Although years, days, and seasons are observable phenomena supported by astronomical measurements, the custom of starting our calendar year in early winter seems comparatively arbitrary.
Personally, I tend to feel that western cultures missed a grand opportunity by not using the spring equinox to mark and celebrate another long journey around our star. The logistics of that switch may get a bit messy, but I would support it symbolically… in spirit.
For one thing, spring is accompanied by the start of baseball season. That’s reason enough for me to regard it as a “new year.”
Importantly, it’s also a time of rapid transition around the sanctuary. We caregivers witness the local wildlife emerge from their winter dens (MARMOTS!), the pastures develop a tinge of green, and the chimpanzees venture outside for both recreation and reconnaissance. (Also, there are marmots.) All of these little signs gradually accumulate, day by day, until the landscape is bursting with wildflowers and songbirds and we’ve forgotten all about the winter snowstorms.
In honor of this “new year”/equinox, I’m sharing some recent photos that feel undeniably spring-like. (Did I mention the marmots already?)
Hi, Anthony!
Absolutely amazing focus in these pics! That picture of the deer-wow!
Great to see that Willy B hasn’t lost his love of the outdoors.
And just when we thought Annie couldn’t get any prettier….
Thanks, LC!
It’s a given here in Ontario that it is Winter one day and Summer the next. It might be Spring overnight but we are asleep and miss it. I lived in Vancouver for many years, where Spring is long and sweet and slow — snowbells one day, daffodils the next, then tulips etc — must like out there, I expect?, but now back in Ontario, I can’t say that I like the overnight seasonal change, even if we are desperate for Winter to end. Downtown here I don’t get to see marmots, just skunks and pet dogs and the occasional rat. Sadly, the dogs and skunks sometimes meet each other with a less than favorable outcome and we are all forced to partake.
Clearly you love your marmots, Anthony, and that is good. We should all have at least one member of the animal world, beyond ourselves, that we adore. I expect you have many more. Chimpanzees, of course, are one of the many I have and I look forward every day to seeing what they are up to. What is important to me is that they live their fullest lives in the best circumstances that humans can put them into. Having stolen their free will for so long, they are well owed the right to do whatever the hell they please. I take comfort that they landed at CSNW among dedicated and loving humans like all of you. And marmots. Keep on loving on them for us.
“We should all have at least one member of the animal world, beyond ourselves, that we adore. I expect you have many more.” That seems like an accurate claim: I don’t pick favorites and appreciate all forms of life. I think it comes from my background in the biological sciences. During my stints living in metro areas, I developed a deep interest in urban wildlife which made those places seem more hospitable to us as well. Perhaps the awareness that coyotes, opossums and skunks roamed the parks and neighborhoods made me feel less detached from the rest of the world?
Anyway, thanks for the kind words about the chimps and the sanctuary. I’m happy to love them, too.
Anthony, what a wonderful post and clarity of photos. I thoroughly enjoyed the great variety! Thank you.
Thanks, Pamela! It was kind of a sample platter, wasn’t it? 🙂
I tell ya what. You shut yo’ mouth about forgetting snowstorms! ?:snowman:That’s just winter heresy is what that is.
:rofl:
You and your gorgeous photographs. LOVE this.
BTW, what chimp would you say is currently the public’s favourite as far as you can tell?
You got me curious! So I looked at the number of pals for each chimp. The highest was Burrito with 32 pals. Followed by Foxie 24 and Jamie 23. But they’ve been there longer so. hmmm
ALL are LOVED so much!
Hey C.R.! Paula beat me to the sponsorship page which is probably a good indicator of how many supporters feel a close connection to each of the original seven. I think the supporters are actually pretty good at spreading the love among the sixteen chimps and four bovines; they will even call us out if someone hasn’t been mentioned on the blog in a while! Sponsorships aside, it does seem like Burrito inspires many supporters with his steadfast dedication to having a good time despite occasionally having some truly awful luck.
Also, I’ll sacrifice a snow shovel to appease the winter gods. Maybe they’ll spare us from any further snowstorms if I beg hard enough.
Francois, you have a gift with words…..impressive
Impressive seeing the progress being made with the fence posts going in! How exciting!! I bet Jamie was thrilled to oversee the action — workboots and mechanical equipment, that’s exactly how you worm your way into Jamie’s heart.
Thanks for the photos of everything sanctuary, especially Mr. Marmot.
You’re welcome, Kathleen! As you said, the chimps have been busy watching the humans (and all their machinery)…
Annie is one pretty gal?
Agreed!
Loved the commintary you provided with today’s pictures. Spring to us is Spring Training and baseball.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Pat! And yes, I always associated spring with the start of baseball and softball season! Green grass, longer afternoons and warmer weather!