As many of you know (especially if you watched the recent Christmas videos), the CSNW chimps have a lot of stuff. Most of the chimps are not attached to these things – they use them and enjoy them and then go on about their business. But some chimps are quite materialistic and borderline obsessive about it, too.
This morning, Sofia and I were cleaning the playroom when I heard Jamie emit a “low moan” from the front rooms. This is a vocalization that often indicates satisfaction. I imagined that she had saved her primate chow from breakfast, as she often does, and was digging into it in private while the others chimps groomed in the greenhouse. But when I peeked around the corner I found that she didn’t have any chow and was simply making a nest. With her, however, was her favorite book, I’m Lucy.
An attachment to things wouldn’t work very well for a species that ranges across a vast territory and rarely sleeps in the same place twice. While Jamie was not fortunate enough to know the life of her wild counterparts, there’s some comfort in knowing that she gets to experience the same pleasure we do when settling down with a good book on a snowy winter morning.
On a separate note, I just wanted to express our thanks to the rest of the staff (and their spouses) who dealt with some challenging conditions while Diana and I were gone on a longer than expected trip. Kelsi mentioned that the well froze up, but she may not have mentioned that the cattle water also froze up just as we left, the radiant heat in the original chimp building stopped working the next morning (we have backup heaters on standby), and the tractor refused to run, requiring them to find someone to come plow the sanctuary’s long and steep driveway on short notice and make multiple trips to the well house with a heat gun using snowshoes. All of this on top of having to take turns staying overnight at the sanctuary through the holidays. Some might say that Diana and I were the real heroes last week, as we valiantly struggled to enjoy all the cookies, cocktails, and Christmas presents with my family while burdened with the knowledge that the rest of the staff were facing one catastrophe after another. But I’d say our coworkers did a pretty good job, too.
I knew that was you in the window, JB. Did the the other half of the J Crew miss you?
Glad that you guys got time away, but boy, Kelsi sure did understate everything that happened! What did the seven do without their lovely heated floors!?
The heated floors weren’t out for long – only half a day. Sometimes extreme cold makes the vent for the boiler frost over and it shuts down. All we have to do is clear the frost but it takes a lot of digging through error codes to discover the problem if you haven’t experienced it before.
The chimps were happy to see us – Dora even gave me a nice smile and head bobble. But it’s back to business as usual after a few hours and before long Gordo was spitting in my face again.
:laughing:
Yes, Dora doesn’t seem to smile much at the hoomans.
Has Jamie ever initiated that window tapping game with anyone except you? It doesn’t seem to be one of those games she’s overly fond of–more Burrito’s style.
What a wonderful team of caregivers the chimp people have! Of course, I doubt they knew anything about the dramas, it was just business as usual, but I bet Jamie could have fixed a lot of it with her trusty work bench and tools. Millions of thanks and hugs to all of you for your devotion.
It gives me great joy when I see Jamie and Foxie engaged with their favorite objects. Their pleasure is contagious.
I’d like to add another heroic job that needed to be done during the no water no heated floors turmoil. From what I can decipher, there were icy conditions as well. And just to make life a little more challenging, a certain delivery was left at the entry of the drive, right on the roadside.
I ordered a bag of sandbox sand from the sanctuary Amazon Wish List for Christmas. A heavy bag of sand. After the first bag busted open during transport, the vendor contacted me offering to resend via FedEx in the hope the package would make it on time. (Super nice of them!) When I received my email confirmation of delivery there was a photo attached of the bag of sand, wrapped in plastic (I think), sitting in snow at the side of the road. So…. this means somebody (my hero Chad) had to risk their life on the icy, long, and steep driveway to get the heavy bag of sand and bring it up to the chimp house! Thank you, thank you!!! Whew! What a rough couple of days.
toh my goodness! what an experience for everyone. JB I dont know how you and Diana survived the heavy guilt you were carrying about the heating fiasco at the Sanctuary. I can understand how you would have had to console yourselves with the cookies, cocktails, and presents at your parents. All teasing aside I’m glad everyone survived and the two of you had a nice relaxing holiday.
Isn’t it a great feeling J.B and Diana, to know there is a fantastic team of caregivers that can handle anything…???
To know the wellbeing of the chimps and catle are in very safe and capable hands of caregivers who tackle anything that comes on their paths..???
I wish you all a fabulous 2023, with good health for everyone and lots of trust in eachother.
Looks like you people got that covered already…!!!