Even with recent thunderstorms (thankfully full of rain) and cooler temperatures again, we’re officially into the dry, golden days of summer. Everything and everyone is shimmering in the summer sunlight.
Burrito exploring Young’s Hill this morning:
Stopping to finish off his chow from breakfast:
Annie still modeling the height of summer fashion:
Each spring we’re so fortunate to see at least a couple pair of fawns grow up on the property. This tiny being is full of sass and was stomping a warning when she saw Jamie sitting at the gate to Young’s Hill:
There is a Ponderosa pine that seems particularly favored by our avian neighbors and it’s been a training ground of sorts to many bird families. Parents bring their fledglings here to learn to hunt for their own food in between continuing to beg their parents to feed them. I was so excited to see the white-headed woodpeckers have a family and along with the nuthatch family the tree is a cacophony of bird chatter throughout the day.
The cattle continue to enjoy their summer pasture and with all the exercise they’ve been getting traipsing between pastures they definitely have their swimsuit bodies. 😉 Nutmeg smooching his mama, Betsy. It’s so special to watch the incredibly close bond shared between cow mamas and their children. Even when the children reach adulthood, their bond remains lifelong. And it’s even more endearing when those adult children are twice as big as their mothers:
Beautiful Meredith. (Meredith’s mother, Honey, declined having her photo taken today, but she occasionally poked her head around from behind Meredith):
Missy in a blur, speeding through the grass. Summer’s going to good use here at the sanctuary. We hope it’s equally so for you, wherever you may be (or a warm and cozy winter, as the case may be):
Were it not for the dark fur on the faces of the cattle, they would almost become camouflaged with the golden stems of grass in their midst. Thank you again for providing evidence of how this species is supposed to be treated by human animals: not as a source of food, but as stewards of the grasslands. And, also, as a (hypothetical) topic of telepathic conversation for Missy, Burrito, and their gang, as in, “How on Earth do those odd-looking chimps groom each other, let alone forage for tomatoes?!””
Hi Tobin,
It’s true, I actually had a couple photos of Honey with her head in the grass and it was really difficult to see any features as she’s the lightest in coloring. It does really make one’s heart swell to see how bonded they all are. Honey will groom her daughter, Meredith, but Mere is a more independent adult cow now and sometimes enjoys her own adventures near, but away from the herd. 😉 But Nutmeg especially gets constant grooming and affection from his mama, Betsy. I indeed wish all animal families could experience the bonds that are natural to them. Thank goodness the cows don’t forage for tomatoes, Missy would be livid. 😉
Great post Katelyn… It’s nice for us to remember and enjoy the other remarkable creatures besides the chimpanzees… thank you!
Thank you, Judy! It is incredible to see all the unique beings who call the sanctuary home and add to all our lives.
Lol, the fawn stomped…….did Jamie stomp back and try racing her down the hill!? 🙂
Hi Linda,
Brave little fawn. Jamie appeared unimpressed as she waited on her caregivers. 😉
I can’t state it better than Tobin. I smile each time I see Nutmeg and Meredith’s spiffy hairdos, they are such magnificent creatures and I am thrilled they live on your sanctuary property.
Seeing the little fawn makes me think of Ellie. Have you heard anything new on her interactions with the other elk at the zoo? I hope she is settling in. This was such a lovely post Katelyn, thank you for sharing the beauty.
Hi Kathleen,
They have the best hairdos! 🙂 I wish everyone could experience how closely bonded cattle families remain throughout their lives if given the opportunity.
A few of us visited Ellie/Buttons recently on different dates and given her circumstances, as far as we can tell, Ellie appears to be doing great! She looks gorgeous, healthy and at ease. She has a lovely forested enclosure in which she has the choice to interact with the other elk without being overwhelmed, be out of view, or even be near visitors if she chooses (though all of us have seen her choose to ignore the humans!). I gave some more details in a response to Elaine and I think we’ll be speaking more of her on the blog at some point to update everyone. It definitely relieved our hearts to see her doing so well.
Thank you Katelyn for both replies on Ellie. I am so happy to hear that she’s settled into her surroundings and has woodlands to roam and places to find privacy. I wasn’t sure she would ever be comfortable around the other elk so it’s a relief hearing Ellie is cool residing with her five-elk community. But the best news is that Ellie-Buttons isn’t favoring human companionship. Hummm, maybe it was the chimp community that she really wanted to join and not the humans! ; )
In a perfect world Ellie would be wild (and so would the chimps), but in reality perhaps Ellie has finally found her home. Sending out a BIG heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who aided in the process to ensure Ellie found and settled into her new situation.
What lucky people you caretakers are to live in such an animal paradise. Loved the photos of the variety of species and how they are all enjoying your property. I too thought of Ellie when I saw that fawn. I think of her often and feel so bad about where she wound up when she was so use to her freedom.
Hi Elaine,
We truly are fortunate. The property is a unique piece of land where several different ecosystems meet so we have the opportunity to see so many different species in their varying natural habitats. I love that the chimps are surrounded by such a special place. A few of us have had the opportunity to visit Ellie (or Buttons, as she’s known locally) at Woodland Park Zoo recently and we unamimously agreed that she appears to be doing fantastic. She’s looking strong and healthier than she has in awhile and on both occasions was engaging calmly with the five fellow elk she resides with. The enclosure is forested and beautiful, she has the opportunity to be out of sight or come close to see humans if she wants to, but honestly doesn’t appear to choose to do that at all, preferring to do her own elk thing. We wish she could have her natural wild life as well, but sadly, that was never going to be an option for her. We’re grateful and relieved to see her doing well and that she has a little of both her unique worlds (elk and human) to live in while remaining safe. The end result for her to have continued living as she was, as is almost always the case with habituated wild animals, was most likely going to end badly for her. We’re grateful she has so many humans who love her dearly and worked hard to make sure she had one of the best options we could hope for given the reality of her situation. Thanks for caring about her. 🙂
Beautiful post!
Thank you, Jackie! 🙂