I don’t think a day goes by at the sanctuary right now without significant change of some sort. Learning behaviors and personalities from new chimpanzee friends, seeing new behaviors with long-time chimpanzee friends, new areas for chimpanzees and humans to access and former ones temporarily closed off, new procedures and protocols, new ideas, new volunteers and interns for autumn, scheduling changes, and even, well, things like one minute someone has their ear and the next, they don’t. Change, expected and unexpected, is always occurring, just on a more obvious level these days. And now, on this last official day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, we seem to have moved straight ahead into autumn. (Though in my book, I’d be thrilled with nine months of autumn).
I think as humans, or at least as this human, we often expect, or at least prefer some things to remain the same, predictable. But even though we celebrate things such as the transitions of one season into the next, if we’ve been paying any attention at all we’ve seen all the tiny every day things that lead us ahead into the next phase of life. With breaths of fresh air, new inspiration, new beauty to appreciate, new beings to love.
The chimpanzees last day of summer was a cool, rainy one here. It worked out well enough as they were all busy supervising the many humans working hard to expand their outdoor habitats which will be bringing new experiences to them in the days to come. Along with hopeful new friends and family when we soon begin introductions. Always changing, always growing.
The evening air is filled with the slowing song of crickets and frogs while the dark of night is increasingly alive with geese calling as they pass overhead on their way south. The chimps are all tucked into their blanket nests for the night, I suspect milling over their own thoughts and anticipation of change. May your hearts be as full from the beauty and bounty of summer as you’ve helped the chimpanzees’ to be, as you listen to the last sighs of summer rustle the changing leaves of autumn.
I had these photos of beautiful Foxie saved to share with you, which just happen to be pre-ear biting incident. She’s still just as beautiful. 🙂
What lovely fall photos to share! Especially the first. I love autumn too but it’s followed by winter and in a big city that means 6 months of gray slush and black snowbanks. Yuk.
I am sure you are keeping a detailed log and diary of this process. As more chimps are finally freed, please please soon, you will be a rich source of advice and experience for others. I have full confidence that you will make carefully measured and thoughtful decisions and always keep the chimps’ well-being at the fore. We, at least I certainly look forward to reading all about it.
Oh, Kayelyn, beautiful post, as always!
Thanks for the pics of tiny Fox, and her perfect little ears!
Is it healing okay?
Are you guys concerned about her being in the welcomng subgroup wit that wound?
Thanks so much, Linda! Foxie is doing fantastic and her ear is practically healed. Another chimp super power, their ability to heal so quickly. 🙂 We don’t anticipate the injury preventing her from participating in introductions when the time comes.
Where did the summer go? I feel as if we were just reading a blog post about its arrival. And this makes my thoughts go directly to winter because I am very curious to see what the CA Three will think of cold snow and ice. Thanks for these beautiful photos of the sanctuary property and our beloved “before” Foxie. Nothing could dampen her beauty, I think that ear snipping will just enhance her looks as it does with Neggie and Burrito.
How did I miss the post about Foxie’s ear? Opening your e-mail is the first thing I do when I get up in the morning. Glad you that post available again today as I had no idea what you were talking about when you said ‘someone has an ear and then they don’t’. Well written, as usual, Kelsi
Elaine, I also did not get that one “pushed” to my email, but had to go looking for it (because I can’t go to bed without a chimp update! :D)
You always write so beautifully, Katelyn. This post is particularly lovely. Thank you.
Just in case you’re not busy enough (lol) I have an idea: you should go back over ALL your posts and, in date order, make them into a journal, and publish it as a book. I’d buy it in a second!
I know, right?! “The last sighs of summer rustle the changing autumn leaves”-I just know she acted creative writing in school!
But yes, this should be a book of some sort..
I know you’re all in contact with other sanctuaries, because I’ve seen a larger one copying some of your Young’s Hill enrichment ideas, but this one is indeed special..
Maybe a way to raise more funds? A book with photographs and favorite posts for the online gift shop?
Sigh! That was supposed to be “aced creative writing”…
A combo of clumsy thumbsy on the phone, and the sea breeze blowing the curtains over the back of the sofa and into my face-up missed that typo.
Thank you so much, Hilary and Linda, that’s kind of you to say. I’m so glad you enjoy the blog! Perhaps I could enlist Jamie to help me edit…though I suspect it would become a different book entirely. 😉
Foxie has a beautiful face, and these photographs capture her beauty. Even so, what makes Foxie so beautiful is her spirit which shines through in her personality. I hope that in time that she will become friends with Honey B, Mave and Willy.
I’m absolutely hooked on everything the Cle Elum seven do. I did miss what happened to Foxies ear though. I hope it wasn’t a personality conflict with the new chimps. Prayers for a fast recovery. ??
Hi Stevie,
We find the chimps’ lives are definitely addicting, so we’re glad you think so as well. 🙂 Anna wrote a great blog post about Foxie’s ear here: https://chimpsnw.org/2019/09/the-other-side-of-things/ Fights between friends are sometimes hard, but normal chimpanzee behavior, and Foxie’s doing great. They both are!
I am so happy Fall is arriving for the sanctuary. I am hoping it comes to Nashville soon also but
not for another week or two. Summer has been long – Fall will feel good as I’m sure the chimps
and staff agree. Always enjoy the blogs and pictures of the chimps. Excitement is
building to see how they all get along together. I’m sure like humans it will be hit and miss
for a while.