Annnd hopefully I made it home from vacation and was able to get some pictures of the kittens to post here. If you’re seeing this, for some reason I either didn’t make it home, or I made it home so late that all I could do was fall into bed.
I am! I’m home! I got home late yesterday afternoon after two flights that could not have been easier. Did I mention I was going to Florida? I thought I had, but people seemed surprised that I was in their area after I’d left, so I guess I didn’t. I visited with my parents in Titusville, Florida (flew in and out of Orlando), which was really, really nice. I’ve never been to that area of the state.
There will be pics of THIS vacation next week – probably far fewer than you’d expect, because like a complete dummy I talked myself out of taking the camera with me and had to depend on my phone to do the job. So, we’ll see how THAT turned out. (I still managed to take nearly 1,000 pictures, so.)
The rest of the New Orleans vacation pics are in the next section.
I went and hung out with Nola and the babies as soon as I got home, and could not BELIEVE how much those babies have grown. They actually look like kittens now! Tiny drunk kittens. I weighed them and their weights are:
Andouille: 13.09 oz
Roux: 12.45 oz
Praline: 13.9 oz
Beignet: 12.5 oz
If you’d like to see their weight chart, you can go to their page (clicking on any of their pictures in the sidebar will also take you there) to check it out.
Look at the ears, slowwwly moving upward! (I believe this is Praline.)
“Mama, Mama, Mama, ::smack!:: Mama, I looove youuuu.”
Roux also loves her mama.
Praline, keeping an eye on things.
Andouille came right on over to me and wasn’t sure what he thought about being petted… but then he climbed into my lap for a moment, so apparently it wasn’t too bad an experience.
Praline certainly does like to hang out on her mama’s tail.
The whole family. As you can see, they remained out of the crate the entire time I was gone. As far as I can tell, the kittens haven’t wandered too far from home base. But they did do a little exploring…
“This place is cool! I wish we lived in a place like this!”
The most surprising thing to happen as I sat there was that Andouille wandered by me, and discovered…
His Mama’s plate of food! That boy is 17 days old (well, 18 days old today, but that was yesterday) and he was trying very hard to eat that food. After a little while, he gave up and wandered away. I have never seen such a thing. That boy is a genius.
I guess this weekend I’ll put the whole family in the bathroom so I can clean the foster room and put down washable pee pads. If that boy is trying to eat on his own (though of course it could just be a fluke), using the litter box might not be far behind. Better to be prepared!
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New Orleans: Global Wildlife Center.
The last of the pictures we took at the Global Wildlife Center.
Fenced-off pond area.
Turtles and… kangaroos!
Kangaroos rolling around in the sun like cats.
We didn’t get the full tour because we showed up so late (THANKS, SIRI), but I expect the tour doesn’t involve hands-on experience with the kangaroos.
I bet if you offered these guys some feed in a cup, they’d take the whole cup and then slap you. Or punch you. And you’d totally deserve it.
Ears of Annoyance.
“You is super annoying, lady.”
“Can’t I get one moment of privacy, lady?”
Hey! Hey! GUESS WHAT?
Zebra butt!
We also didn’t see zebras on our tour – our driver/guide Danielle told us something about zebras, but I can’t remember exactly what. I think that they’re mean and so the center doesn’t let you feed them? Or something? My brain is a sieve. Anyway, we saw these guys on the way out.
Another shot on the way out.
If you’re anywhere near Folsom, it is absolutely worth driving a few hours to take the tour, it was really cool and everyone working there was very friendly and helpful. Two thumbs up!
We stopped at the Cranky Corner General Store for a selfie. This is what happens when you let the old folks take a selfie.
On the way to Folsom, we went up Rt 10, which only takes you over a small part of Lake Pontchartrain. On the way back – since I have no bridge phobia and I was driving and Debbie didn’t try to stop me – we took the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which is over 20 miles long.
It was very neat to look out and see no land at all. The drive went a lot faster than I expected.
Some (but by no means all) of the food we ate in New Orleans.
Caprese salad. Not particularly New Orleans-y, but BOY was it good! We ate it along with…
A Muffuletta. Both the caprese salad and the muffuletta came from Frank’s Restaurant in the French Quarter. We wanted a light lunch, so split the muffuletta and salad, and it was so good that before we left to go back to the hotel, we got another of each to have for dinner.
Pralines and mini King Cakes. Way too good.
And that was my trip to New Orleans. There was a lot we didn’t do that we wanted to (plantation tours, graveyard tours, ghost walks, airboat tours), but when Monday came around we just totally crashed. I guess that means we’ll just have to go back again one day. I want to!
Oh, and speaking of food. One evening, Debbie said “I want ice cream. Where’s the Baskin Robbins?” We looked and found that it was only about a ten minute drive away.
“But I’m wearing my pajamas,” I objected.
“So? I’m wearing my pajamas,” Debbie countered.
“I don’t want to put a bra on,” I said.
“I’m not wearing a bra,” Debbie said.
So we took our bra-less, pajama-wearing selves down to the car and headed for Baskin Robbins. We got on I-10, which (to my eyes, at least) is a big, scary interstate highway. I was in the left lane and needed to get into the right, and there was a lot of traffic, so I put on my signal.
“Why is that guy flashing his lights?” Debbie asked, pointing to a car behind us and to the right.
“Oh! I think he’s telling me I have room to get over!” I checked, and indeed I did have room. I slid over. “That was really nice of him!”
“Why is he still flashing his lights?”
“Are we about to get carjacked?”
“I’m not stopping!”
And then I realized.
“My lights aren’t on.” Duh.
No one in Baskin Robbins gave a second glance to the old ladies in their pajamas, and that ice cream was really really good.
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“Oh. You’re home. Joy.”
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Previously
2016: This looks like some kind of clothing ad for disaffected youths.
2015: “What you doin’, weird lady?”
2014: Orlando was all “I NEEDS CLEANIN’, PLEASE,” and Tricki gave him a lick or two.
2013: No entry.
2012: “Hmmm…. Nah. If I drink that much coffee, I’ll be up ALL night.”
2011: Rooster stomping over to see WHAT in TARNATION is going on.
2010: Jake sniffs Bolitar.
2009: “THIS ARE MY KITTY CONDO YOU STAY AWAY!”
2008: Note that Momma Kitty is kneading the air, and in the background, the little gray tabby’s got her paws in the air like she just don’t care.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
You know how an animal can “imprint” on the first thing it sees when it is born? Could that be Praline and Nola’s tail? BWWWAAAAAHHHHH…. Well, actually, I am sure it makes quite the comfy bed.
I have to say, there is something about these kittens. They are extra pretty, extra adorable, and very quick at stealing hearts! This litter is special!
Andouille – my guess is that he is going to be a B-I-G boy!!! (Especially since he needs extra noms at this age!) Did you see my FB post of Big Fat Fluff at my local shelter that I was advertising/showing off to get him a home? (By the way, if you are in Jacksonville, FL. go adopt him. He is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!) I think Andouille will look and act just like him when he is a grown up kitty!!!
So glad you had a great trip! If you are ever driving through Jax from seeing your parents, my door is always open. Would even meet up with you for lunch! 🙂
Wow, Alice…she really really missed you! 😉
Yeah. Bra – less and pyjama bottoms? My usual attire when running out to the store to pick up gooshy food for Their Highnesses when they become peckish.
Those little round baby faces are impossibly cute. Man oh man…
I think we are all especially taken with the Cajuns because we were kitten deprived for forever.
Then again, maybe they really are just impossibly cute!
2008’s link for today was Kara kneading the air while her babies rolled around. Aw.
I loved New Orleans the time I went, it’s on my list to go back someday.
I love the zebra butt pic and am SOOO stealing it (for personal use only of course)!
Glad you had a fun time. I am going to mention the Global Wildlife Center to another friend that lives in that area as it looks super fun. Speaking of fun, Baskin Robbins is great ice cream. I thought they were only a NE company but glad you found some. Our other (not BR) local shop has a PJ day promo thing once a year where they give you a discount or an extra scoop or something.
Baskin Robbins is a Glendale CA company originally. Used to live a few blocks from their original store. When I was a kid they had only 21 flavors.
Where in Glendale?? I grew up there too, but I was waay down south, near Forest Lawn. I remember Big Boy, Carnation, and See’s Candies as local (although that last may only have been part of the chain), but I didn’t realize BR was local.
Where Verdugo & Glendale Ave merge near Glendale College. At least we were always told that was the first. That area looks totally different today.
I also lived near their HQ in Burbank (on Victory near Alameda) where you could get tastes of flavors they were working on. That store is still there. There used to be stores all over L.A., but no more [sniff].
I am now inspired to pj up a storm in the outside world (but too chicken). Here in New York, a fair number of slackers walk their dogs in pjs — and well beyond noon too!
Thanks for the wildlife tour, Robyn, and have a great weekend with all the adorable kooks at home. (Crooked Acres’ other human inhabitant, included, of course.)
Titusville was a family favorite when I lived there. One of the few unspoiled/uncommercial beaches, not sure if it still is.
Relatively unspoiled beaches and not as many big condo/hotels on the water.
if it makes you feel any better, I’ve been known to hit the drive through for breakfast on Saturday in my pjs – though I don’t get out of the car. 🙂
So I mentioned to my hubby that I wanted to drive down the day Andouille became available and he said, “Sure, which three of these do you want to give away?” “Three!” I exclaimed and he said, “Yes, three, we’re only going to have two cats and one dog after these. So if we’re getting another cat then three of these have to go.” I knew he’d be a party pooper!! Then I showed him pictures to hopefully change his mind. Nope, no good. Such a brat.
We go down to New Orleans as often as we can being Saints fans. Although with work and other vacation plans taking over we haven’t been back since 2010. Anyway, we’ve done a few of the things you mentioned wanting to do. One of those was the airboat tour. It was in the middle of December so most all of the cool wildlife, i.e. alligators and nutra, were hibernating. But it was still a whole hell of a lot of fun. You should definitely do that the next time you go. We’re hoping to get down this year to see the Bears play the Saints at the end of October. Fingers crossed.
I’ve never heard of this wildlife center, we’ll have to put that on our list of things we still need to do while down there.
You should also add the WWII museum to your list as well. The only time we’ve been to it was when it was still pretty new so there wasn’t a whole lot yet to see but what was there was pretty cool. I’ve heard that it’s now something really awesome to see.
Perhaps someone told Andouille that oranges are supposed to be round 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 (But sausages are supposed to be long and relatively thin. Nobody told him *that*.)