CHIPMUNKS are small and fast. Cute is a human term sometimes misapplied to this critter. Cute however has its limits as this animal can quickly become a pest of major proportions should it decide to invade your house, its foundation, or even the attic. They typically inhabit mature woodlands and woodlot edges. If you should see one going about its business of living, and gathering foods, it may temporarily store those seeds, nuts, insects or berries in check pouches. When filled to capacity, its head will appear twice as wide as normal. At burrow sites, those foods are cached into storage sites for later use.

When winter snows descend upon the land, chipmunks use underground burrows to sleep. They may wake up periodically to eat and then resume its nap. Like most chipmunks species of North America, this animal does not put on a layer of fat to help its body cope with long cold weather. In that respect it is not a true hibernator.

Identification is usually easy as this is the only small squirrel-like critter to have bold stripes of black or dark brown on its face and back. Do not confuse it with the larger 13 lined ground squirrel (grinny) that likes open grassland habitats.

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Today’s image of the Least Chipmunk was made high in the Black Hills of South Dakota, at the elevation of 6,750 feet above sea level. What is also special about this great get-a-away is a little log cabin “rescued” from the Forest Service. My Air Force buddy and his wife purchased the log cabin over 15 years ago. The one stipulation was this … it must be moved. The Forest Service personnel said we don’t care how you move it, intact or taken apart, but get it out of here. “Here” was at an inholding near Custer, S.D. The cabin was successfully blocked up and transferred onto a large trailer. And then many road miles later, it found its new home on the land my friend had purchased northwest of Rochford, S.D.

Over the course of 15 summer work sessions, this cabin has been transformed into a nice living space. New logs replaced some rotted ones. New doors were constructed and new windows installed. Insulation was added to the ceiling and new chinking carefully applied between the logs. A new steel roof keeps water off when it rains. A nice porch/patio addition allows the owners and their guests to sit and watch early morning fog fill the grassy valley, or beautiful sunsets each evening. A bunk house addition allows guests to stay warm and dry.

Here is the best part of this special spot: No electricity. No running water. No access at this site to cell phone towers. So if one wants peace and quiet, this cabin on its remote Black Hills setting is perfect. Whatever is happening in the world, in America, or just a one hour drive down the far eastern slopes of the Hills at Rapid City might as well be half way around the world.

At a remote log cabin setting like the one I get the privilege of being invited to, wildlife sightings are part of the allure. On my list of critters seen near the cabin this last week were white-tailed deer. Mule deer are present but not observed this time. Past forays have found mule deer bouncing in their stiff legged gait across the forest. Elk were observed on my last day at the cabin, just prior to the time I had to pack up my truck of the 700-mile journey home. About 12 elk were spotted just before sunrise in the grassy valley about one-quarter mile away. Even at that distance, the elk were aware of human activity. They were not curious, but very cautious. The end result was watching them scatter into the spruce forests before I could get a long lens and camera in place.

There will be future visits to this remote old log cabin in the high country. There will be a next time when I’ll be in the right place at the right time to capture elk images with a long lens. There will be lots of future excursions to the high country of the Black Hills where peace and quiet is the norm. Music is furnished by birds, the wind through the pines and aspens, and faint echoing bugles of elk. And tiny chattering chirps from chipmunks will fill in the gaps if things get too quiet.

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The MARIETTA SAND PRAIRIE is a quiet place close to you and me. It will the host site on June 29 for a Brown Bag Bunch gathering. Diane Hall, naturalist with the Marshall County Conservation Board, will guide the public who care to attend on a “Prairie Pondering” excursion through the grasses and flowers of this unique botanical preserve. The time for this gathering will be from 9-10 a.m. Bring a lawn chair, your own lunch and a camera. The Marietta Sand Prairie is located at 1744 Knapp Avenue, approximately three miles southwest of Albion. Call 752-5490 for details.

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Summer time fishing for kids will take place next Saturday, June 25 at Marshalltown’s Riverside Cemetery from 8 a.m. until noon. This event was originally scheduled for yesterday, but due to a circumstances, had to be moved ahead to this coming Saturday. Bullheads will bite on any bait. Kids will giggle and laugh while enjoying fish on the line. Bring your own tackle and poles. Bait will be available if you do not have access to earthworms. Prizes will be awarded for littlest and largest fish. Random prize drawings will be held periodically all morning long.

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SUMMER arrives tomorrow. We know the summer season is here for several reasons. First, very warm weather. Second, long day length and short nights. The northern hemisphere is tilted toward sun at its maximum angle this week. Alaska lands at high latitudes of the arctic circle experience a sun that does not set, just gets low to the horizon.

For us Iowans near Marshalltown, the earliest sunrises will be at 5:34 a.m. from June 8-20. Likewise, we will experience the latest sunset times of 8:50 p.m. between June 22 and July 3. But astronomers have to pick a more exact time for the Summer solstice and that date is June 20.

Enjoy each long 15-hour and 15-minute long day while you can.

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“To those devoid of imagination, a blank place on the map is useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.”

– Aldo Leopold

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Garry Brandenburg is a graduate of Iowa State University with BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology. He is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. Contact him at PO Box 96, Albion, IA 50005.