Baby Pictures

These are some pictures of when I was just getting done having pneumonia. Biggun didn't tell me she had these! She is sneaky!


Look! I am Peeking Chico!



I am much bigger than this, now.



Sometimes, I played too much and I got tired.



Sometimes, I ate too much and I got tired.



This was my baby food. I don't eat that anymore.



My first big food!

I am not little anymore! I am a big ground squirrel. But, I'm still really really cute.

Me again!

Spring is here. I am very happy about that. I feel frisky.
I am all grown up now. I'm not a baby anymore. I don't even have to live in my little room; I have the big room all to myself.
I made myself a condominium out of a mattress. Biggun didn't mind; she said she was going to throw it away anyhow.

I didn't get much sleep for the winter. It was too warm. That made me sort of crabby. I'm still sort of crabby, come to think of it. But not always. At night, I still like cuddles.
Anyway, Biggun says that it is time for me to go back to the wild. She says I will not be happy in my room. I think she might be right. I want to dig. I want to meet a girl and have a family. But, I will miss all of my friends like Britney and Newt and Brave K.
So, Biggun will try to find a way to "rehabilitate" me so I can be a wild ground squirrel and not one that lives indoors anymore. I'm excited to dig my own burrow! I can decorate it however I want!

Because I wasn't sleeping, I got to have Christmas! It was really fun. I had stocking full of nuts. And, also, as a special treat, I got to drink some EGGNOG! Oh, that stuff is almost as delicious as grasshoppers!!!


Kee kee kee, just wandering around.


OH! What's this?


It's DELICIOUS, is what it is!!!


It was fun.

Then there was Valentine's Day. I didn't get anything that day because Biggun said I can't eat chocolate. I can eat roses, though, and she certainly didn't get me one of those. I don't think she loves me most anymore. Maybe that's why she really wants to get rid of me! Mean Biggun.

No, I don't think that is the way it is.
But, I won't be near a computer for much longer, so I figured I'd better start writing again before I get wild.

Pictures of ME!

These are some pictures of me. They are about 6 weeks old, so this isn't what I look like. I am much bigger and braver!


This is how I peek!


I am SO BIG! See, I can stand up like Biggun!

Oh no!!!

Do you know what Biggun did? She bought me a new ball. I had one when I was a baby, but it is waaaaay too small for me to fit in now. But, she just bought a big one. It is yellow. She put me in it today and she said this is the only way I am allowed to run around the house. It's not FAIR! I am a ground squirrel, not a hamster! I am supposed to run and dig and jump and peek at things! But, now, I get stuck in this ball and I can't go anywhere...but it is kind of fun to run in. But, not THAT fun. I am very angry.
She DID take me outside and I got to run around out there in my ball, but that was even more unfair because I couldn't dig in the dirt! I could smell it, I could feel it if I poked my claws out the holes, but I couldn't DIG in it.
Biggun is so mean to me. One day, I will bite her.

Grounded. Again.

I am always in trouble. I can't do anything to please that Biggun.
So, here is how it is: I am tired. I am hungry. I have been eating and nesting for a couple of weeks because soon, I want to hibernate. I think. I'm not really sure, yet, but I feel I should be ready for hibernation in case I decide to sleep all winter.
There is a gap between the baseboard under the kitchen sink and the cabinet. I can shimmy right over and then I have a big playspace under the cabinets and Biggun can't get me there. I've been storing things back there all summer long; I've made myself a little nest. I thought it would be a good place to hibernate.
Biggun took me out of my room the other day and let me run around. It was on her birthday. She was talking to people on the phone. I decided that I was very tired and maybe it would be a good time to start sleeping. I hopped over the baseboard and into my roomy nest and dug around and moved the fluff here and there for maximum comfort. Biggun started calling my name, so I had to be quiet because I didn't want her to know where I was. Well, she's kind of smart, so she figured it out. But, she wasn't worried. Her friends came over, I could hear her laughing and all those big person voices made me feel sleepier and sleepier. I went into the space next to my nest (there is a little hole and if I go through it, I can get under the dishwasher) just to see what was what and maybe to curl up a bit. I checked it out, but then something horrible happened! Because I have been eating and eating, I am a bit bigger than I used to be and the hole I crawled through has a funny angle...and I was too fat to fit back through. I was stuck under the dishwasher. I fell asleep. Then I woke up because Biggun was calling me and trying to get me, but she couldn't. She yelled at me and told me, "FINE! Just STAY under there, you creepy little rodent. Freeze to death. See if I care! There's water out here if you get thirsty, but I'm not leaving you any food because I don't need you storing anything else under the sink, you horrid little miscreant." Then she banged around a lot and it gave me a headache. Finally she stopped and went to bed. I went back to sleep.
But, then, in the night, I got cold. And lonely. And hungry and thirsty and I couldn't get back to the nest I'd made on the other side of the wall because I still couldn't fit back through the hole! I was stuck under the dishwasher. It was horrible. And Biggun was far away, in bed, asleep. I was so miserable.
When it got light out again, I heard Biggun. She was calling me. I was so happy to hear her! I climbed up to where I could see her - there's this place on the bottom of the dishwasher that is metal and I can crawl up there and look down at the floor and she was lying on the floor, peeking up through the thing I was standing on. I put my hands down through the metal holes and she grabbed my hands and held them. Then she put some water up by me and I could drink a little. I told her I was scared. She grumbled something about it being 6:40 in the morning and then she went away and made a bunch of noise. When she came back, she told me to get to the back and then she started taking the front of the dishwasher apart. She took off a plate (not the kind she eats on but the kind that is stuck to the front of the dishwasher) and then she found me! She could reach her hand in to where I was and she did and I was so happy to see her, I licked her hand and then curled up on it. She yelled at me and told me how terrible I am and said that she is going to smoosh me with her shoes, but then she gave me a thousand kisses and she washed me and put me back in my room. She gave me some food and some fresh water and then went away. I ate and drank and slept and was very happy to be back in my dirt.
But, now I'm in trouble. She says I'm grounded and I'm never coming out again! I think that's pretty mean.

Dirt

Biggun got up early today and we had some good playing for a long time. It was fun. I was very ferocious. I am getting good at Kill Kill Die Die. I think Biggun is scared of me because I am so good at attacking.
Biggun is still keeping the door shut to her bedroom. It makes me miserable. I would be so much happier if I could play in there. It's such a good room! And now she's found another way to make me miserable because she is very mean to me. The plants that live here have nicer dirt than I have in my room. So, I like to crawl into the plants and dig the dirt all over the place. Then Biggun sees me and she shouts at me and I jump out of the plant and run around really fast while Biggun screams. She says things like, "I am going to squeeze you until your eyes pop out!" and "I am going to step on you and squish you, you little miscreant" Kee kee kee, she is very funny when she is angry at me. And then I just run around faster and faster with a big, fluffy tail and I laugh and laugh. Biggun has to clean up the dirt with the vacuum and then she chases me around and I hide. It's a lot of fun.
But, today, Biggun left for a little while and she didn't put me in my room first. So, I ran around and checked all my nests and did squirrely things. When she came back, she did mysterious things way up high. I don't know what it was she was doing. I got into another plant, one she thought I couldn't reach, but I can because I am very big, and I dug the dirt out and laughed. But, then! She put all the plants up! I can't reach them. They are all on top of things that are too tall for me to jump on or things I can't climb. I think that's very mean. Now I can't dig in the dirt that is so soft and moist and it smells good and it tastes good. You see how mean she is to me?
Then, she grabbed me and said horrible things like, "One day, I am just going to throw you out the window and you'll have to fend for yourself." or "I am going to feed you to the coyotes." And she put me in my room. But guess what?!?! My room is full of plant dirt! It's DELICIOUS! It smells so good! It's so fun to dig in. The other dirt is still there, too, all mixed in, but, SQUEAK! It's so fun to have plant dirt in my room!
I'm going to go dig some more now.

Not fair!

I'm so happy that Biggun has been home most of the weekend. Well, sort of. She had a friend here, too, and so I had to stay in my room, but at least I wasn't alone. And she's not going anywhere until later today, so I am out running around. Kee kee kee, this makes me happy.
But here is something that does NOT make me happy: Biggun shut the door to her bedroom! She won't let me in! Is this fair? NO! It is not. That is my favorite place to play and now I can't because the door is shut and I can't get in because it is too little underneath for me to wiggle in! I am very mad about this. I keep trying to dig my way in, but it doesn't work and Biggun just comes over and sprays water at me when I do that. And I keep following her around, telling her that I HAVE to go in there because I have important things in her room that I have to check on, but she won't listen to me.
Even worse, she has this...thing. I don't know what it is, but all day long, she's been pointing it at me. Well, it is kind of like the camera. I am used to the camera and I know that when it points at me, I have to be still and cute so she can take my pictures. This thing is a little different but she points it at me, so I am still and I let her do whatever it is she is doing, but then she gets all angry and tells me to run around and do cute things. And the thing she holds starts beeping and it's just all freaky. That girl is so weird.
So, I am going to go eat a grape now, because there's one out on my plate in the other room. And then I am going to try to get into Biggun's bedroom. I hope you are all having a nice weekend.

Who I am

I have decided that I am not a ground squirrel anymore. I am a climbing squirrel. Climbing is a very fun thing to do. There is a mattress next to the desk in the room where my room is and when Biggun comes in and lets me run around, I climb up to the top of the mattress and then I am bigger than Biggun and I can look down at the top of her head. I want to jump on it, but she usually gets me down first. Also, I find it is fun to climb up Biggun's bed. I can sneak under the covers and run around. It was funny because the other day, Biggun couldn't find me. She wasn't all panicky, but she came into her room because she was putting things away and she stopped and then she started laughing because she found me. I was running around under the covers on her bed. She said that she could only see this little moving lump. Then she picked up the covers and I saw her and I was surprised, so I ran away zippity quick. But, she still got me. She was a little worried I'd left her some presents in her bed, but I didn't. I know better than that. I can climb up the chairs, too. That's what I do when she is talking on the phone, I climb up to see her. It always makes her laugh.
I am redecorating my room again. I have decided to take down my hiding box. I just don't like it anymore, so I'm ripping it up with my teeth. I buried my pine cones and I put my sticks in the corner. I put all the fluffy things in the my nest and now it is very comfortable. I want Biggun to get me a fountain but she says no because I would eat the cord. I wouldn't, though. I don't eat cords. She used to spray me with water and make mean noises at me when I would try, so I don't do that anymore.
Biggun is bringing me a cucumber and some corn now, so I have to go eat my lunch.
Bye!

I'm back!

Hi, Everybody!
I am sorry you all had to worry about me, but thank you for saying so many nice things about me while I was recovering from my big adventure! I know Biggun already told you about it, but she told you her version of the story, which is boring. Here is mine.
Annie came up to see me and then we all went up to K's house. When we went outside, I saw his beautiful garden again. This time, I had a plan. When they took me out of my carrying case and were going to put me into my ball, I got very squeezy and sneaky and popped right away and ran off into the garden. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT!! It was so perfect and beautiful! There were so many places for me to play and so much dirt and big plants that covered me and everyone was chasing me and it was the most fun I've had because Biggun and her friends are slow and they could not catch me! Kee kee kee! I ran behind them and ran around them and they could not get me, but finally, because they are not a ground squirrel like I am, I wore them out. They all had to sit down and rest.
Well, while they were resting, I got bored because no one was playing with me. I am a very brave explorer and I decided to do some looking around. I squeezed under a fence and there was a whole wide world. I sang a brave little song and went running around all over! I saw so many things! Biggun doesn't have anything like this in our house. There were stinky things and shiny things and pokey things. There were big things and small things and hard things and soft things and everything was very exciting. And I scurried and I scampered and I skittered and then I saw them! A bunch of cousins like Newt! My cousin Newt! There were a lot of them and since I like Newt, I thought I would go say Hello to these cousins and ask them if they wanted to play with me, since Biggun didn't. That was my mistake. I guess maybe these ones weren't my cousins because they did not like me. One jumped right on me and I thought we were playing, because it was poking me like Biggun does when we play, but then, when I tried to play chase, the Newt bit me! IT BIT ME! Not like Biggun does, but for reals! It hurt so badly! I had tears in my eyes and I started crying and fighting like Biggun taught me, but it bit me harder so I screamed. It was so scary and so owie! I screamed and I screamed and Biggun didn't come. She's never done that before! And then the Newt (oops, sorry, Biggun says it's a cat, not a Newt) picked me up and said it was going to eat me and it started walking away, far away from where Biggun was and I was crying and screaming because I hurt and I was very afraid. I guess this is why I am not supposed to go too far away from people. I get into trouble when they can't see me.
And then K, who is very brave, got the cat. The cat dropped me and I did not see K. I was just afraid, so I ran to find someplace safe to be, but it hurt to run because the cat bit me in the shoulder and it hurt really badly and there was some blood and a hole where its tooth went in me. I found a corner and something grabbed me again and I bit it, only it was not a cat or anything else that is scary. It was K. He was rescuing me, but I still didn't know it because I was too scared. I heard him talking and I heard Biggun and then, soon, Biggun was holding me and I was shaking and shaking and shaking. She put me in my case and I got very little and just closed my eyes because I was very upset.
When we got home, she washed the bite on my shoulder. It hurt and I squeaked, but then she tried to put me down and I didn't want her to because maybe there would be another cat. I held onto her hand and she gave me some of my yucky medicine and then she held me until I fell asleep. She made me sleep in my carrying case. She said she was afraid that if I got in my nest, I would get dirt in my bite hole and it would be infected. Then I slept in the bed with her and I was in the corner of my case, right next to her, so I could stay warm. It was a scary night for me.
The next day, we went back to the vet again (that's my doctor) and it was a different person this time. It was a girl, but not like Biggun. This girl was afraid of me! Kee kee kee! She thought I would bite her, but I only bite Biggun. Well, and K when I am afraid, but I didn't mean to and I hope I didn't hurt him because sometimes I know I bite too hard. But the vet didn't want to hold me and she didn't know how and she was afraid of me. That made me feel sort of brave. Biggun held me (she is not afraid of me, but sometimes she pretends she is when we play) and the vet poked my wound and it hurt so I squeaked. She wasn't very nice to me, not like the other vet when I was there. She pulled off my scab and she cleaned me while Biggun held me and I tried to get away. And they weighed me,too. I am 3 ounces! Biggun says that I am HUGE and am growing so big because last time I was there, I wasn't even one ounce yet and now I am 3! It's all the grasshoppers. They make me big and strong.

You would think that that was the worst of it, but it was not. When I went back home, I had to stay in my carrying case until I had a scab. Then, when I had a scab, I couldn't come out of my room to play. I had to stay in there for 3 days. I only got to come out when I got my medicine and it was horrible because I wanted to run around and check my nests, but Biggun wouldn't let me. She said I could get out on Thursday. And she let me play with her in the bedroom on Thursday morning, but I didn't get to run around the house on Thursday night because she wasn't here. She went some place. She is always going someplace. I think she is forgetting about me. When she came home yesterday, I still didn't get to run around because she put me back in my case! I did not want to be there but she said we were going somewhere.

We went to visit Carrie and her husband and Kagat who does not like me because I am cuter than he is. But, the whole time, I was kind of scared. I wanted to get out and run around because I was tired of being cooped up in little places, but when I got out, it was really scary. Biggun put me in my ball (she has to get me a new one because I am too big for mine), but I was scared there, too, and I did not run around. I just sat there and shivered. Then she put me back in my case and I just went to the corner and slept, or just looked out and didn't do anything because I was afraid of cats who are not Newt. It was very scary. I got to sleep with Biggun but she was worried this morning because I was sleeping weird, she said. So, she cuddled me and that made me feel a lot better, but I just wasn't happy. I was supposed to stay there again tonight and then we were supposed to go up to the mountains so I could see my other BiggunMom, but I told Biggun that I didn't want to, so she brought me home. Tomorrow, she will still go to the mountains, but I will stay here. I will be lonely without Biggun and I am a little mad because I won't be able to get out and play for so long and probably I will forget where everything is, but it is OK because I would rather stay here than go someplace else. No cats can get me here and this is where my food is.

So, that is what happened to me. Thank you, everybody, for thinking about me and saying such nice things. I am all better now and my scab itches really badly, so I have to scratch it a lot. I will tell Biggun to take some new pictures of me so that everyone can see that I am fine.

Your little friend,
Chico