It was time for Sparkle’s walk.

We drove to the Grand River Lookout located in the Homer Watson Woods at the dead-end of Wilson Avenue, Kitchener, some 10 minutes from our home.

Meandering through the woods, Lloyd’s curiosity was aroused by a hollow at the base of two conjoined trees.  We went over and observed a hole in the bottom of the hollow.

In a moment or two, now some 15 feet further along, Lloyd cried:

“Look over there! A chipmunk just popped out of that hole!”

She stood still for the longest while—uncharacteristic, as you know, of these tiny high-tailers.

You have probably seen the chipmunk in the middle panel of my triptych painting titled Woodland Wildflowers as well as the original portrait of a chipmunk titled Picnic in the Pines.

A beloved chipmunk is the main character in my bedtime story available on Amazon in both English and French entitled Mrs. Twigadoon or Mme Twigadoon.

Lloyd and I marvelled at the opportunity we had just experienced of photographing a non-moving chipmunk! As we continued on, coming upon a snowy-white trillium or a cluster of trilliums sparkling up the woodlands, the sense of delight was absolutely uplifting!

Yellow violets were also plentiful in the Homer Watson woods!

As one climbs the short knoll to Lookout, you actually walk through the chipmunk’s pantry . . . . . acorns plunked here and there along the pathways. No wonder. After all, hadn’t we just found a chipmunk’s abode?