Today has been one of those days where it feels both like so much has been happening and not much at all has been happening. After a gorgeous morning fit for foraging for breakfast outdoors yesterday, we had a wild spring storm of high winds, rain, and snow overnight. So while today dawned with mostly bright blue skies and wild, cold winds, we were back to the toasty greenhouse for breakfast. Though it hasn’t been a perfect day for outdoor chimpanzee activities, this human has to say it’s been a glorious day. Every once in a while I’d catch someone like Annie or Jody, just sitting outside on their own. Sometimes we just need to feel the elements. It’s exhilarating.
Our construction friends arrived en masse bright and early, everyone working hard to finish the expansion as soon as possible. Since they arrive a little before chimp house staff do, Honey B, Mave and Willy B were up and extra-ready for breakfast. Maybe because they knew they had an a busy day of supervising workers ahead:
The three also decided some strong words needed to be had with one another, well, specifically Honey B and Willy B. I was folding blankets (oh, I digress, but did I mention one of our dryers completely refused to power on today? Imagine normally having two washers and two dryers running from the second we walk in each morning until the second we leave at night to just get through the day’s laundry unexpectedly being squished down to the use of one dryer. As I type this, I can hear poor Chad’s footsteps behind me going back and forth from laundry to laundry, but we’re going to make it!). Anyway, back to the folding…I suddenly heard Honey B angry screaming at the top of her lungs and arrived to find her furious with Willy B, flailing about and then chasing him into the chute, biting at his heels, literally. So we humans put cleaning on hold and spent a bit of time observing from the sidelines to make sure things were resolved with minimal problems. They were.
The seven have added to the bubbling pot much of the day by yelling back at their neighbors, and if the neighbors were actually quiet, yelling extra loud to get a response. But outside of that, they’ve all enjoyed most of the day in the toasty greenhouse, grooming, playing chase with one another, and just soaking up all that magnificent sunshine minus the blustery wind.
After lunch, I caught Jamie just hanging out leisurely on top of a barrel, foot propped on the caging, arm resting in a firehose swing, peaceful, thinking whatever Jamie thoughts she was at the moment. I wish I knew. I asked if I could take a few photos to which she graciously agreed:
It’s somehow already time to prep dinner service for these ten incredible people. Honey B and Willy B seem to have worked out whatever needed working out as I can see them playing a slow motion game of chase…now chimpanzee laughter is ringing through the house as Mave got in on the action and is chasing Willy B. Honestly, I wish humans resolved their issues in a similar fashion. Speak your mind, express your feelings, just say what needs saying and then move on, things resolved for the time. (With maybe an occasional bite. Just kidding. But not really…;) ).
