absolutely gorgeous with sunny days that allow

the girls to nap and warm up and mild nights that

encourage sleeping outside. And with Halloween,

this week has also meant pumpkins. And though the

girls have different styles when it comes to eating

them, they all seem to enjoy them. There’s Sissy and

Bunny, who seem almost as happy stepping on them

as they do eating them. Misty, who rolls hers around

for a bit, kicking it here and there before she eats

it. Dulary, who likes to break it open at the top,

then stick her trunk in and suck out all the insides.

Shirley, who tried to shove an entire enormous

pumpkin in her mouth several different ways, and

after realizing no matter which way she put it, it

wasn’t going to fit, then proceeded to step on it.

Tarra, who gently rolls her pumpkin back and forth

until it pops—that is if she can’t first fit it in her

mouth whole. And Winkie, who wanted to make sure

she got to eat her entire pumpkin, so she picked

it up and relocated herself further away from Sissy

before stepping on it. And if there is ever a part

they don’t want or they’ve had their fill, their sister

is always there to help them out.

the completion of the Phase II barn renovations,

the 3sum have moved back into their Phase II barn

and habitat. As they walked back over to Phase

II barn, Billie dawdled a bit to check out the new

patch of grass and a large wisteria tree! Lizzie led

the way and there were lots of delighted squeaks

and pops. Once inside the barn, they continued

their vocalizations and danced around each other

in excitement. When Ronnie and Debbie returned to

the barn well after dark, Liz greeted them excitedly.

She was standing in the open chute munching on

some treats with Deb and Ron on either side of

her, all touching each other curiously. It had been

weeks since they shared the same space, so this

was a reunion of sorts. The next morning the 3-sum

sprinted right out the barn door, down the alley

heading for one of their favorite spots, the sycamore

tree! The recent pumpkin delivery was met with

modest enthusiasm in Divaland. There was some

rolling and some popping of pumpkins, but only

Minnie and Liz devoured the entire pumpkin. Liz

used her foot to hold down the pumpkin and with

her trunk, scraped out all of the insides. With these

mild nights, everyone is enjoying leisurely strolls

through the woods, harvesting browse and sleeping

under the stars.

crisp mornings, it is surprising that the Girls are

still nowhere to be found. They all seem to have

found nice warm overnight nesting spots that the

Caregivers find (or fall into) by accident. These

nests are dug out by the girls themselves, becoming

cushioned dirt “beds�?which warm up quite nicely

when occupied by an elephant. It appears that the

extra leaves that are not needed for their comfy

nest beds make a tasty bedtime treat.

who has been named Project Manager. And thanks

to everyone in the office who picked up extra duties

for so long!

February. http://www.elephants.com/media/9News_

10_28_08.htm