No poop=good day!

WELL OKAY. so many updates about my shift at the sanctuary on Monday! I apologize for the lateness, the pass was quite slow getting home and I had to rush straight to rehearsal and I couldn't post any earlier than now!

This was my drive home, chains and then no chains and then traction tires required and I ended up stopping 4 time to put chains on and take them off again. Although, I am quite good at it now, and a trucker even said that I was the first woman in a pink coat he's ever seen putting chains on. Sexism aside, I was so clucking proud of myself, and I almost had him take a picture of me with my car all chained up. (because honestly I 'm not sure my dad thinks I did it at all.) :) 

ANYWHOOZER, so much snow in Cle Elum on Monday yall, the chimps went outside to get the food and ran right back inside until the next dish was being served. Except of course, Burrito, who loves food more than anything ever. 
As I've said before, I'm in training to be a level 3 caregiver, which means I will get to play with the chimps, serve meals and interact with them all! As a level 2 at the moment, I am allowed to enter enclosures to clean and such, but I am not allowed to play with the chimps. Its a process which has to be taken slowly, as I am a completely new personality being introduced to each chimp and I have to learn the ranks of the group and make sure everyone is comfortable with me, which again takes some time. 
Monday was pretty mellow, during the winter the chimps don't really like to be in the greenhouse because it is so cold, and them going outside is very rare, although Jamie does still like to walk around the hill sometimes. 

One of the things I do at the sanctuary is clean, which is actually kind of fun. Mostly because I get to look at the nests that the chimps make. Above is a Missy nest. Nothing about this particular nest says its Missy's, I just watched her make it. Sometimes when there are boots in a nest, we can hypothesize that its Jamies, or when there are Dora dolls or troll dolls in/around it, we can guess its  Foxies. Watching the chimps make their nest is one of my favorite things to observe. Its so similar to us getting ready for bed/nap time. A lot of the time, the chimps will push blankets through the caging and wrap them around themselves, so they are completely locked in. Once they are cozy, they do a few circles, much like a human would roll around in bed until they get comfortable and sleep. When I have to take the nests down to clean, often times they are stuck together as one circular object, the chimps really wrap and interweave them tight!

So monday, I had my first 1/2 hour of my hour of required guided observation for my level 3 training. This means that I sit with a staff member and observe the chimps, not interacting or anything, but just watching and listening to what the staff member tells me. I observed Jamie and Foxie, in two separate rooms but right next to each other. Katelyn, the staff member and level 3 caregiver was serving snow to the chimps. Jamie is the alpha, so we can do what she says is okay, meaning if she starts to display and vocalize when Katelyn is serving Foxie ice, then Katelyn stops and offers Jamie some. It's amazing the way Jamie has control over everything. We tell Jamie what we are doing and who we want to play with because she understands what we say, wholeheartedly. And if she doesn't like something, she will LET YOU KNOW. 

While observing Katelyn and Foxie play, (which was so heartwarming. They get a long so beautifully and pass the dolly in and out of the caging, Katelyn gives the dolly a kiss and passes it to Foxie who gives it a kiss and its so ridiculously precious. They both have play face on and bob their heads up and down to show they are playing and its so beautiful I couldn't even make it up if I tried.) Jamie was just watching me, and pointing at my boots because she LOVES boots, and everything was fine. 

Here is Jamie, being totally normal and not hazing me. Sorry for the quality, my phone is not the best. 

THEN: jamie walks over to the water, fills her cheeks and begins to shake the cage door hard. She was pilo erect (meaning all her hair was standing up on end) but not vocalizing. Katelyn, hearing her distress noises comes over to offer her more ice, thinking she is upset that Foxie is getting so much play time.

WRONG.

Jamie completely unloads her mouthful of water all over me, soaking my head and chest. After that, she looks at Katelyn, drops her bottom jaw (play face) and bounces up and down nodding. LAUGHING AT ME. laughing. I knew this was coming, Jamie is the first chimp to haze new caregivers. And even though I was soaked and being laughed at by my boss, I could not have been more happy. She noticed me. I was not just a fly on the wall, she saw me there and new I was training and has begun the hazing. Well, here we go James. One day, you will like me. and walk around the hill with me. 

No poop for me guys, she just soaked me. And trust me when I say, no poop is a good day. 

much love to yall. 

-b