I am a primatologist who spends twelve hours most days in the company of a thirteen year old chimpanzee named Bow. I am also an editor with Inverted-A Press.
Today is such a beautiful, sunny day. Bow and I decided we would go outside together and take some selfies. Before we went outside, I decided to brush my hair. Bow seemed to think that he needed to do the same, because when I was experimenting with camera angles, I suddenly saw him behind me, brushing his hair. He was very diligent about it.
Everything has been blooming lately, nature putting forth its most attractive face.
The apple blossoms have opened wide, even though there are still no pollinators in sight.
The daffodils are in full bloom, and the peach blossoms are doing their part.
No wonder Bow also wanted to look his best for his photo shoot in full sunlight.
He needed his chance to shine, too. He waited patiently for me to find just the right angle.
Today is election day in our little community. I am running for a small public office: one of several members of the health board of our county. Yesterday, I attended a city council meeting in which the subject of water fluoridation was discussed. All of that is important, but so are the things we do closer to home. Before I left for the city council meeting, I discussed plans for the renewal of our orchard with the man who helps me keep up my lawn.
A cherry blossom in my orchard
Sometimes it seems as if the trees take care of themselves, but we have lost some trees, and they need to be replaced. I am going to choose varieties that are natural to this area, so the trees will be more resilient and will require less care.
Little insects are already discovering the newly opened cherry blossoms.
Would you like a low resolution tour of the orchard? Here is a video.
The peach blossoms are becoming more mature, and are even attracting a larger variety of bees.
As I take a tour of the property, I meet the neighbor dog, Cowboy.
By the lagoon, the daffodils have faded and the irises have yet to flower.
But the daffodils in the woods, which were late bloomers, are still in their prime.
There is a time for every thing under the sun, but we are not all on the same timetable, which is good. We can each blossom according to our own schedule.
It is easy to feel giddy when spring is in the air. Everything all around us is blossoming.
the cherry tree in blossom
Bow has his moments of quiet contemplation, of watching nature as it unfolds, of being a spectator and not a participant.
But at other moments, he becomes active and the center of attention.
This morning, playing with Leo, Bow became progressively more active. Sometimes I forget how naturally athletic he is, climbing the walls and hanging from the rafters.
Even when we think the game is over, it may not yet be. In the following clip, Bow was grooming my hand, and Leo summoned him to play some more. Bow went to join him and in the process he suddenly remembered how much fun it is to hang upside down from the ceiling.
You might think the swing is there for Bow to exercise on, but he often takes his exercise from the walls and beams of the enclosure, and then uses the swing for quiet relaxation.
When everything is in bloom, it is hard not get giddy sometimes.
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