Our Chipmunk family

I just love watching the newborn Chippies making their way out to the great beyond.
This morning, I spotted mom encouraging her 3 babies out of burrow to go and seek their fortune.

She would lead each one away from the burrow entrance and they would follow.

While one chippie was following mom, the remaining two would goof around.

Noogies!

Here's a shot of two following mom.  I shot this through a window that needs cleaning plus there was a flare from the sun on the drape.

Here's mom with her last baby giving it a kiss goodbye for good luck.

The baby started to follow mom but for only a few meters and then would come back to the burrow.
Mom came back several times trying to encourage it to leave.  She was persistent and patient.  What a good mom.

But this little fellow just wasn't ready to leave home just yet.

I had to leave though because I needed to do the laundry, clean the kitchen, plant some flowers, cut the grass and spray everything with deer repellant.  Apparently the local deer have all had their fawns and many with multiple births!