Every year, Sarah's Pet's Ahoy boss, Joel Slaven, hosts a Christmas Party at his home in St. Cloud, Florida. Joel's home is magnificent. It is out in the country, away from the city lights, on a lake. He has a pool surrounded by waterfalls and lush foliage. Joel is very generous to his guests, opening up his home and showing it off.

Joel's place is also home to many of his animal stars when they are not performing. There is a beautiful aviary with many, many gorgeous and exotic birds. Cats freely roam the grounds. In the barn are dozens of feline and canine stars enjoying the fresh air and relaxing between gigs. Many of the animals were old familiar faces from Sarah's show, and it was a treat for her to reunite with some old friends. We all enjoyed wandering around the grounds of Joel's house and seeing the different and often unique animals.

Joel had a couple of surprises planned for his Christmas Party. He kept talking about a "special guest," but no one could have expected the surprise visitor. As we all chatted and enjoyed each other's company, Joel entered with his "special guest"... a chimpanzee! Calvin the chimpanzee was dressed in a Santa Claus outfit and was adorable as could be! Everyone "ooh'd" and "aah'd" and couldn't take their eyes off of Calvin. He was so precious!

In addition to a visit from Calvin the Chimpanzee, Joel had also arranged for a holiday hayride. Everyone piled into the wagon and a pair of horses named Ben and Jerry took us for a ride through the country. The night was so dark and clear, the sky seemed to be filled with millions and millions of bright, shining stars. It was breathtaking! We even saw several shooting stars as they streaked through the night sky. The hayride was a joy as we all told stories and sang songs and laughed and laughed. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful evening with wonderful friends.

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Posted: 12/18/04