Welcome to Lydia McCauley's Garden of Simples Blog

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get from it, but what they become by it. - John Ruskin



Lydia McCauley and Kurt Scherer are owners of STONEHOUSE ARTIFACTS, offering Treasures from Colonial India. Online Here.

Our shop is located in Bellingham, Washington. We welcome you to come and visit our small estate, enjoy the grounds and share a cup of Chai.



Saturday, January 2, 2010

Monkey Pete

I've been excited for some time to introduce a delightful little guy named Monkey Pete. Here he is. Monkey Pete.


We first met him in early 2006 just before a trip to Ireland and Italy. Our friends brought him over in his sleeping bag. I stuffed him in my backpack and he got through customs just fine. Off we went. That's how I got to know him and his quiet, sweet ways.

Here he is on Arranmore Island, County Donegal. Hi Monkey Pete!



Monkey Pete came to visit the other night and I was able to interview him with the help of his adopted mother Susan B.


A friend in Boston gave Monkey Pete to Susan B. in 1992. He has since had many adventures and travelled to several countries. He married (Monkey) Suki and has a child named Teeny Pete. They live separately, and I don't know the whole story. Sometimes its better for one not to ask.

These days Monkey Pete spends some time meditating. Here he is in a meditative pose. OM Monkey Padme OM.



He also likes the savasana (resting pose), which is my favorite too.



Monkey Pete is a world traveller. Why, he has journeyed to Turkey two or three times, Italy, Greece, Scotland, had a big trip to Nepal, and has visited Ireland on several occasions. He met the O'Pete's there and I do believe they made quite an impression on him.


One might find him sitting atop the Rialto.



Or helping Kurt gather firewood in Tuscany.


Now, Monkey Pete can get bored. It's only natural. But he finds ways to move forward and he encourages others to do so. That's the marvelous thing about him, he has a positive outlook.

Here are a few facts about him which I will put into a list because this blog entry is getting long:

1. He is very spiritual, and is often on another plane (no pun here) of existence, however - he hates the word - it gives him a stomach ache.

2. He is not a social climber, and is unconcerned with making a lot of money.

3. He is not a name dropper, but he could. Yes, he could. He's had his photo taken with a high Llama in Nepal. At the time of this interview he could not remember the name.

4. He's the subject of a Flip book (limited edition).

5. He is the subject of the book Young Monkeys in Love - Suki and Monkey Pete's Adventures at The Color Shack by Chelan and Susan B.

6. He wrote a memoir entitled Monkey Pete Returns to Ireland.

There's so much more about Monkey Pete. He's in a quiet phase right now, taking each day as it comes. I think that's healthy.
He is well loved by his family and indeed by many others around the planet. He's my favorite monkey, I know that.