that little rascal at least four pounds of peanuts to store for the winter. Who knows what other kinds of nuts and things he found while foraging around the property. Every day he would tirelessly gather those nuts to save for another day. I fear that day will never come for him. I guess we are a lot like my friend the chipmunk, gathering and running every day of our lives to save a little time down the road. Maybe it will come to pass for us…and maybe it won’t. It’s not maudlin or macabre, it’s just life. We don’t know when the time will stop for us, or when the winter winds will blow. So while we’re out there gathering and saving, let’s have some fun and enjoy what we have in the here and now.