Fleeting Moments

This morning the sanctuary was encased in a thin layer of delicate ice.

Here’s Annie taking in the scenery:

Each tiny twig and blade of grass seemed to have suddenly discovered an independence, briefly standing on it’s own, separated from the whole:

It was clear this was going to be a very temporary state – a moment that vanished so quickly the shutter of the camera was scarcely fast enough to capture it.

The air turned warmer and the icicles began to disappear one drop at a time. As I walked around the perimeter of the chimpanzees’ outdoor habitat, I could hear cracking all around me as the trees shrugged off their icy coats.

After taking in the scene, Annie quickly decided to partake in the moment before it was gone.

Soon the sun stood boldly in its place in the sky and transformed the landscape.

Still, in the places that stubbornly hid from the sun, the ice-covered snow remained.

Missy realized that she didn’t need to venture outside herself, she could instead request that I gather handfuls of the delicacy for her.

A lesson for us all, as another year comes to end (a lesson that I’m in need of remembering): appreciate what the day has to offer and enjoy the fleeting moments before they disappear.

Speaking of fleeting moments – we are just days away from December 31st and the end of the huge year-end matching challenge! I don’t know if you’ve looked recently – we are now less than $40,000 away from reaching the goal.

I honestly am not sure what is going to happen. Can we actually reach that lofty goal?! This is where I turn towards you all and ask that question!