Chad and I had just said goodnight to the chimpanzees and turned their lights out when I told him, “All these poor people are going to wait so long for a blog post about nothing!” And yep, here you are, and here’s me with nothing much to share. It was just one of those days. Cleaning ran smooth so I was able to spend quite a bit of time with the chimpanzees and take quite a few photos. Did any turn out? Nope!
Of course, all kinds of things contributed to that. Honey B was front and center, but all her photos turned out as a blur (because she’s busy!). Willy B had to approve all photos taken of himself by insisting the camera was in selfie mode. And Mave was just lying around looking cute, but the second I even thought about bringing out the camera, Willy B seemed to use some kind of psychic chimp ability to appear before I even had the camera raised. And I’m going to be honest here – I swear the chimpanzees know exactly what they’re doing when they do this. I cannot tell you the times someone is looking cute and I ask to take a photo and they say, “Sure, go ahead” and then just as I snap the photo they do something that no one wants a photo of, like picking their nose. I’m not kidding. I admit, it’s a good paparazzi deterrent.
As for the seven, being that it was a dark, foggy day – the perfect kind to stay in your cozy nest and nap, read or just lie around with friends – that is exactly what they did. They did spend quite a bit of time outside (remember, they’re Pacific Northwest Mountain Chimpanzees). At one point while we were cleaning Chad and I looked out of the windows and couldn’t even see the fence around the hill. Mere moments later, the chimps were coming back inside so it didn’t deter them much. But once inside, they were quick to head upstairs and get comfortable. So photo opportunities were non-existent on that side.
Willy B and I spent a lot of time checking out how things are going with the addition to their home. It’s really amazing! This is upstairs and Willy B looks like such a tiny guy back there, looking out the mezzanine window. We are all so excited for them to have so much new space to explore!
Willy B seemed to be waiting for one meal after the next, all day long. Chad and I wondered if the dark day put dinner on his mind, haha, and here he is enjoying his second ear of corn for the evening.
I guess about the most exciting thing to happen all day was smack in the middle of everyone snoozing after lunch (except Burrito who was taking Chad on a loopity loop of the hill), Honey B let out a screech. This woke everyone up and I figured she was just yelling at the neighbors, but her screaming was quickly echoed by Mave and Willy B and then they began to alarm call. The second I walked into Phase 1 to see what was happening, poor Honey B ran to me screaming and asking for reassurance, while Mave and Willy B had gotten as high off the ground as they could get, looking confused, but nonetheless believing Honey B when she said something terrible was outside, near their chute.
Honey B seemed to suddenly remember her nest was out there and I guess she figured it needed rescuing because she bravely raced to the doorway, reached out, alarm calling the entire time, and dragged it inside where she wrapped herself up in the corner. Every few minutes, she’d stick her head out of the door flaps to alarm call before running back to the security of her nest. Normally, I would think “snake” and Honey B’s not a fan, but it’s winter, everyone is tucked into their winter beds for the season. Chad and I looked high and low and couldn’t find whatever, or whomever, it was that had frightened her so. She continued to stick her head out of the door and alarm call once in awhile as we searched the area, but eventually she believed us when we told her she was safe and settled down.
Even the seven had been frightened by the ruckus and asked for reassurance when I went to check on them. A haint on the hill? A foggy apparition? A strange noise? It’s a mystery. But if that’s the most alarming thing to happen all day, we’ll gladly take it!
I will say I heard loud and clear as day, a woman laughing behind me in the chimp house the other day while I was playing with Jamie, who was being super silly. I had no idea who it was because Chad and Anthony and I were the only humans in the chimp house and they were both in another area (and as far as I’ve heard don’t sound like girls when they laugh). I figured even though it didn’t sound like her, Diana must have popped up to visit. Jamie was trying to see over my head and I turned around to say hello to whomever was laughing at Jamie’s antics, and that’s right…no one was there. 😉