If you’re a regular reader, you probably know that tomorrow is a big day for us here. It’s the 4th anniversary of the chimps’ arrival in Cle Elum and also Negra’s birthday. We’re planning a whole bunch of fun! As we get ready, we always find ourselves pausing to reflect about how far the chimps have come, and then daydreaming about how much further they will go. Check out this post from four years ago today, and this one too. There was so much excitement in the air. And then compare this with this. Breathtaking!
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Lazy Sunday
The chimps have been ridiculously playful lately (see Negra and Missy’s play session from last Wednesday, as well as Missy and Annie’s goofiness on Friday)! But some days, they just want to kick back and relax. It’s been sunny but really windy today (and the last several days!) which makes for a really warm and relaxing greenhouse.
Annie has been laying in a super comfy-looking nest all morning- the perfect place for a little yoga:
Foxie has been kicked back with a couple of troll dolls while grooming herself. There’s something so adorable about Foxie’s tongue!
And just now, I caught Jody grooming Burrito. I love the way she was holding his foot!
Pile of Trolls Day
Watch Foxie choose her daily trolls from a giant pile in the video below.
As the video mentions, you can send your troll dolls to Foxie at the sanctuary for her birthday and to be used in the Troll Olympics. In addition to troll and dora dolls, we are looking for bakers to bring vegan baked goods to sell at the bake sale that’s part of the Roslyn Doggie and Troll Olympics on July 22nd. Contact Diana: [email protected] if you want to bake or if you have any questions. More information about this fun event will be forthcoming!
Blanket Play
Today as the chimps were waiting for their lunch to be served, I caught Missy playing with a red blanketed lump, also known as Negra Chimpanzee. It stood out as particularly funny to me because, although Negra loves to wrap herself (head and all) up in a blanket, and although lots of the chimps, particularly Missy and Jamie, often play with blankets over their heads, we don’t often see Negra playing like this. I love seeing Missy bring out Negra’s playful side!
The endless salad bowl
One of the best things about the hill lately has been the fact that it’s an endless salad bowl of grass. Everyone has a favorite “harvest” spot, but lots of folks are discovering that Missy’s Mound has the best grass. Today I drove the gator around the hill and caught Missy getting some grass from there. As soon as she saw me, she grabbed a huge handful of grass and playfully ran inside. Once I parked the gator and walked in, I found Missy standing in the playroom with her mouthful of grass, and she playfully ran back out to the hill to get me to chase her.
Team Dora or Team Troll?
Foxie’s new love of Dora the Explorer continues, but that doesn’t mean she’s dropped troll dolls out of her life.
She spent some time with a Dora and a troll doll and a mirror today:
A sure sign of Foxie’s contentment is when she rubs her toes together, like in the photo below and in this video from a couple of years ago. If you’re wondering what the powdery stuff on Foxie’s feet is – it’s pollen. The pollen has been blowing off the trees like snow all week!
Jamie’s serious face
When you’re the boss, exploring the hill is serious business.
