Our Chipmunks
Big Ideas, Small Names, Real Stories
At 3 Spark, our newest tools are named after a special chipmunk family—Melodi, Harmoni, and their growing legacy. Inspired by their intelligence, curiosity, and connection, our products are built with the same heart.
Our chipmunk story begins a few years ago in central Vermont, where a young Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) made her home beside that of 3 Spark’s lead software developer. One day, he noticed her perched on a stone wall in the shade of a towering birch tree just outside his living room window. Curious, patient, and with a pocketful of peanuts he went out to sit on the wall with her. He named her Melodi, and a unique friendship began.
Before long, Melodi was gently taking peanuts straight from his hand. At the end of the summer, as chipmunks do, she vanished into her burrow, which was likely lined with hundreds of peanuts in preparation for the long Vermont winter.
In spring, Melodi reappeared—waiting patiently on the same wall. Their friendship picked up right where it left off, and they saw each other almost daily. But in mid-April, Melodi disappeared again. A week passed. Then two. It seemed likely that a hawk or fox had taken her.
And then—Melodi returned. Though at first she stayed only briefly, a few weeks later the reason for her absence became clear: three tiny chipmunks were seen scampering around their mother. Melodi led them over to the wall, where she resumed her peanut routine while the pups bounced playfully nearby, still too young for solid food but curious and fearless. It felt like Melodi had presented her children to her human extended family.
One morning, in soft sunlight and a passing sprinkle, the young chipmunks encountered their first rain. As a droplet struck the stone wall, they jumped away in surprise—then playfully leapt back to investigate. It was a moment of pure wonder and an honor to witness.
Chipmunks are solitary and territorial, and the pups soon began to strike out on their own. Two of them settled along a distant stone wall, but Melodi handed down her burrow to one special daughter: Harmoni. Melodi herself moved to the far side of the house, near a patio just outside the bedroom. It was a smart move—each morning, she now waits by the glass patio door, peering in as soon as someone wakes up, hoping for breakfast served up in a human hand.
Harmoni, having inherited her mother’s burrow, now reigns over the stretch from the birch tree to the garage. She has grown into a bold and social chipmunk who seems just as curious about people as they are about her.
When her human is outside working, Harmoni will stop what she's doing and come running across the yard. While food is clearly a strong motivator, there’s something more at play: a genuine connection. She’ll sit on a knee, perch in a lap, and climb up to investigate a friendly hand. She’s even been known to come running when a car pulls into the driveway.
She’s not just a backyard companion—she’s become something of a local personality. The woman who delivers the mail looks forward to seeing Harmoni, who often appears when she arrives, hopeful that her human friend will come out to say hello. And sometimes, the mail even has something for Harmoni — Peanuts!
This spring, two tiny young chipmunks began appearing near the burrow—one with perfect fur and vivid stripes, the other scruffier and more muted in color. Harmoni's kids. Born underground and nursed there from the time they were the size of large raisin until they emerge from the burrow at the adorable age of about six weeks. The scruffy one moved on to find his own territory, but the more striking youngster has stayed close, exploring the area around the wall and making small steps toward trusting a human.
Not long after, Harmoni began to look unmistakably pregnant and vanished again to have her second litter of the year. She stayed underground for about six weeks again and then appeared again, waiting on the wall. It was such a relief to see her reappear—thinner, healthy, and calm. If all goes well, another brood will soon be bouncing through the grass around the burrow's front door.
This marks the third generation of this remarkable chipmunk family. Melodi once introduced her children to the human she trusted, and perhaps Harmoni will do the same with her next batch of pups. But even if the new pups simply show up on their own, as is often the case, they’ll be part of something quietly magical—a continuation of a sweet legacy of chipmunks. Oh, and exciting new names for 3 Spark products!