Yesterday, we celebrated Jamieween, one of our biggest holidays of the year! As Jenna mentioned Jamie runs this place, so of course we go all out! And because she runs this place, I wanted to dedicate another blog to her.
I think many of you know by now that I absolutely adore Jamie and love any opportunity to celebrate her. There are countless reasons why she means so much to me. Jamie is wonderfully complex. I often share stories about her silly side or the moments when she’s especially sweet, but I also recognize that not everyone gets to see that part of her. Jamie can be a bully, stubborn, and even a little manipulative at times—but those traits only add to her depth. I love that she’s tough and unapologetically herself. She’s not vulnerable with everyone, and I’m not sure what draws her to certain people, but I’m forever grateful and deeply honored that she chose me. It’s something I will always treasure.
Yesterday, I came in to prep food and help organize the party while everyone else was cleaning. I greeted Jamie with a “Good morning and Happy Jamieween!” before diving into party prep — starting with a blood orange mocktail, among other treats. Once the drink was ready, we thought Jamie should have the first taste, and she gave a food grunt of approval! She seemed so excited, and I think she could tell her celebration was coming soon. Without missing a beat, she requested that I put on a boot and join her for a walk.
As we set off, Burrito, Missy, Annie, and Foxie came along too. But as we began to climb up the steeper part of the hill, everyone took a different path, leaving just Jamie and me to walk together. Walks with Jamie have become less frequent lately — though don’t get me wrong, she still spends plenty of time outside patrolling and exploring. It’s just been a while since we’ve done one of our classic ten-plus laps around the Hill.
Maybe it’s because we staff members have more to do these days as the sanctuary continues to grow. Or maybe when we expanded the Hill, it changed her routine a bit. It could even be that she’s just busier now — with more humans and more chimps to manage, there’s a lot happening compared to when it was just the original seven. We may never know exactly what changed, but that only makes me more grateful each time she asks me to go for a walk.
These are some of my favorite kinds of walks — just Jamie and me, meandering together. This one felt especially meaningful, a walk just for the two of us. I had forgotten my phone, so there were no photos or videos — it was truly just her and me, in the moment.
Walks with Jamie feel sacred to me. They’re a privilege. Being asked to join her feels like the highest compliment — that she wants me, specifically, to share her presence (and trust me, you know when she doesn’t want you to be in her presence!).
JB recently wrote a really beautiful, reflective blog about Jamie and her after-hours walks, that really resonated with me. He was so right, when Jamie wanted to go for her ninth walk in the blistering heat or her third stroll of the evening, we might’ve been thinking about all the things we still had to do, or even looking forward to settling into our own nests for the night. But nowadays, I find myself feeling the opposite — I’m the one wanting to ask her, “Maybe just one more?”
Here are some bonus photos of Jamie’s group from yesterday!
Annie:
Burrito:
Foxie:
Missy:
Negra:
