Annie had a big day today. When her walking partners scattered in different directions halfway through their trek around the hill, she found herself alone at the bottom of the Twister. Rather than turn around to head home, she decided to head to the top of the tallest structure on the highest point of Young’s Hill. Yes, she’s climbed it before, but getting back down seems to have induced a certain amount of panic in the past. This time, she was as cool as a cucumber.
OK, climbing down is still a bit daunting.
But she’s got it under control.
On the other side, Willy B was engaged in courageous act of a different kind – more modest in scale (and about 22 feet closer to the ground) but no less heroic. For some chimps, just going outside requires a level of bravery that most of us could only aspire to.
This got me thinking about when the Cle Elum Seven first set foot on Young’s Hill back in 2011, and how Annie couldn’t have done it without help from her best friend, Missy. It’s inspiring to see how brave and independent she’s become and I have no doubt that Willy B will one day be following in Annie’s footsteps.
