Chewie and the Doves

This is Chewie. Chewie the Chipmunk loves to scamper into the garage when the door is open. Unfortunately he doesn't also scamper out when the door is ajar. He waits until the door is closed and then decides it's time to leave. That's when the chewing comes into play. So far he's munched the weather striping off the bottom of the garage door--hundreds of little bits of rubber lying on the floor. That was my first clue that perhaps Chewie was in the garage and might like to get out.
Therefore I left the door open and went out to put fresh water into the birdbath. Suddenly here comes Chewie. But instead of zipping away like a normal Chipmunk should, he comes toward me. In fact he comes within a foot of my shoe. Chewie isn't rabid is he? Oh dear, is Chewie so annoyed about being shut in the garage that he's going to bite me in the sneaker? That being the only part of me he can comfortably reach thank goodness.
No actually there is also a puddle, on the concrete next to my shoe, created from a drip coming from the hose. Chewie keeps his eye on me and leans down for a deep drink. Chewie is thirsty. That's what happens when you chew all that rubber. Poor guy, there's plenty of seed in the garage but water is definitely on the sparse side. Guess I'd better keep a plant saucer of water in there from now on just in case Chewie gets accidentally incarcerated again.

5:26PM I manage to snap Doorstep Dove as she teleports in.
(For the confused, that's a joke.)
Though Little Bit, the smallest of the Mourning Dove children , was foraging earlier in the afternoon she's gone by 5:30 and Doorstep is as usual first for the evening feeding.

Then there are three.

Then four

Then six...wait, what happened to Doorstep?

This used to be the tomato plants, sunflowers, peppers, and squash vines but the cold has swept them away. Only the dandelion leaves peek out of the leaf debris. But some plants are hardier.

For instance there is...

Parsley! It doesn't look the least bit bothered by the 39F wind chill. And the Marigolds with their drying seed heads aren't nipped by the recent frost and snow flurries either. They're still holding their own.

5:34PM There's Doorstep. She's first yet again for the family's evening bird bath gathering.

5:59PM The Mourning Dove family has gathered. Four on the bath and three on the ground. One of the groundlings is visible below Doorstep, who is on the far right edge. DD Daughter is below the bowl outside the frame and Little Bit is center looking at the camera.

Donegal Browne