The start of summer. I often think of summer as a season of nostalgia, made up of memories of summers past and re-created, and sometimes, summers as we wished they’d been. Admittedly, the heat of summer here makes it my least favorite season. And yet it holds some of the most joyful things I look forward to. When I was young, summer meant endless days stretched out with the pages of my beloved books, wandering the foggy redwoods and ducking under giant ferns while watching for centipedes to inch past, or the occasional family picnic on the windy beach, running from cold Pacific waves. Hhmmm…as I re-read that it sounds, well, very similar to my adult summers now. 😉
But nowadays summer also means seeing the chimpanzees’ immense joy over watermelon bowl season and frozen treats, watching them explore their outdoor habitats far and wide, languid afternoon moments spent sitting together companionably as we wait for a breeze, any breeze, through their open-air greenhouses. Foxie lazily passing her baby doll du jour back and forth, grooming quietly with Jamie until she remembers her burgeoning currant bush and adamantly gestures toward it requesting (well, demanding) a snack, Terry inspecting the tiniest of flowers with his enormous, yet mindbogglingly (is that a word? haha) gentle hands, Rayne, legs resting up the wall with feet crossed, holding her fingertips safely on the back of my hand through the caging…so many moments to cherish.
And with July we also get to celebrate Gordo and Betsy!
Gordo turns 37 on July 19th! Four years knowing this guy and he continues to delight us with his new (to us) enjoyment of games of chase, tickle, and probably his personal favorite (not so much ours), blasting the humans in the face with bucket size mouthfuls of water. 🙂
As many of you know, Gordo is a shy person and it’s really so wonderful to see him continuing to feel more and more himself as he bravely explores his groups’ outdoor habitat, the Bray, and engages with his caregivers in increasingly playful ways, all in his own time. Exactly what sanctuary is all about. Their own way, their own time.
And we will be celebrating Betsy who is unbelievably turning 18 on July 20th! I admire Betsy so much. She is really the epitome of mothering nature. Despite losing her beloved son, Nutmeg, last year, she continues to be her loving, protective, and often sassy self, as she looks over her long-time family and herd-mates, Honey, and Honey’s daughter, Meredith (who Betsy helped raise).
This is the time of year when we rarely see the cows outside of daily cattle care as they enjoy the freedom of their spring and summer pastures. Theirs are lives not typically provided for bovines and we are so very grateful to all of you for making their lovely lives together possible.
Betsy and her son, Nutmeg:
Another special day of celebration this month is July 14th, World Chimpanzee Day! Dr. Jane Goodall arrived in Gombe on this date in 1960, this year marking the 65th anniversary of her groundbreaking time spent studying the chimpanzees there.
And a special summertime moment bonus! One of our newest neighbors and their mama were enjoying the progress being made in the Memorial Garden early the other morning. Many thanks to Chad for kindly sharing these photos! As construction of the garden has continued over the past months, I’ve also spotted our resident Raven pair chatting while enjoying water here on hot days, and once, an entire family of Marmots sitting together along the benches.
A beautiful new bench and stones arrived this week and the custom statue of Jody that we’re having made by a local artist to help honor her legacy, and made possible by so many of you who generously donated to this special opportunity during Giving Tuesday last year, is nearing completion. I find it interesting that so many of our wild neighbors who also call the I think now 99+ acres of sanctuary home have been choosing to gather in this particular spot. It’s materializing into a very special space and I know we look forward to being able to share it with you all before long.
So precious!
Happy summer (or winter) days to you all! Thank you for being here with us! And especially for making here, and these cherished summer moments and memories possible.
