Another day in paradise
Today is day 3 of unseasonably gorgeous weather (high 70s!) here in Cle Elum. The chimpanzees have been out on Young’s Hill for a couple of hours now and show no signs of tiring of it. (As I write this, Jody is lying on her belly in a patch of shade munching on some grass.) Here are some photos from this afternoon:
Foxie has collected several of these wine vines to bring into the greenhouse with her:
Annie brought in a blanket she found on the hill for her nest in the greenhouse:
Burrito has been watching the goings-on from his new favorite hangout by the treat rock:
3rd Annual Love a Chimpanzee Day
Love a Chimpanzee Day is a much-beloved CSNW holiday invented by longtime supporter Monica Best. Monica sponsors April 23rd each year in memory of her cat Ozzie and in celebration of these chimpanzees and all chimpanzees. This year, she also wants the holiday to honor Emma, Karen and Don Young’s dog who recently passed away. (April 23rd also happens to be Monica’s birthday – happy birthday, Monica!) We had our official celebration a few days early this year (check out the photos here), but we’re still going to be sure to love the chimps just a little extra today. We may be biased, but we can’t think of a more worthy holiday.
Jody’s face
Sometimes Jody can be a tough gal to please. She will often communicate her displeasure with us by spitting mouthfuls of water in our faces or trying to poke us while we’re serving the chimps breakfast. (All of that is normal chimpanzee behavior and we never discourage it. We always want her and the other chimps to be free to express their chimpanzee-ness.)
There’s something about Jody’s face that I find so endearing, though. Even when she’s upset with me and doing her best to make my job as hard as possible, I can’t help but melt a little when I look at it.
Jamie’s spot
Jamie’s favorite spot in the greenhouse lately seems to be this windowsill. I think she likes it because she can keep an eye on almost the entire building from there.
It’s also good for sleeping.
Today in the greenhouse
Jody resting:
Missy and Annie grooming Jody:
Foxie and a new Dora the Explorer doll courtesy of friend Leslie Sodaro:
Burrito:
Jody: Version 2.0
For as long as we’ve known her, Jody has loved to lounge. While the other chimps frolic around her, she takes it easy in an enormous nest of soft blankets. Young’s Hill, though, is bringing out Jody’s long-latent inner athlete. She’s been playing with the other chimps more and more, and she’s even running for the first time ever.
Today when we opened the door to the hill, Jody shot out like a cork. After a brief run to stretch her legs, she joined Jamie and Foxie for a lengthy game of slow chase. After she had depleted her energy reserves, she found some ice in a tire swing and took it into the greenhouse to enjoy. (Photos courtesy of Jackie)
