I just read this quote: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” –Epicurus
I’m pretty sure Negra would agree:
Cle Elum 7
Burrito
Undercover
Missy has a way of making almost everything she does, no matter how mundane, silly. She has been thoroughly enjoying putting sheets and blankets over her head lately- both during play and while resting in her nest- and she incorporated that into her nesting technique today. Every addition to her nest, whether it be a sheet, a blanket, or a fire hose, began over her head and lingered for a bit before moving on to the next thing.
Once her nest was just right, she threw one more blanket over her and took a nap.
Workin’ hard
Today J.B., Colin, and Noah worked on some Young’s Hill trench-digging around the entire perimeter. Here’s J.B. using what I have been calling “the crazy chainsaw for the ground” machine (though it’s actually called a ditch witch).
Trench-digging is also do-able with a pick ax and shovel, though I imagine it’s pretty hard work! Here’s Colin and Noah workin’ hard:
… and hardly workin’
Annie
It’s really amazing to look through some old photos of when the chimps first arrived at the sanctuary. Their skin was so faded, they had so little hair, and they just seemed expressionless. Even after just a few months, we started to see some drastic changes. This post shows before and after pictures of Annie—with only about 3 months between. Well, I took a photo of Annie today sitting in the same exact spot as our “before” picture. It’s pretty striking how amazing she looks after 3 years in sanctuary.
Annie before (June 13, 2008)
Annie now (August 30, 2011)
A Fox in a Box
We tend to get a lot of empty boxes around here at the sanctuary, and the other day Denice thought the chimps might enjoy this especially giant box. She was right, it turned out to be a lot of fun. Who knew a plain old leftover box could be so entertaining!
Relaxation
I take a yoga class once a week and am often inspired by the chimps here at CSNW. Their lives are nowhere near the freedom of Africa, but they have mastered the art of being able to truly relax in their sanctuary. Negra, Annie, and Jody have all been spotted doing “yoga poses” while relaxing (see this post of Jody doing some of my personal favorite poses), but true relaxation involves much more than a stretch or a twist. Today, I went out to the outdoor area and spotted Negra kicking back on the deck. Her ability to let go with her expression is priceless! That is true relaxation.
