My true cornerstone of comfort and reassurance always, but especially so over the past year, has been to look to nature. No matter what turmoil is occurring around us, the river is still running, the wind still blowing, the birds and the seasons still turning. And so very thankfully, the chimpanzees still living their days in relative ease, unaware of the world outside their sanctuary home.
Many of us often remark this time of year about this or that being the true sign that spring has officially and finally arrived. I have a mental checklist. The first sign is the return of the red-winged blackbirds, their territorial calls swirling across the fields and ponds in the icy morning air. That’s when you know it’s happening. One by one, the birds return – the Say’s phoebe, the finches, the bluebirds and the sky they seem to paint with their wings, where the red-tailed hawk pair circle endlessly under cerulean blue, calling out to one another over and over. Then we see the marmots, the ground squirrels, the first golden flashes of balsamroot blooms against the slowly greening hillsides, the return of the turkey vultures taking such delight as they flow on the thermals through the canyon, mirroring the river below. Then the frog chorus! The much anticipated appearance of our own beloved groundhog of sorts, Queen Negra, venturing out for the first tastes of spring grass. And finally (today!), the swallows, who animate the air surrounding the chimp house with their constant swooping and chatter. It’s a marvelous miracle out there. I hope you’re able to stop and take a gander. Soothe your soul a minute, breathe a little so your heart feels buoyed.
Welcome back, Swallows!
The chimpanzees spent much of the day in their near-to-outdoor areas, soaking in the warmth of the sun just out of the wind’s reach, dozing and dreaming perhaps, to birdsong above and river song below. I found Jamie, Annie, Burrito, Jody and Foxie all lined along the length of the greenhouse, resting, at ease.
Sweet Annie:
Foxie and her new Easter Strawberry Shortcake:
I could barely catch Jamie hiding around the corner, beloved boot tucked under her chin, enjoying her Africa National Geographic magazine while everyone else dozed:
Jody, sound asleep in her nest:
Tucked between Annie and Foxie, even (believe it or not) the whirlwind we all love and adore, Burrito, was under the sleepy spell of the greenhouse…though he tried.so.hard to fight it:
This same spell seemed be cast over the chute as well, as Mave, Honey B and Willy B, spent most of the afternoon snoozing in the chute, faces pressed toward the sun as the birds swooped and soared around them.
Now that y’all probably have a good case of yawn contagion, may you, too, rest well, friends!
Your words sang poetic! Thank you for the wonderful and beautiful images.
Hmmm…did yesterday’s Easter Vegetable forage on Young’s Hill exhaust all of those participating? At least Annie still had some strength left to form a circle with her toes. Thank you for capturing that in film.
I was cast under your writing spell. Such a lovely post, all the incredible signs that spring is arriving on Young’s Hill. I look forward to seeing my first robin and hearing the first sound of peepers. And most importantly, I look forward to photos of Negra high on the top of the hill munching on her sweet grass. I do so look forward to Negra enjoying springtime pleasures.
Thanks for these photos of your seven sleepy head friends. Make that six sleepy heads and one flirtatious, silly fellow with a rainbow slinky.
Spring is surely Negra’s season, Kathleen. 🙂
Beautiful post and great pictures!
Thanks, Katelyn!
Always a joy…
Although seeing the words “frogs” and “Negra” that close to each other in a paragraph gave me a start!
The swallows are so pretty! I don’t think I’ve ever noticed blue on their wings until your photos!
I took the binoculars to the nature sanctuary on Easter, as my neighbor and I had seen very large sea birds that we couldn’t identify last time. Few sea birds to be seen, but there were absolutely tons of red-winged blackbirds, and a bright red one that was either the strangest colored cardinal I’ve evet seen, or a scarlet Tanager!
I’m guessing that Missy thinks naps are but for the weak?
Hi Linda,
We don’t have cardinals out here, but I so love hearing their songs when I’m down south. And a scarlet tanager – that would be a thrill! We get very brief visits from the Western tanagers as they pass through on their way back to the higher alpine mountains. They are stunning!! Missy was surprisingly tucked away in the toasty loft of the playroom (along with Negra) in a nest 3x her size. She builds THE BEST nests for her tiny little bod – shoulder high if she’s sitting up and you can only see her head. We counted 19 blankets in one the other day. 🙂
Omigosh! I thought Jo had the most comfy nests!
So poetic! Thank you!
I adore Annie’s toesy version of “I HEART you” & all the pics…Particularly of Foxie looking so comfortable while napping with her beloved Easter Strawberry Shortcake doll on her chest, & of course Bubba wearing all his slinky “jewelry”…
This is what I love about the CSNW-blog; every one of you has their own way of telling stories and showing photo’s; by reading the blog you can almost always tell who the writer is….
I remember the redwinged blackbird and the Turkey voltures from my time living on Mayne Island Canada ( that is just 250 miles north-west of where you are..) And those frog concerts….Oh my, those are the signs of spring I do miss.
Wonderful poetic blog Katelyn as always. It made me homesick…..
Thank you, Marianne. I have to say I wasn’t familiar with Mayne Island which is unfortunate given it’s proximity and more so, that my mother was Canadian and I spent a lot of time there growing up. Thank you for the introduction! The PNW is a really special place. Though I think every place has it’s gifts.
Living on the east coast, I get homesick whenever I hear someone say “*just* 250 miles”! 😀
Thank you all for following the chimpanzees through the seasons of their lives. Happy spring (or perhaps, autumn, as the case may be)! <3