What I Missed...

Good evening all! Hope you had a great weekend - the weather was crisp and sunny on the farm yesterday.

In dealing with a family situation, I have been unable to volunteer weekly at the farm since the end of July until last Saturday. I cannot describe to you the emotions I felt driving up with Kim - a little anxious, nervous, happy, bewildered at how the time had passed and filled with anticipation. Would everyone be happy to see me? Would they be mad at my absence? Angry that maybe I had abandoned them and let them down? The car just could not go fast enough. Yet, when I took that turn and came up the driveway...it all melted away. Charlie, Maggie, Sammy came running down the drive...I pulled up and saw the extremely handsome Pierre - Julien sitting on his log and Lexy with her doll. My heart jumped up and beat so fast.. here they were - my family.. my brothers and sisters.. each majestic and beloved in their own way. In the barn lemurs jumping and happy, Mickey and marmosets chirping, Chelsea with her new dolly - a running shoe, Nan, Jenkins, Basil, Koo-Koo and Coco, Pockets.. That warm dense presence, it was like being wrapped in a loving blanket.

and then there was George and Susie! If ever there was a doubt about being loved or missed... George and Susie made it pretty plain how silly that is... chattering, making happy sounds, pushing against the enclosure, wanting scratches and grooming... little Susie... so sweet and happy... and of course George trying to push her out of the way, but she maintained her spot. So much that I missed...these precious moments - gifts of lives, emotions, sounds, touches. It was great to to see Jen, our hard working "little Jen" in the barn and Kim - to be working once again alongside them.

As we heard at another event on Saturday - some say it may just be a drop in a huge ocean, but it is our drop and to the lives it touches it is the universe... this is what I missed..

Avon Canada Fundraiser!

Hi everyone!

I am happy to announce a new fundraiser for Story Book!

In association with Avon Canada you can purchase one or two products especially designated by Avon.

You can buy the 75ml Cucumber Melon Antibacterial Hand Gel for $3 and/or a box of three Fair Trade Certified soap for $15!! 40% of the cost goes to Story Book for food and heating the barn this winter.

You can email Kim Meehan at kimsavon2010@hotmail.com to place an order or comment on this blog. You can also get in touch with your favourite Board Member to get in on the action.

Let me know if you want to make this available to your friends and family as I will email you an order form so that you can help boost the sale of these reputable products! Think of a Christmas stocking stuffer or birthday gift!

Our newest resident

There is a new face, a new voice, in the Story Book Barn! We welcome Chico! He is an "old" - we don't know exactly how many years that means - tufted capuchin. And he is doing very well in his new home! It is to be hoped that as time goes by, he can share space with Pockets, our black-capped capuchin...but for the moment, he is living in a lovely new space that Leonard created in the blink of an eye (or so it seems!!!)

Chico is active and moves constantly - like capuchins do - so it is hard to get shots of him. He has almost no teeth left - they are worn down to nothing! And he doesn't seem to use his tail - but maybe he will as time goes on.

He had a very restricted diet previously - a boiled egg, a banana, a peanut butter sandwich - so he is overwhelmed by the variety of food he is offered now. Apparently corn is a big hit!

As we all get to know Chico better, there will be more to say about him - but he is already a member of the family!

That precious moment in time...

Happy Tuesday everyone! The weather has been lovely, and life is good. On Saturday, Izzy, Ingrid and I were up at the farm. Sherri joined us later in the afternoon, as she was working. All the volunteers comment how being there, enjoying special moments with the animals, amongst great company and in the beautiful setting is such a balm to the soul. We are so lucky (always in a bittersweet way) to have the privilege to know and care for all the creatures at Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, including Chili the llama, Amigo, Mickey and Pablo, the lemur family and boys, the sweet, sweet Chelsea, George, Susie and everyone.

Each moment is so special, because in their world, that is "the moment", the intensity, the pure joy, the alarm, the upset (Chelsea screaming because Ingrid said "No" to Jenkins) and the humour (Pockets is hilarious). It is so raw and in the moment - with no facade. For me, it is like a magic spell, that second in time, the touch, the vocalization, the breath...staying, not breathing, trying to hold it, remembering every second, sensation and movement... and capture it in the heart and mind.

For instance, having Chelsea throw down her boot - well now it is a baby running shoe - throwing it to where she is planning to sit beside you. ..you become so thrilled with the anticipation, that she is taking the time, reaching out, and preparing for that grooming session. She then climbs down the ladder and comes over to the door. Her little hands grab the shoe. She sits down, gets comfortable, and looks into your eyes, checking and searching.. then the "num-nums" sounds begin, the language of happiness...and that beautiful little hand comes out to reach out to you, to touch, to groom, to share....and you just sit there, mesmerized by the power of this love, trust and vulnerability. She searches your hand for spots to groom....it just holds me spellbound. These are the moments of life that can never be taken away, not matter what. Like feeling Billy's breathe on my back, the quiet grooming sounds, the contentment, and for a few seconds joy and the transportation of souls joined together ... in a better world of a language without barriers, of equality, of tenderness and knowing all of us are one.

We need to care, feel and just be, to the depth of our souls. We can all make the choice to live this way...

Nan at the Vet!

She was a star - from beginning to end!

Her pouch needed repairing (again!!). The vet - another star - removed the leaky hole and remnants of (more) almond shells! Then he stitched her up and we brought her home!

When she got back to her enclosure, she and Chelsea had endless conversation about their experiences of the day!

Boot Drive

On behalf of everyone at the sanctuary, I would like to thank the many citizens of Lindsay, City of Kawartha Lakes and for those visiting for making a difference to us. It was their generosity at the Lindsay Canadian Tire store today that helped us raise more than $400 for the sanctuary. We hope that we have inspired many of you to get involved whether it be through our Foster Friend program, donation through our paypal or supporting us in other ways - donations of food, lumber, fencing, enrichment, hay/straw or perhaps your volunteer time to help us continue to provide our friends with fresh food, wonderful place to live and the freedom to enjoy their lives at the sanctuary. To those of you who took the time to speak with us, it was a pleasure to share with you about what we do and reinforce that there is a need for many animals in our society, including primates. We also are encouraged that you will continue to make a difference, one animal at a time. From all our friends at the farm, we thank you for your donations. We can assure you that your donations will be well spent. With sincere thanks, Jenn - Volunteer

Pockets gets out!!!!!!

This weekend past, Pockets' outdoor enclosure was finished enough for him to come out and do a little exploring! He was a little hesitant at first - peeking outside and running away - but with the lure of treats, he finally came out into the sun - and seemed to really enjoy his new space. Now he can have a wonderful summer enjoying the sun and the breeze and all the outdoor smells and sounds!