Shirley and Jenny

Yes, more elephants, I know, but I read this kids' non-fiction book last night and really had to draw a picture of Shirley and Jenny. The book is about Shirley being transferred from the zoo that she had lived in after her circus days to the 100 acre elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. It sounds like a fantastic place where elephants are allowed to form bonds with one another and have all kinds of space to roam free. When Shirley arrives, all of the elephants are very curious and want to check her out, but Jenny does more than that. Shirley has to be isolated behind bars at first, but Jenny runs up to her and sticks her trunk in between the bars and the two greet each other like two long lost friends. It turns out that they actually did know one another! Jenny was a baby elephant in the circus where Shirley performed and it turns out that she had been a mother figure to her. Well, needless to say, the two are now nearly inseparable. In most of the photos in the book, they are touching each other in some fashion. As you can see above, they are holding trunks (awwww!). Anyway, the book made me feel happy that despite whatever Shirley's life had been like before, she now gets to be with her friend Jenny, I'm assuming, until the end of her days. I'm not a sentimental person for the most part, but I'm a sucker for these animal stories...


Well, it seems like a very beautiful day. I should probably get dressed and go out and enjoy it a bit. I am enjoying sitting here in my pajamas with a fresh air blowing through my window. Mmm, smells like spring... Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

I did this drawing on 11x14 paper rather than my usual 9x12, so it wouldn't fit on my scanner and part of my elephants' legs had to be cut off. Poor little elephants with the stubby legs...