Our day started off as it does most winter mornings, by firing up the heater for the greenhouse and then heading off around Young’s Hill to check the security of the perimeter before giving the chimpanzees access to their outdoor, snow-covered habitat. Just as I was going outside, Foxie ran over to send Strawberry Shortcake with me. I guess she figured if I was going on an adventure, I better have the same backup she does. (Don’t worry, Strawberry Shortcake, my hair pretty much looks the same in the morning).
I’m not sure it got above freezing today, but if it did it was a fleeting moment. The sun is already on it’s downward slope for the So while the chimpanzees always have the choice to go outside, they’ve all been content to play chase, huddle together in grooming piles and if you’re Willy B, grab his favorite leopard print blanket and settle in to watch his “stories.” Today he’s enjoying Ice Age again. Another favorite. As you can see, he’s riveted:
Willy B LOVES this blanket!! I’ve never seen any of the chimpanzees take such a liking to a specific blanket as he’s done with this one (though I can say they all really love the huge wolf blankets we received for Christmas – thank you!). We were just saying that it’s been about a year since he was gifted this by one of our lovely volunteers and it’s still his favorite! And thankfully, by some miracle, has avoided the clutches of Miss Jody, the blanket shredding machine.
I think Burrito is the only one who made a brief foray onto the Hill in a hopeful game of chase with Chad, but he quickly high-tailed it back inside:
As you can probably tell, it’s another day of challenging photo opportunities. Next to the chimp house computer is the display of all the views from the chimp house cameras we use to monitor and care for the chimpanzees. It might give you an idea of why it’s often such a challenge on such days to get good photos of the chimps.
Top left, are the front rooms and loft of the playroom in the original building. You can see a big pile of nests and chimps up in the super toasty loft, napping and grooming.
Top middle, that one blanket pile upstairs on the right, in the sunny window? If you’re guessing Negra, you’d be correct. That’s her spot! (See photos below). This is also the camera where we will often see boss Jamie’s face pop up, or Burrito swinging back and forth on the firehose as he peers into the kitchen, because they can see just through the kitchen door into the foyer where we sit to write the blog so it’s one way of many to get our attention if they need anything.
Top right, is the greenhouse where the chimpanzees spend a lot of time, even in winter, but it’s just cold enough today that they are preferring to be inside, so no one is out there right now.
Bottom left, is the mezzanine in Phase 1 and that dark pile in the lower left corner is made up of Willy B and Mave who are enjoying a quiet grooming session with one another.
Bottom middle, are the front rooms in Phase 1 and you can just make out Honey B in the middle room, climbing the rung ladder which leads to the mezzanine. Honey B has the zooms and keeps racing to all the windows upstairs and downstairs, seemingly hoping someone is on the other side to play chase with. I do think Honey is missing all the activity and required supervision of the construction workers now that things have slowed down a bit! But no worries, Anthony just raced over to surprise her and I can see her zooming back and forth, up and down.
Bottom right, our driveway and the entrance to the chimp house. The sun is just peeking out, but it’s already on it’s downward slope and it’s going to be a cold one tonight.
Now I suspect this is going to spur some understandable questions and hopes about “chimp cams” for you all to be able to watch the chimps when you like. I know J.B. has addressed this in the past in better detail than I could provide, but between cameras being a really tricky thing to safely place near chimpanzees, as you might imagine, and the challenges rural internet sometimes presents just for our day to day needs, it’s just not something we can do any time soon. As you can see, even for us the cameras we use to monitor the chimps offer views through caging so you really have to know what to look for!
Well, Jamie’s face was just in that middle camera peering in to let us know it’s dinner time! All ten chimpanzees are hooting and hollering and raising a pre-dinner ruckus you wouldn’t believe, so that’s our cue to get moving with dinner service! Oh! I almost forgot! Here is Negra’s stylish nest du jour:
What a fun blog today, thanks Katelyn! It is so sweet that Willy B loves his plush leopard blanket so much. He’s like Linus. And equally sweet that he enjoys watching his stories. Love Burrito’s perfect footprint too, thanks. As far as Negra goes, she has clearly been reading Jamie’s Dwell magazines. Negra is a study in black and white.
While it was fun seeing your command station with the security cams in each of the chimps rooms, I am perfectly fine with not having a 24/7 live cam on the residents. It would seem too much like a zoo and I’d feel as if we were infringing on their privacy. After all they have been put through in their lives, each deserves their right to privacy. Besides, the blog is more fun because we have the caregivers explanation and point of view to accompany your choice of photos and videos….much more fun this way!
Hope everyone stayed warm and cozy all day long. xoxoxo
I quite agree, Kathleen, and I think were we to catch sight of a fight, especially one that resulted in injury, we would just be freaked out and upset&. We know these things happen but it is a different thing when staff tell us about the circumstances, the historical.context, and the outcome.
Great post!
Negra is so chic and well coordinated in her checks and stripes. Does anyone ever challenge her for her favourite spot or does she have ‘senior’s rights’. Love Foxie getting Strawberry Shortcake taken for a walk instead of having to brave the cold, and dear Burrito’s footprints are so sweet.
Like Kathleen, I much prefer your wonderful blogs and feel that permanent cameras would feel like spying on them…..it wouldn’t be as special. Save them for your security reasons, not our constant viewing. Thank you as always for brightening my day.
It wasn’t a challenge for her spot, but in last week’s playing video, you could clearly see her ability to nap was challenged by the others playing around her!
That first shot of Strawberries HAIR just cracked me up…and I NEEDED a good chuckle to start off my day. (I get more depressed every day). I liked seeing your command center but I agree with Kathleen that it is better having photos with the explanation of everything that is going on in great detail by you Caretakers than just looking in on a cam. The photography you all put out is excellent and you all seem to have taken courses in CREATIVE WRITING, because that too is EXCELLENT. Thanks everybody.
Hang in there, Elaine. After a year, it’s starting to get to me, too. There’s a light, though. Let’s see how quickly it gets bigger and brighter!
I too agree with all the above comments…..(no need for any repetition).
First thing I do in the morning is read the blog, it never disappoints and it makes my day!!!
I love it.
I totally agree with the others on the video. When we get one, it feels more special!
Lol, now you guys are carrying dolls on the walks! Didn’t JB put in that post about a perimeter walk with boots “at least we don’t have to carry dolls”? I’m sure SS kept you safe from harm!
It cracks me up that you call them “his stories”! Like our grandmothers or moms used to do with the soaps 😀
Stay warm, all. They’ve said it’ll be “frigid” here on Thursday….it’ll go all the way down to…gasp!…22! 😀 (Weaklings out here!)
I agree! No, 24-7 live cam..it would seem too much like an invasion of their privacy. We are perfectly happy with the posts and photos that you all so graciously provide us with…even as crazy busy as you are taking care of everyone there. Again and again…thank-you so much for all you do!
I would feel “lost” & my days incomplete, without your daily magnificent blogs & photos…What I particularly enjoy the most, is hearing stories about the individual chimp people…It’s always exciting to learn more & more about each one of them…I adore just how different their personalities are…
I could have the entire wall behind my work table plastered in photos of Neggie…She’s so photogenic, & always warms my heart in a big way…