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Show .1 Chipmunks and Blue Joys in Canyon Country . . Bv W. D. Mi Arthin Having wished to return to J ( my friends, living at Dead ' K Horse State Park, to see how ' they were faring during the W'i winter months, my wife 1 packed a lunch while 1 packed gifts for our visit. It was a beautiful day for the trip. The sun was shining warm and bright with just enough breeze to accelerate our desires for the short joui iK'v and without a cure in the world, we started up the station wagon and took off. The first stop was at a gas station to take on fuel and 'hen a leisurely drive up state highway 163 to the intersection intersec-tion leading to the park. Wc passed by the Arches, where a few vehicles could be seen climbing the steep hill that winds from the bottom to the first lookout on top. The day was Saturday. The trip had been planned for Sunday after church and our plans were changed by the weather forecast that predicted predic-ted snow and rain for Sunday. So il was the day before the storm that wc left. The forecast was correct and if we had -waited, the opportunity to visit our friends would have been useless. Wc arrived at our customary picnigsite about 11 a.m. being careful to choose a table that was directly in the sunshine. We had stopped at one spot below to gather slicks and branches for a fire as we knew that in the park proper, the gahtering of firewood is forbidden. The wood was in a card board box and we left the box with the wood untouched for sonic other picniccr who would desire a fire. The day was too calm, warm and serene for a fire to be needed and besides, our friends might burn their feet in the ashes after we left. Setting the table with a bright red gingham checkered cloth andplacing silver and food around we sat awaiting the arrival of the busy little people we call friends. The first to answer our visit and welcome us was a pair of small birds with tufts of feathers growing from the top of their heads. 'They were not frightened of us but were very timid in accepting any of the bird seed ve placed on the limb of a tree. They chattered, scolded and fussed but eventually event-ually became reconciled to the fact that we meant no harm. The next to arrive were the Blue Jays who watched our every move very carefully to ascertain where the food was and what they could do about it. They perched near us watching and waiting patiently until the first animal appeared. appear-ed. It was one of the small chipmunks we had driven up to see and the first to show himself was a round eared one with a very bushy tail and a white stripe up the center. He watched us as we cracked a walnut and fed the meat to him. He first tasted it and finding it to his liking ate it. From then on I cracked nuts, placing them in the bottom of the cement firebox as he gathered them into his cheeks and took off to store them for the remaining winter months. At first he dug holes near us and buried the nut-meats, being very careful to cover the hole with dirt and rake it to disguise what was underneath, under-neath, but all to no avail. The Blue Jays perched on the surrounding trees were also watching the proceedings and silently glided from bush to bush, trailing the two lone chipmunks who attempted to hide the feed. As fast as a chippie would cover a bit of food a Blue Jay was there to pick it up with his long bill and soar off with it. It mattered not during the two hours we stayed to feed the animals, how much or where or what the chippies stored. There was always a thief to take the toils and work of others for himself. As with humans who prey on the hard . workers of the universe to fatten themselves at the expense of others the Blue Fay is rightly called a CAMP ROBBER. He toils not-neither does he spin. |