A to Z Challenge: K is for Kangaroos

 Because i'm going to start bottle raising kangaroos for the local zoo instead of kittens for the shelters.

Joke, of course.  Although i had a friend who, when her dad was stationed in Australia, did bottle raise a kangaroo.  Her mother used to yell at her to "get that overgrown jackrabbit back downstairs!"

So, without further ado, news about and pictures of kittens.  Our first litter of five have all been adopted.  The second litter of two have been pre-adopted, and will go to their new homes once they are "fixed."

That leaves us with BlueBoy, Avian, and Vosve, the three found in a wall behind the air conditioning unit at a pawn shop, Skorj, JetStar, and Iris, whose mama got run over, Ame, who was left behind when mama moved all the other kittens, and the four as yet unnamed kittens whose mama simply rejected them.

The littlest ones won't hold still for pictures, yet, when i take them out of their little den.  In the den, the light is too dim to get a good picture.  Soon, though.





Today is

Big Wind Day -- anniversary of the strongest natural wind ever recorded on the earth's surfact, at Mount Washington, NH, US; the wind gusts reached 231 mph

D.E.A.R. Day (a/k/a Drop Everything And Read) -- sponsored by the ALA

Eat All Your Snacks Before the Movie Even Starts Day  -- with all the ads before the movie, doesn't that happen anyway?

Fast and Prayer Day -- Liberia

Feast of Pak Tai -- Macau (Pak Tai who conquered the Demon King, celebrated the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month)

Festival of Cerealia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (seven day public and private festival for Ceres)

Georgia Renaissance Spring Festival -- Atlanta, GA, US (weekends through Memorial Day)

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Halifax Day -- North Carolina, US (anniversary of the resolution adopted authorizing voting for independence in 1776)

Holiday in Dixie -- Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, US (ten days celebrating the Louisiana Purchase and what it meant to the US; at least, that's the formal excuse for a really fun party!)

International Day for Street Children

Kamakura Matsuri -- Kamakura and the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Japan (parades, festival, and celebrating spring; through next Sunday)

Kasama Tsutsuji Matsuri -- Kasama, Japan (Azalea festival attended by about 3 million people over the next 3-4 weeks)

Laotian New Year's Eve -- Laos (celebrations last through the 15th and sometimes beyond; at the start of the monsoon season)

Mennonite Relief Sale -- Hutchinson, Kansas, US (Mennonite, Bretheren in Christ, and Amish congregations from all across the area auction quilts, grandfather clocks, furniture, tools and crafts to raise money for hunger relief worldwide, through tomorrow)

Natchitoches Jazz Festival -- Natchitoches, LA, US (what Louisiana is known for, food, music, and passing a good time! through tomorrow)

National Licorice Day

Ozark UFO Conference -- Eureka Springs, Arkansas, US (experts -?- from around the world meet to exchange the latest info on UFOs; through Sunday)

Poteet Strawberry Festival -- Poteet, TX, US (one of Texas oldest and largest festivals; through Sunday)

Shangsi Festival -- China (ancient Double Third festival, on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month)

Sinhala and Tamil New Year's Eve -- Sri Lanka

St. Sabas' Day (Patron of Lectors, torture victims)

St. Zeno's Day (Patron of anglers, children learning to speak, children learning to walk, fishermen, newborn babies; city and diocese of Verona, Italy)

Thingyan -- Myanmar (Burmese Water Festival; part of the New Year celebrations)

Walk on Your Wild Side Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, a day in which to do something no one would expect from you

Yuri's Night -- International (Commemoration of first human in space, Yuri Gagarin)
     Cosmonaut's Day -- Russia
     International Day of Human Space Flight -- UN


Birthdays Today:

Riley Smith, 1982
Claire Danes, 1979
Nicholas Brendon, 1971
Shannen Doherty, 1971
Nick Hexum, 1970
Art Alexakis, 1962
Vince Gill, 1957
Andy Garcia, 1956
David Cassidy, 1950
Tom Clancy, 1947
David Letterman, 1947
Ed O'Neill, 1946
Herbie Hancock, 1940
Dennis Banks, 1937
Tiny Tim, 1930
Ann Miller, 1923
Beverly Cleary, 1916
Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, BC599


Today in History:

Constantinople falls to the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire, 1204
The formal inquest of Galileo by the Inquisition begins, 1633
The first edition of Tatler Magazine is published in London, 1709
The American Civil War begins at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 1861
George C Blickensderfer patents a portable typewriter, 1892
Pierre Prier makes the first nonstop flight from London to Paris, in 3h 56m, 1911
Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England, 1937
The strongest surface wind gust ever measured, 231 mph, at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 1943
The Salk vaccine is declared safe and effective, 1955
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space, 1961
Samuel Doe takes over Liberia in a coup d'etat, ending 130 years of peaceful and democratic presidential successions, 1980
The first launch of a space shuttle, the Colombia, 1981
The Euro Disney Resort officially opens (now Disneyland Paris), 1992
Canter & Siegel post the first commercial mass Usenet spam, 1994
Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwe Dollar as their currency, 2009