For Dian Fossey, Christmas was an epic event. Perhaps her unhappy childhood made her long for a traditional and joyful celebration, one she could take to the nth degree. She had always given gifts and candies to children in nearby villages. Once Dian established Karisoke, she invited her staff, their spouses, and children to join in the festivities every year.

As I look back on 2020, it's been a year of turning challenges into opportunities. Restricted driving days saved us a lot of money on gas. I like the idea of hand sanitizer outside every business — it makes me conscious of my health and the health of others, even people I don't know. I've had more time to write.

Dian Fossey loved her pets too. Even though she was never allowed to have one after she was devastated when her goldfish died when she was a child, she made up for it later in Africa. Her first pets were a couple of chickens whom she named Lucy and Dezi. She had to escape with her life from Congolese soldiers and was unable to rescue them.