Today was sponsored by Tracy Headley. Tracy was the first person to respond to our Give Five Day campaign and chose to sponsor this very special day in honor of our 5 year anniversary. We have so much to celebrate today because not only is it the sanctuary’s anniversary, it is also our beloved Queen Negra’s 40th birthday! None of which would be possible without the support of so many wonderful people. Thank you so much for such a wonderful start to the day, Tracy! And speaking of our amazing supporters, we also have a second sponsor for today which will be posted after the celebrations get under way!
Thank you, Steve!
A Gentleman’s Tea Party
Today I brought in some new “garden tool” themed enrichment for the chimpanzees so we decided to throw an impromptu garden tea party in the greenhouse this morning. JB and Diana contributed beautiful roses from their garden which the chimps love to smell and eat, and we brewed some berry tea to put out in teacups. And in perfect serendipity, Zibby Wilder, a former board member for the sanctuary (featured in this video of when the chimps first arrived almost five years ago!), came for a visit and just happened to bring fresh grapevines which the chimps were very excited about! Being the only fella at the garden tea party, Burrito had no problem problem joining in to enjoy the treats and he was the perfect gentleman.
Happy Birthday, Eric!
Today was sponsored in honor of Eric Jensen whose family shared the following message: “Happy Birthday to an impy chimpy kind of son who we are so proud of. Love, your parents.” What a wonderful way to honor your son on his birthday! Thank you so much for thinking of the chimps. Have a great day, Eric, and lots of pant hoots to you!
What a difference a day makes
We have been having many days of much needed, but seemingly never ending, rain here at the sanctuary. And let me tell you, Jamie has had a bee in her bonnet for days. And when Jamie’s not happy she makes it well known. I can’t really blame her as it’s hard to be stuck inside after we have had so many beautiful days recently. As caregivers, it is always first in our minds as to how we can make the days better for the chimps, particularly when they aren’t able to go outside. Yesterday, despite our best efforts, Jamie was a grouchy lady and let it be known in no uncertain terms that she wanted nothing to do with any of our suggestions. But today the humans and chimpanzees finally awoke to sunny skies. Everyone was in a good mood and JB even got a laugh from Annie, who typically reserves those for her raucous games of chase with her best friend, Missy. We put a breakfast forage on Young’s Hill to make the most of the day and the chimps were all lined up waiting for the door to open. They immediately all filed through the raceway together with Negra (!) in the lead. Everyone spread out, foraging through the now significantly taller grass, food squeaking with joy (we are hoping to have some great footage of this from the GoPro camera on the hill soon). And then much to our surprise, we spotted Jamie trying her hand at tightrope walking across the fire hose bridge! While this is usually a classic Missy move, I’d say Jamie is giving her a run for her money. And the best thing yet? That bee that’s been in Jamie’s bonnet seems to have flown off.
I love Jamie’s face in this last picture. It almost looks as though she’s giving herself a little congratulatory cheer. I would look like that as well if I had just been able to do a tightrope walk across the fire hose bridge!
In Memory of Marjorie Holmes
Today was sponsored by Linda Goodrich in memory of Marjorie Violet Stone Holmes (known to many as G’ma) whose Celebration of Life gathering is today. Megan Mulcahy Bischoff and George Stone also made donations in Marjorie’s honor.
Linda shared the following with us: “Marjorie was Diana’s grandmother and friend to many. Much like Jamie, she was highly active, engaging in many athletic and social endeavors, and as a leader she frequently managed to have things done her way.” Linda, what a thoughtful and generous way to honor Marjorie’s memory, thank you.