To them we are the tourists
Seasonal neighbors
Here for a few months
Being loud and noisy
Then gone
Generations of ground squirrels and chipmunks
Alive on this land
This is their home
In the high desert mountain valley
“Meeps!”, “Beeps!”, and squeaks
Incessantly reminding us of their existence
Whether it’s before the crack of dawn, like a rooster
Or at sunset, when being stalked by a predator
It doesn’t stop
This is their turf
We aren’t going to change that
Communities scatter these lands
Foraging amongst the firs deep in the steep forest drainages
Lake side, climbing rocks, scouting for friend, foe, and food
Nesting under porches
Running across roads
Squeaking out from picnic tables at vacant tourist sites
Unbothered and unbroken by us
These rodents track their days differently
Blooming flowers and grasses mark spring
Dry air and hillside huckleberries summer
Leaves and temperatures, dropping for fall
Early snowfall signifying a long winter
Their lifestyles and challenges
Incompressible to us
Does dust fall in your burrow when a vehicle drives over it?
Is there a warmth living under a campfire ring?
How does the family prepare for 40 inches of snow in the winter?
How do you mourn when a fox has killed a sibling or parent?
This land
Their lives
So intricately connected
But often overlooked
So here’s to you ground squirrels
You will outlast us
May you meep for generations to come
Just a little later please
Cush currently works as a SIHA naturalist for the 2024 summer season. You may find him on quiet trails searching for wildlife and views to photograph. Cush is an amateur photographer and all photos in this blog were taken by him.