He’s a regular visitor at the Living Lab, knows his way into the shed and has a pretty good idea where we keep the peanuts.

If you spend enough time around the living lab, sooner or later you’ll meet Chippy. He’s a little chipmunk who lives nearby and has become a familiar sight. Most days, he’ll come scampering through the grass, stop by our feet and have a look around. He’s usually hoping someone has brought out the peanuts.

We keep a bucket nearby, and Chippy knows exactly where it is. He’s become quite comfortable with us moving around, working in the garden and spending time near the shed. Sometimes he’ll come surprisingly close, then disappear just as quickly as he arrived. He’s also found himself a little entrance into the shed, so we suspect he’s spending more time around there than we realise.

It’s become a familiar part of the day. We’ll be busy with something, hear a little movement nearby and there he is again. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered by all the activity. He has his own routine, and apparently we’re now part of it.

There’s quite a lot happening around the Living Lab these days, with the garden, the new shed, community activities and all sorts of creative work taking shape. Chippy has been around for much of it, quietly going about his business while we get on with ours. He’s not much help with the heavy lifting, although he does seem to be an excellent supervisor when peanuts are involved.

We’re rather fond of our little visitor. It’s nice having wildlife so close, and even nicer when an animal becomes comfortable enough to visit while we’re going about our day. We never quite know when he’ll show up, but we usually know what he’s looking for.

If you’re visiting, keep an eye near your feet. Chippy might be around. And if you happen to hear someone opening the peanut bucket, there’s a good chance he’ll hear it too.