Yesterday, i took Ladybug, a/k/a Porch Kitty, to the pound to meet a potential adopter.

The meeting went well, and if the lady decides to adopt Ladybug when she moves in a month or so, she will let us know.  Meanwhile, Ladybug is still up for adoption, as we can't pass up a certain home now for a potential one in the future that might never work out.

Ladybug showed off very well how loving she is, and how fearless.  She made no moves at all, even when dogs came up to her carrier.  No growls, nothing, and she was purring and enjoying being petted by anyone who would do so.  Whoever adopts her is going to get a lovely cat.

While i was there, though, waiting to meet the potential adopter, a lady came in with her two sons and a small dog on a leash.

Because i was reading, i missed most of the discussions she had with the front desk people, but watched as they brought the pup to the front cage area and put him in one.  It turned out that the family had fostered him and bottle raised him, and were bringing him up to be put up for adoption.

From the moment the little guy went into the cage, he whined and barked.  The lady stopped and talked to the front desk people for another moment, and then she and the boys left.

The pup whined and barked, and didn't let up.  For over 10 minutes, he kept up a steady stream of yips and whines, wanting his pack to come back for him.

Then, the mother walked back in.

"I can't do it!" she said.  "We can't afford to adopt him.  Financially, it's totally unfeasable.  But we can foster him until he is adopted.  I can't leave him, and my kids were in tears, and I'm in tears, and we will bring him to adoption events, and his picture is on the website so someone might adopt him that way, but we can't leave him in the cage!"

The front desk ladies smiled, and i did, too, when she opened the cage and the noise immediately stopped.  She put the leash on him, and he pranced, as much as a puppy can prance, as they left.

Whoever adopts him is going to get a happy, spoiled puppy.



Today is:

Banquet of Fairies, Goblins, Pixies, and Elves -- Fairy Calendar

Burning of the Clavie -- Burghead, Scotland (ancient ritual to ensure good luck through the year)

Carmentalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of the goddess of childbirth)

Children's Day -- Thailand

Cuckoo Dancing Week begins -- in honor of Laurel & Hardy, whose theme song was "The Dancing Cuckoos"; watch some of their fabulous material this week, and introduce it to a new fan

Designated Hitter Day -- the American League adopted the "designated hitter" rule on this date in 1973

Feast of Sokar -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Great Fruitcake Toss -- Manitou Springs, CO, US (what to do with leftover fruitcake?  toss, hurl, or launch it for fun and prizes)

Independence Manifesto Day -- Morocco(1944); Western Sahara(1944)

International Thank You Day -- as declared by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith

Juturnalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of prophetic waters festival)

Kosrae Constitution Day -- Micronesia

Milk Day

National Hot Toddy Day

National Western Stock Show and Rodeo -- Denver, CO, US (106th edition of the Super Bowl of livestock shows; through the 26th)

Secret Pal Day -- no info found on the origin, it's a secret!  do something nice for someone, secretly.)

Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day -- just don't do it to your secret pal

Sts. Paldo, Taso, and Tato's Day (founders of the monastery of San Vincenzo)

St. Theodosius of Cappadocia (Patron of file makers)

Tattoo Pride Day


Birthdays Today:

Amanda Peet, 1972
Mary Blige, 1971
Kim Coles, 1962
Stanley Tucci, 1960
Ben Crenshaw, 1952
Christine Kaufmann, 1945
Naomi Judd, 1946
Jim Hightower, 1943
Clarence Clemens, 1942
Jean Chretien, 1934
Rod Taylor, 1930
Grant Tinker, 1926
Alice Paul, 1885
William James, 1842
Eugenio Maria Hostos, 1839
John A. Macdonald, 1815
Alexander Hamilton, 1755
Theodosius I, 347


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Daktari"(TV), 1966
"Have a Heart"(Musical), 1917


Today in History:

Prophet of Islam Muhammad leads an army of 10,000 Muslims to conquer Mecca, 630
The first recorded lottery in England is drawn in St. Paul's Cathedral, 1569
Isaac Newton is elected a member of the Royal Society, 1642
Mt. Etna erupts, 1693
William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, the moons of Uranus, 1787
An earthquake in Martinique destroys half of Port Royal and results in about 700 deaths, 1839
Charring Cross Station opens in London, 1864
Milk is first delivered in bottles, 1878
Martha H. Cannon becomes the first woman state senator in the US, in Utah, 1897
The Hudson, the first sedan type automobile, goes on display at the 13th Auto Show in NYC, 1913
The first use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient occurs in Canada, with 14-year-old Leonard Thompson, 1922
Amelia Earhart becomes the first person to fly solo from Honolulu to Oakland, California, 1935
The first recorded snowfall in Los Angeles, California, 1949
United States Surgeon General Luther Leonidas Terry, M.D., publishes a landmark report saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking nation- and worldwide anti-smoking efforts, 1964
The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane in Queensland, Australia is officially opened, 1986
The government of Ireland announces the end of a 20-year broadcasting ban on the IRA, 1994
Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois' death row based on the Jon Burge scandal, 2003
Forty-six  people are killed and 12 are missing after a landslide buries a village in the Yunnan province, China, 2013