As mentioned on Monday and Tuesday, I’m on vacation again for most of this week. If Fred did as promised and sent me some pictures of the kittens, and then I was able to get them uploaded to Flickr, then you’ll see kitten pictures below. If not, then you’ll see “KITTENS HERE” in text below, and y’know. Technology’s only as smart as the person using it, amiright? Check out my vacation pictures!
Meet Jimmy Ray. Because I can’t go on vacation without this ridiculousness happening. Fred was able to briefly pet him on Sunday, but he’s turned skittish. Give him a week, he’ll be charging through the cat door, I’m sure.
“What? I likes to explore!”
“Hi Mama, hi Mama, I lubs you!”
Oh, how those babies love their mama.
To see the full-sized versions of these pics, check ’em out over at Flickr. Still not feeling this posting-from-the-iPad thing. Edited to add: Click on any of the pictures to see the full-sized version.
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New Orleans: Global Wildlife Center.
Only a few days before our vacation to New Orleans was to start, Debbie was looking around to see what else there was to do in the area and discovered Global Wildlife Center, located in Folsom, about an hour from New Orleans. She pointed out that they had giraffes and that YOU COULD PET THE GIRAFFES, and I insisted we needed to go. To say Debbie’s a fan of giraffes would be wildly understating it, and she didn’t take much convincing. She called and made an appointment for a private tour (which sounded much better than the tours on the bus with a bunch of other people), and we got reservations for a tour very early Sunday morning. It just so happened that Sunday was Debbie’s birthday, which made it perfect.
We hit the road early. It was supposed to take an hour to get there, so we left an hour and a half early, just to be safe.
I have no pictures of this next part, but after following Siri’s STUPID directions, what we found was that Siri didn’t know what she was talking about. We made a few frantic calls to the Global Wildlife office – and that poor girl who answered the phone can’t possibly make enough money to deal with idiots like us. I literally said “I’m sitting at a gas station on (I don’t remember where), where do I go?” Well, she couldn’t tell me where, because you know what? STUPID Siri brought us to a place over half an hour from where we were supposed to be. I finally got the address plugged into Google Maps, and got the correct directions.
We made it to Global Wildlife 40 minutes after our one-hour tour was supposed to start. They offered to reschedule, but Debbie suggested that as long as we got 20 minutes with the giraffes, we’d be okay. So they rushed us out the door, and off we went in search of giraffes.
This was just so incredibly cool.
GIRAFFES!
Hungry giraffes!
Debbie taking a picture of me while that giraffe critiques her skills.
The corresponding picture (the settings on her phone were messed up.)
Listen, I don’t know what kind of animal this is, but he certainly made his presence known. We’re going to call him Reek, because this is a family-friendly site where I try to resist using naughty words and I won’t tell you what Debbie and I call him (though I suspect you can figure it out once I tell you more about him). APPARENTLY, when Reek wins a fight against another male, his next step is to use the other male’s manure as a kind of mousse not only to announce that he was the big, bad winner but also to attract the wimminfolk. (Hmmm. Maybe he uses his own manure? There was some super stinky manure involved, I know that for sure.)
Not only did Reek STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN, he was also drooly. Like, super drooly. The drool was just POURING out of his big gross mouth.
“I think they like me.”
After a few visits from Reek, the seats were so coated in drool that I moved to the jump seat behind the driver, because it was the only dry spot except where Debbie was sitting, and also Reek couldn’t reach me. SO GROSS.
There’s Reek over the right, creeping on Debbie, who’s feeding that little giraffe.
Fun fact: for every foot of height, giraffes have one inch of tongue. So the 22-foot male has a 22-inch tongue.
A deer? I think? Did I mention we were there for the giraffes?
“Hallo.”
We have an emu mating dance going on here.
This might be that 22-foot male giraffe I mentioned. I never did see his tongue, though.
“Cooome to mama.”
This is Cole the llama. He was a character.
The wild tundra of Louisiana. I love this picture.
“Hi hi!”
More pictures from Global Wildlife tomorrow!
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Video! Debbie feeding Cole the llama, who is running along behind us. It cracks me UP.
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Joe Bob is pretty sure he’s the only wild animal you need. RAWR.
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Previously
2016: Something about Princess Consuela brings out the teef, I guess.
2015: Roseanne’s feelin’ skeptical.
2014: No entry.
2013: Charming waits breathlessly to see what Aslan will do.
2012: I think George and Gracie are mocking us.
2011: Fergus Simon and the belly rub.
2010: Rhyme and Reacher discover that the best toy on earth is always juuuuust out of reach.
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: I think everyone has the occasional Strange Odor issue.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
I loved it when your friend said, “You ain’t going hungry on my watch, baby!”
Jimmy Ray has quite a lovely tail and face!
Those babies are just too darn cute!
Nola’s face in the Beignet exploring pic cracked me up!
Love the kitten pics, but I especially LURVE the giraffe pics!! I think I am in love with Debbie also. I bet I like giraffes just as much as her (maybe more). Btw, when you said “Fun fact: for every foot of height, giraffes have one inch of tongue. So the 22-foot male has a 22-inch tongue.” I thought hmmm but how big are their hooves?
*snickers*
Hehe – I didn’t look because I am a LAYDEE.
Debbie (who is my younger sister) is the awesomest. 🙂
You are so lucky to have a great sister!!!
Hi Jimmy Ray! Lol, that name is awesome.
Giraffes! Wow, they are just so majestic, aren’t they?
Hi Joe Bob! Oh, how I love you…
1) I love that Jimmy-Ray already has a name.
2) Beignet is TOO adorable for words.
3) Nola’s facial expressions still crack me up.
4) That wildlife centre looks amazing (except for Reek).
5) Cole the Llama is a cutie who I could totally picture following you all the way back to Crooked Acres.
6) Joe Bob is correct!!
I always use Google Maps now. I tried Waze, which a friend of mine uses on all her iProducts, and one day it led us to a dead end road telling us our destination would be on the left. It WOULD have been IF we could drive across the 100 yards of OPEN FIELD between us and it. Google Maps got us out of the dead end and around to where we could actually reach our destination. It’s Google for me.
I have a live giraffe cam from that place saved in my favorites on my laptop! I love to check in when I am bored at work to see what the little darlings are up to! So cool you went there, I had no idea it was a place you could tour. Thanks for sharing all the great pictures!
Enjoyed the wildlife photos! Must have been such fun. As Fred said about Jimmy Ray, “There’s ALWAYS another one.” I know the feeling, since I feed/help strays…but for those of us who are “marked by compassion for cats”…guess there’s no alternative but to help.
And those kittehs…again…HUGE for their age. I see they are also still out of the crate!
wild tundra of Louisiana – hahaha…. that llama is too cute
The 2016 links to the 2015 post, and so does the 2015. Just wanted to let you know.
Thank you! It should be fixed now.
I can see it now –
You get home from vacation, Jimmy Ray is settled in, you walk in and he looks at you and says, “Yo Fred, there’s a strange lady in OUR house. Want me to throw her out?”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
LOL! I can totally picture that!
Love the pictures! I’m pretty sure Reek was a Pattersons Eland from what I could see. I used to drive safari’s at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This is one of the ones in their park – http://i.imgur.com/FM0QPyl.jpg.
Fun facts:
-Eland are the largest of the antelope species. Full grown they can weight up to two and a half tons, 2,500 lbs, and stand six feet just at the shoulder, not including their heads or horns.
-Though they are so large they are still able of jumping an astounding six feet straight up in the air.
-Both males and females have the large, spiraling horns.
😀
GIRAFFES!! on your birthday??! how freakin awesome. I would so have tagged along like your annoying little sister’s friend who never goes home and has wonky pig tails..
Can you imagine how much fun it would be to hang around them?! I swear, I would be the cool sister’s friend! No wonky pig tails…. 🙂