Today, we celebrated Missy’s 46th birthday with a tomato-themed bash.
Paulette Wrisley made us smile by generously sponsoring this day of sanctuary in Missy’s honor. To make today even more special, our good friend Monica Best also sponsored this day of sanctuary for the same reason! Thank you for thinking of Missy, Paulette and Monica!
As many of you already know, tomatoes are Missy’s favorite food and she gets unashamedly excited about them. In fact, Missy’s love of tomatoes has single-handedly convinced the aforementioned Monica to give these odd fruits another chance (with some success).
Keeping this in mind, Enrichment Coordinator Chad created a chimp-friendly menu of fresh produce centered around whole beefsteak tomatoes. The meal even had an appetizer: a zesty gazpacho-like soup consisting of red bell peppers, celery, coconut milk, garlic, sweet onions, and tomatoes.
All three groups of chimpanzees enjoyed their own parties with the same menu, and the soup was an unexpected hit with some individuals while others ran around gathering sweet peppers and tomatoes. Of course, Missy seemed to have the best day of all. She zoomed around the Greenhouse and Young’s Hill, scarfing down dozens of treats and devouring several large beefsteak tomatoes on her own.
Chad took the following photos and I asked him if I could include them in today’s post! Even if Chad had said “no,” I would have stolen the images from him and taken credit anyway.
We’re so lucky to have such amazing supporters who make days like today possible, and we can’t possibly express our full appreciation for Paulette, Monica, and everyone else. Thanks you all for loving Missy and her companions as much as we do!
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P.S. I wanted to title this blog post Soups!… I Did It Again but I did some research and that pun is already in use. Apparently, there’s a Wisconsin company using that name for their brand. They actually make soups. I’ve been bested at my own game. Soups.
Happy birthday again to our favorite sanctuary sparkplug! Thanks again to Monica and Paulette
Missy never climbs to that platform in the greenhouse, our parkour queen always swings up!
Gazpacho is a fabulous idea on a warm summer’s day, Chad! A similar recipe is salmorejo cordobés. As far as I can tell, there’s less cucumber, maybe champagne vinegar, and boiled egg on top.
The weather was great, too, the sun shone down on our 7!
That sounds like a delicious recipe, Linda! Have you ever been to Spain? What a wonderful country in which to eat your heart out.
I hope that Hurricane Henri was gentle on Block Island!
Oh my goodness, Negra’s big yawn after all the excitement is so CUTE!!!!
Isn’t she amazing? I honestly don’t remember when I recorded that clip of Negra because she naps multiple times each day.
i think you folks should steal the idea from Fauna and share some of your recipes. Missy’s ‘Pacho sounds delish.
We’re thinking about it! 😉
Happy birthday dear Missy. Looks like everyone is enjoying the party. Great video. Love to watch Missy enjoying tomatoes. Burrito is sooooooo cute and I love Negra’s yawn. They are all so special. Thank you to everyone who makes it possible for these beautiful Chimps to live their lives in such a special place. Hugs to all.
Thanks!!!
jour makin me hungry! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
Are those tomato towels or tablecloths? great find!
The audio at beginning of video was awesome! I love to hear how excited they get.
Thank you one and all for the day of sanctuary, the party planning, the video, the photos, the blog, the comments. A group effort. You ALL are AMAZING and I just love you. I know Missy does too.
“jour makin me hungry” 🙂 I love it!
They’re tomato-patterned fleece blankets! You’ll have to thank someone other than me… probably Chad for coordinating the festivities or Kelsi for curating the Amazon Wish List and other Chimp House inventory!
Thanks again for co-sponsoring this day (and so many others)!
What a great video! The ending is perfect! I wish Missy a happy, healthy new year of tomatoes
and tickles and toe-grabbing.
Thanks, Tobin! I passed your message on to Missy. 🙂
Everyday, reading the blog, seeing new photos and videos, i’ve become aware that i can’t properly express the love i have for these chimps.
We are all afflicted with that disability. There are no words. My heart just explodes:heartbeat:
Aw, Monica! We’re happy to have you on the team. 🙂
Great photos and blog as usual. So nice to celebrate the birthdays of the chimps. They sure
are enjoyable knowing how happy the chimps are at the sanctuary. Good luck and keep on
keeping on with the chimps.
Happy (and healthy) chimps are our specialty! Thanks, Barbara!
Happy 46th Birthday Missy! Such excitement!:kissing_heart:
🙂
Happy of happiest birthdays to Missy! Looks like another incredible edible celebration enjoyed by all. Chad’s “Better Than Gazpacho” soup sounds scrumptious. I bet Missy went crazy for the beefy beefsteak tomatoes. Loved the birthday video, the beginning was the best! Hearing everybody hooting made me laugh, music to my ears. And I am not sure I have ever seen our birthday girl moving so methodically and slowly — she clearly had tomato scavenging on her mind….laser focused. Foraging is hard work, or so it appears after seeing precious Negra retired to her cozy nest and ready to snooze.
Thanks for the happy day everyone! Well done, pure dleight seeing Missy honored today (and everyday!).:heart_decoration:
Missy’s precise foraging strategy would put the best generals, coaches and economists to shame. She always rakes in the tomatoes.
Happy birthday, Missy! What a fun HOOT! at the beginning of the video!
Thanks, Pat! I thought it needed to be in the first scene. 🙂