“They miss the whisper that runs

any day in your mind,

"Who are you really, wanderer?"--

and the answer you have to give

no matter how dark and cold

the world around you is:

"Maybe I'm a king.” 

from A Story That Could Be True

by William Stafford

This little critter showed up in front of the cabin several weeks ago.
It is a Franklin's Ground Squirrel, thanks Tim for the ID. 
According to Wikipedia a significant portion of their summer diet 
is meat and eggs. Which may explain why we have not seen the Least

Chipmunk for some time.

"There’s a thread you follow. It goes among

things that change. But it doesn’t change.

People wonder about what you are pursuing.

You have to explain about the thread.

But it is hard for others to see."

from The Way It Is

by William Stafford