So i called...

...the lady about the kittens.

She was friendly enough, but she made it clear she does not like animals, and especially cats.  She was not willing to let the kittens stay so the mama could care for them for even a short time.  She does understand that the mama is likely to come into heat again very quickly, and will cooperate with trapping and spaying her so that this doesn't continue to happen.

They were not, as originally thought, about two weeks old.  They are about 2-4 days old, eyes closed, umbilical stumps attached.

There are five, and all appear to be female.  Two calico, a tortoiseshell, a tuxedo, and a tabby.

Snuggled in the carrier, and i'll try to get more pictures later.

Right now, i'm dealing with taxes so i can maybe get them done very, very soon.



Today is:

Carnival of Binche -- Binche, Belgium (famous carnival dating back to the 16th century, which includes a giants parade, childrens parade, fireworks, orange tossing, and more; through Shrove Tuesday)

Disting/Charming of the Plough -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan (a feast of new beginnings and spring)

Fasching Sunday -- Germany and Austria, and among German speaking peoples; the Party before Lent kicks up now

Feast of Saint Paul's Shipwreck -- Malta

Hall Sunday -- contraction of Hallowed Sunday; the Sunday before Lent, which has many traditions associated with it; let the pre-fast partying begin in earnest

International Flirting Week -- always the Sun-Sat that encompasses Valentine's Day; if you are married, flirt with your mate, it's fun!

Jerusalem International Book Fair -- Jerusalem, Israel (unique, biennial, multilingual, with thousands of publishers from over 40 countries, recently including participants from Arabic countries; through the 15th)

Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year/Lhosar/Seol-Nal/Tet -- celebrations throughout Asia before and after, some for up to a month; Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist celebrations
     Sonam Lhosar -- Nepal (Tamang New Year)

Man Day -- always the Sunday before Valentine's Day, sponsored by C. Daniel Rhodes

Mother's Day -- Israel (Shevat 30)

National Cream Cheese Brownie Day

National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe -- Italy, especially in Trieste

Ocean County Bluegrass Festival -- Albert Music Hall, Waretown, NJ, US (a family-oriented bluegrass festival, at the best venue for bluegrass and old time country music anywhere)

Plimsoll Day -- honoring Samuel Plimsoll, the "Sailor’s Friend," who persuaded Parliament to have a maximum load limit on ships.

Random Acts of Kindness Week -- always Valentine's Week

St. Scholastica's Day (Patron of children in convulsions, nuns; LeMans, France; against rain, storms)

Transfiguration Sunday -- Christian

Try to Invent a New Jell-O Flavor Day -- it can't hurt to try

Umbrella Day

World Marriage Day



Anniversaries Today:

Queen Victoria marries her cousin Albert von Saxe-Coburg, 1840
Tom Thumb marries Mercy Lavinia Warren, 1863
Poland is symbolically married to the Baltic Sea by Jozef Haller de Hallenburg, celebrating the restitution of Polish access to the water, 1920


Birthdays Today:

Lance Berkman, 1976
Laura Dern, 1967
Glen Beck, 1964
Cliff Burton, 1962
George Stephanopoulos, 1961
Greg Norman, 1955
Mark Spitz, 1950
Roberta Flack, 1939
Robert Wagner, 1930
Leontyne Price, 1927
Lon Chaney, Jr., 1906
Bertolt Brecht, 1898
Jimmy Durante, 1893
Boris Pasternak, 1890
Samuel Plimsoll, 1824
Charles Lamb, 1775


Today in History:

St. Paul is shipwrecked on the island of Malta, 60
Crusaders defeat Prince Redwan of Aleppo at Antioch, 1098
The St. Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days, 1355
Wampanoag Indians under King Philip kill all the men in Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1676
Edmund Halley is appointed the second Astronomer Royal of England, 1720
The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War, surrendering Canada
to England, 1763
Simon Bolivar is named dictator by the Congress of Peru, 1824
The first US fire extinguisher patent granted to Alanson Crane of Virginia, 1863
The YWCA is founded in NYC, 1870
Nearly 11,000,000 acres of land, ceded to the US government by the Sioux Indians, is opened for settlement, 1890
The New York Times begins using the slogan, "All the news that's fit to print," 1897
Japan and Russia declare war after Japan's surprise attack on Russian fleet at Port Arthur disabled 7 Russian warships, 1904
Britain's first modern and largest battleship "HMS Dreadnought" is launched, 1906
Baseball outlaws all pitches that involve tampering with the ball, 1920
New Delhi becomes the capital of India, 1931
The first singing telegram is delivered, by the Postal Telegram Company of NYC, 1933
Captured American U2 spy-plane pilot Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, 1962
Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party, 1989
The IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov for the first time, 1996
The communication satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos-2251 collide in orbit, destroying both, 2009