Neil and I rescued this little guy from a swimming pool during our Memorial Day weekend trip. The backstory:
I woke up our first morning in Coudersport, Pa., looked out the window at the pool behind the house we were staying at and took in the lovely view. (For those of you who have never heard of Coudersport -- which I'm guessing is everyone minus the 2,650 people who live there -- it's a rural town in the mountains of northwest Pennsylvania, about 175 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. We were visiting Neil's aunt and uncle.)
So peaceful, serene. Except for one critter swimming along the sides of the pool. Ooh, I thought, a snake! Look at it go! Meanwhile a bunch of chipmunks were scurrying across the yard and by the pool -- so cute! Hmm, maybe that isn't a snake. Looks like it could be a chipmunk? How adorable, taking a dip! I glanced away to peruse a magazine article, something about intalling a zip line in your back yard. Then back out the window: Boy, that chipmunk looks like it's getting tired. Why doesn't it get out of the pool? Maybe I should say or do something. Er, but I'm sleepy and I don't really know the people in the house. Oh well. Mmm, I wish *I* had a zip line behind my home. La la la.
Looking up again: Hmm, the chipmunk has stopped swimming. Or moving at all oh my god I think it's dead. Sure enough, our host, Marilynn, walks out at that point, grabs a net, fishes out the lifeless chipmunk and dumps it in some grass a few yards away.
Holy shit. I just let a chipmunk die. I'm a chipmunk killer!
Cut to after breakfast. Marilynn has gone to the grocery store, and Neil is in the shower. I'm at the big window, feeling guilty. Then I see it: another chipmunk paddling away in the pool. This time, no hesitation. I run outside and retrieve a dripping, shivering mass of fur. "Go on, little guy, you're saved!" Shiver shiver. Poor thing wouldn't even move out of the net after I set it on the ground.
Neil comes out and suggests giving the chipmunk a new hairdo.
Kidding! It was his good idea to bring out my hair dryer and try to warm Mr. Shivers. Soon after I took this photo, he finally moved on his own, limping off behind a stack of firewood. I hope he was okay. I like to think of him as my redemption, chipmunk-wise.
The rest of the trip was great. Took the bikes out for a 44-mile ride (to the next town over and back), stopping to take this photo along the way. It actually was pretty tough for me, but the mountainy views were fantastic!
This shot during another ride is from about halfway up Dutch Hill, a lung-buster. I made it all the way, though! 
I'm smiling, but that doesn't mean I'm not in pain. Thinking about floating on the pool once we reach the top!
Two city mice say goodbye to the country.
Local chipmunks shed a tear.
