Rock Chucks

These are yellow-bellied marmots but around here they're called rock chucks.  Cute, aren't they?  There are several organizations around this place who's members devote themselves to the study and betterment of these creatures.  One of them is The Royal Rockchuck Society of Redmond who have their very own face book page.  The society's mission is to elevate the standing of these little guys in the community.  I guess they're getting the job done.

Because of their efforts there now is a blended syrah-cabernet wine in this part of the world with a label on the bottle that proudly proclaims the contents to be "Rockchuck Red."  A rock chuck appears in the logo of a local business that sells home brewing supplies.  There is a grass roots campaign to make it the mascot of the new high school.  Plans are being made for the first ever Rock Chuck Festival. Who said this is a small town?  With ideas like these in the planning stage New York City had better start cringing in fear and envy.  We're gonna become "The Little Apple."  Where hospitality goes hand in foot with every glass of Rockchuck Red. 

There's another critter close by that also has his own face book page - actually I think it's a tribe of them that own the page.  You'll find them if you look for Old Mill District Rock Chucks.  They live twenty miles away somewhere by the river in downtown Bend.  They don't seem to be as active a bunch as the ones here in Redmond and I think that's probably because Bend gets SO much more snow.  Mostly they watch concerts in the amplitheater next to their dens or just hibernate.  I doubt they will ever become the superstars of rockchuckdom as I believe their more northerly neighbors in Redmond will.  Only time will tell, but I'm sure both local clans will fare better than their cousins in Idaho.  The poor things get shot up every year in that part of the country.

The Hannah Bates Memorial Rock Chuck Derby is held every spring in Bliss, Idaho and all the locals compete to see who can shoot the biggest rock chuck!  Now the idea is great and all the proceeds from the event are donated to the Hannah Bates Memorial Athletic Fund to help the local high school athletes, but still, how can they?  I have no problem with killing and eating animals, but just for the sport of it?  I don't think so.  And anyway, according to all the rock chuck receipes our Native Americans offer, they need to be cooked outdoors on a very windy day.  They stink - on the grill and on the plate.  I think I should offer my services to do something to correct this abuse.  I'm gonna run for president of the local Rock Chuck Society and I betcha I win.  Every one of the marmots will vote for me.

My winning slogan?   "Shoot the Shooters in Idaho!"  If the Unions can fight the Governor in Wisconsin we Oregonians can start a war with Idaho!