Earlier in the summer, J.B. and I fixed up the irrigation and soil for the old garden beds that are now near the chute. I, a little late in the season, pretty much randomly threw some seeds in the ground. Not much has grown, with the major exception of some sunflowers. One sunflower in particular has shot up exponentially compared to the others, grown a thick stem, and is going to bloom soon.
It’s so interesting to me that among all the seeds, it was just that one who not just survived, but seemed to find the perfect conditions to thrive.
I’m not a very good gardener, or at least not a very ordered and meticulous one, as you can tell from this story, but I love to see plants thrive. Just like I love to see the chimpanzees and the bovines, and the humans too, thrive at the sanctuary. We don’t always know the exact ingredients and conditions that each individual will respond to, so there’s a lot of trying and observing, taking note, and doing more of the things that produce happiness, joy, contentment, relaxation, and interest. There’s no one formula that works for everyone.
Missy, for example, doesn’t need a lot of human attention. Her physical environment is important. She needs space to run, things to climb on, and puzzles that she has to solve.
When she does seek out human attention, like today, it is pretty rewarding for the human. Today that human was me. I’m pretty sure Missy is quite aware that I love her toes. Whenever she’s in the mood to hang out, at some point she will put her toes out for me to touch. It’s the best.
She also puts her back against the caging so I can give her a little knuckle rub massage. This is my view when she does that:
One bonus photo that shows her face. At dinner, Anthony cut up some romaine lettuce, much to the delight of every single chimpanzee in the house. Here’s Missy enjoying hers, with Annie lurking behind:
We are trying to put together all of the ingredients to make our HOOT! event thrive for all of you (too much of a stretch)? Don’t forget to get your tickets!
