I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY NORTHWEST ONLINE STORE IS OPEN!

Blog readers get the first chance to shop!! Just click on the words “online store” above, and you can finish all of your holiday shopping from the convenience of your living room, office, kitchen, or wherever your computer may be. It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s convenient, it’s cool, and it’s all for the best cause – the Cle Elum Seven.

For those of you in the Seattle area, be sure to at least venture outside on Friday to go to Sam’s Cats and Dogs, Naturally in Monroe. They are generously donating 10% of their sales to the sanctuary all day on the busiest shopping day of the year! They are open from 8am to 9pm. Here’s the location and contact info: 202 N. Lewis St., Monroe, Washington 98272; (360) 805-5060  Buy some treats for your animal friends at home while supporting your friends at CSNW!

This morning we put out 7 raisin logs with the chimps’ enrichment. Take a look below to see how many Jamie ended up with!

Jamie worked and worked on this one!

First – the CSNW store is almost ready to launch! We’re waiting on word that the merchandise will arrive this week, and I’ll let you know as soon as the store is live. I’m so excited! I received such great feedback about the items we will be carrying – just wait until you see everything “in person.” I’ll likely be adding stuff as we go, but the initial items are note cards, calendars, tote bags and t-shirts. We’ll do our very best to get orders out in time for x-mas so that the Cle Elum Seven to be well represented at your holiday gatherings.

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Second – Cory Michael and Fresh Facials and Skincare had their open house this past week.  20% of all sales went to CSNW, and they released a new product – Chimp Balms! Jesseca will be adding them to their website store soon. 15% of all sales from their website and direct sales of products and services for the rest of November will go to the sanctuary. I went on the site the other day and bought all kinds of great stuff.

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Third -Tamela found a really great BIG acrylic mirror that we can mount in the chimpanzees’ enclosure so that they can admire themselves! You can help pay for the mirror by making a donation online or by mail and including a gift note that says “wall mirror”.

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Fourth – Michelle of Rabbit Ridge Designs is busy spreading the word about CSNW in Alaska. She is donating 10% off all sales for the rest of the year, including shows she attends and online sales. She raised nearly $300 for the chimpanzees a few days ago at a show! Because I don’t “do” wool, I was particualarly interested in the bracelets and the hand-dyed soy silk yarn that Michelle sells – definitely check out her site.

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Fifth – Shelly C. is advertising her beautiful Lights of the Valley soy candles on the forum and any sales she makes through the fourm she will give 20% to CSNW.

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Sixth – volunteers in Seattle are organizing an enrichment party to make holiday treats for the Cle Elum Seven! Details are below. You can chat about the party and RSVP on the Forum.

Date: Sat Dec 13

Time: 1-4 PM

Location: Kenmore Junior High in Kenmore, WA

RSVP by leaving a message on the Forum or by contacting Jeani – nannyjg@comcast.net

Jamie has been enjoying some recent donations of knit winter hats.

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo to go along with this post, but I wanted to share the latest Jamie story with all of you.

As you know, Jim, with the help of Brian and Audrey, recently built us a wonderful shed right outside the door of the kitchen at the chimp house. In fact, Audrey and Jim were out a few weeks ago in some pretty chilly weather adding some finishing touches and starting to paint it. They refused to come in to get warm – I swear I asked them several times. These are some dedicated volunteers.

Anyway, we have, as expected, started to fill the shed, and I noticed today it already needed some straightening. I spent some of the morning moving things around, consolidating, and opening up new gifts that were put there the other day (a much-needed boot scraper and door mat!!). I ended up with several empty boxes, one that was quite large and full of lots of packing paper. So, I decided to put it in one of the front rooms before letting the chimpanzees in for lunch.

When I let the chimpanzees into the front rooms from the playroom, Jamie immediately went for the box. I had tossed it up on the bed in room two, but she wanted it on the floor. After getting it to ground level, she climbed right inside it and wrapped the packing paper around her. Of course I had lots of good food for lunch that she didn’t want to miss, but she also didn’t want to leave her box. While still inside the box, she scooted it and herself right up to the caging so I could serve her the carrots, green onions, celery and apples Elizabeth had prepared. Jamie occasionally got out of the box during the meal, but went right back to it for the next course.

I just love that Jamie sums up a situation and knows exactly what she wants to do. I think that if I saw that box in my bedroom, I probably would have climbed right in too.