Strawberries

   Tangled in with the few irises that came from her garden was a lone strawberry plant.  It was planted with them in front of my house, and forgotten for that first year.  Last year I noticed it and looked for berries, but found none.  This year the plant grew strong and healthy and I saw it had 5 berries, green when I noticed them, but looking promising.  Last week, I saw that 2 of the larger berries were nearly ripe but when I looked a day or so later, the 2 were gone.  Three were left, still green, so I placed an oak leaf underneath them to protect them from the rain and dirt.  The last I saw them they were one day away from ripeness: I checked the next day and they were gone, with a chipmunk leaving the area.  The conclusion drawn is that chipmunks prefer their strawberries one day less ripe than humans do.  Or else, they just outwit us.  Tomorrow, I think I'll drive up to Strawberry Acres;  I saw their sign today by the roadside.  Maybe I'll be able to drive over a few chipmunks along the way.