The Sound of Christmas

To me, the sound that will always bring Christmas to mind is ... squeaking.

No, not that mouse that was not stirring when not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Chipmunks!

In retrospect, when I listen to Alvin and the Chipmunks or (shudder) watch it, it's very very very odd.

I mean, there's a full-grown man sitting around his house with these three chipmunks. And these chipmunks are the most un-chipmunk-like creatures ever!

They're about the size of 6-year-old children and don't have the marking of a chipmunk or even the ears of a chipmunk.

Observe a photo of a real, live chipmunk:















Followed by ... the Chipmunks:





















They look more like overgrown prairie dogs with hair and clothes and beaver teeth. In short, not like any creature known to man.

Something about the insanely high pitch of those little chipmunky voices and Dave's resignation about his role (or lack thereof) was always really amusing to me. It still is.

Whenever I hear those voices too squeaky to be real, I know it's Christmastime.