Of Chipmunk and Other Friends

6 days ago we arrived here, after a long (but cheap) flight which took us all the way to Houston and then Detroit. Here, where is here? Chelsea, Michigan, the home of Jiffy Cake Mixes, and of the Servants of the Word. An very large, wooded piece of land (80 hectares) owned by Tino’s brotherhood, about 30 minutes outside of Ann Arbor. As you come up the driveway you realize somebody has been working this piece of land for some time, for it is immaculately landscaped and mowed. You then stumble upon two large houses: one is where we live (13772) together with six other men, the other is the an office building for brotherhood business and for Servant Systems, the brotherhood’s software company.

But what strikes you most is the wildlife: every morning when we sit on the balcony and look over the swamp, twenty or so different species of birds gather to feed. We also walk every day and have already chased up deer, wild turkeys, grouse, rabbits, frogs and chipmunks. Now the latter is my favourite, because they are about the same size as me (though not as intelligent). In other words, the feeling of waking up here is nothing like London or Belfast, where the only animals you ever see are pigeons and foxes; here birds wake you in the morning, during sunset you hear the frogs croaking, and you go to bed with the sound of crickets.

Tino is beginning to settle in and has amassed tons of books on his shelves. But there are a few unfinished work projects which he had to see through before really getting stuck in. So anyway, a good first week in the Wild Midwest, though the weather could be better (too much rain for my London taste). That’s it from me- I am off to see the chipmunks.