The last few weeks at the sanctuary have been a glorious transition into the first signs of Autumn. We’ve had chilly nights and bright, sunny warm days. Today, Katelyn served some of the final cherry tomatoes from the garden.
As the summer vegetables wind down, fall’s bounty comes into full swing. The chimpanzees have already had their first roasted pumpkin of the season and are enjoying the freshest of Washington apples with their breakfasts. This little squash was spotted in their garden.
October is right around the corner, and with it comes even more delicious tastes of fall!
Naps vs. Exercise
As caregivers, we love to see the chimpanzees doing an activity. We try and provide them with enriching toys, food, and other things to bring something new and exciting into their lives. Like Elizabeth said yesterday, Jamie is always looking for something to do and we do our best to satisfy her. The rest of the Cle Elum 7 aren’t quite as restless as Jamie. They spend a great deal of their day napping, rather than traveling and foraging like they might do in the wild.
While it is lovely to see a photo like this of Annie lounging on a comfy blanket in the playroom…
It is even more exciting for us to see her out on Young’s Hill, foraging, climbing, and taking in nature…
But part of being in a sanctuary, is that the chimpanzees get to choose how and where they spend their day. And today, Annie gets to take naps, pick bamboo, and be with other chimpanzees.
Between Storms
Today at the sanctuary we received several genuine downpours of rain. Not just sprinkles or mist, but actual, much needed rainfall! The chimpanzees spent the rainy part of the day inside, either sleeping in their warm nests in the playroom, or hanging out in the cooler, covered greenhouse.
In a particular break in the weather, Jamie and I went for a walk around Young’s Hill.
And Missy ate a snack at the top of the hill.
Annie got a drink of fresh rainwater that had collected on a platform.
And then we all returned inside to watch the next rain cloud roll in.
Little neighbors
In preparation for today’s blog, I revisited a few of the past posts about the different types of fauna that the chimpanzees have experience with in the Cle Elum landscape. There are plenty of birds and insects to be seen. As well as some deer and the neighboring horses. Of course there is Ellie the elk. And let’s not forget about how hard life can be for a snake in a chimpanzee enclosure!
During the dry days of summer we often find little tree frogs hiding on the playroom caging we call the Barn Doors. 
These doors are next to the garden so the chimpanzees can look out and see their plants growing. In this photo, the barn doors are to the right of Missy.
While the frogs may think they are safe from danger hiding on the dark caging, caregivers know better. Every morning during cleaning, we relocate these little guys to a safer spot, like this squash plant.
Sanctuary Vantage Points
One of my all time favorite views of the sanctuary is from the top of Young’s Hill. From this spot you can see the Cascade Mountains and the Yakima River. You can see extensive forests of pine trees as well as the hustle and bustle of cars and trains going by. If you are lucky, you can spot chimpanzees taking full advantage of this beautiful weather.
Chimpanzees like Missy
And Jamie
First Impressions: Foxie
This post concludes the series on my first impressions of the Cle Elum 7. Last but surely not least, I get to write about Foxie chimpanzee. Jamie did not make this an easy photography session for me today. The boss kept insisting I model a selection of new cowboy boots that she just received. I walked at least 3 laps around Young’s Hill wearing her boots before I could sneak into the Playroom to see what Foxie was up to. What Foxie did next made my afternoon exceedingly better. She came down from her perch on the playroom catwalk and began to somersault, spin and do some “break-dance” like moves all around her enclosure. Intermittently, she would get large gulps of water from the spigot. These mouthfuls would serve as both hydration and playful ammunition that she would aim at my feet. There are so many challenges to taking photos of a chimpanzee that won’t stop running around doing flips. Foxie is a joy to be around!
First Impressions: Annie
Just after the chimpanzees had eaten lunch, I wondered into the greenhouse to find Annie, Negra and Missy napping on this cool afternoon. I had a mission to take photos of Annie because she and Foxie are my final “first impressions” blog candidates. Annie was doing some interesting yoga-like stretches that I wanted to photograph, but Missy had other ideas. She brought a small piece of stick over to me and pressed her shoulder against the caging for some grooming. She used the twig she had found to groom herself and I found a small tool to gently groom the arm she had presented. Meanwhile Annie was doing more yoga moves that I wanted to catch with my camera so I decided to try and split my time between grooming Missy and photographing her good friend Annie. Missy wasn’t sold on this decision. She moved over to Annie and received a much more attentive grooming. This was an excellent choice. While Annie may be low in the group’s hierarchy, she is high on the friendship scale.
Annie (right) grooms Missy (on the left).
Gentle Annie
