Josie the Pussycat!

ROAD TRIP!

I haven't been on an honest-to-god road trip since driving 5 hours to that Thirty Seconds to Mars concert at Jones Beach, NY last July! Quick 2 hours to New Hampshire is nothing in comparison, but I've really missed being the road. I've been stuck at home for over a year for various reasons and it's nice to finally get out and go somewhere...even if I'm still not driving quite yet.

And unfortunately I recently also had to give up drinking. Malibu was my favorite, straight or with Coke. I really miss rum...

I missed so many family trips up north, it was nice to spend a day with my parents, visiting my aunt and picking out a kitten from her most recent littler. I lost my Emma this past December, a week before my birthday. I got her when I was 8 and she made it 20 years. I miss her every day. So when Auntie Jo emailed me pictures of five, 3 week old, adorable little kittens, I immediately wanted one.

Of course, I fell in love with the shy beautiful gray girl who would never make it on her own in a house full of eleven cats.

Auntie Jo decided to keep her anyway, so I had these two to choose from.

We already have two torties and a calico, so I was leaning more towards the gray, but I had to meet them. Hence, the impromptu road trip.

We left around 8:00AM and traffic was surprisingly light considering the holiday. We made it to Concord by 10:30AM. Anxious to meet the kittens, I would've kept going to Auntie Jo's. Mom and Dad wanted breakfast at Friendly's. Since I need to take my pills with food, I impatiently picked at a plate of fries with strawberry lemonade.

I texted Auntie Jo before we left and it took about 20 tries to send the damn thing. I'm surprised it sent at all. Her house is about 45mins from Concord, past the racetrack and in the middle of nowhere. The drive is long, steep and winding. That's New Hampshire for you. My vertigo kicked in on the steep inclines and I hadn't been happier to not be driving. Even with Mom and I looking out for the house, Dad almost passed her driveway.

Puma, her big red Persian boy, ran from the porch as we pulled up before Auntie Jo came out to greet us with her dogs Jenna and Ava in tow. She brought us back to her bedroom where the kittens call home. The room was empty. I found the dark sortie under the bed before she ran to the opposite side. The three of us waited out on the porch while she coaxed them out. The gray was the first to appear and Auntie Jo practically there her into my arms. Followed by one of the red boys, Oliver. They squirmed and meowed on my chest. Mom held the dark tortie and I handed the boy over to Dad while Auntie Jo searched for the second red boy and the shy gray girl. She sent us to the front porch while she looked for them. Mom and I put the girls in the low cat tree, then Oliver started meowing so Dad added him to the pile.

He really is a gorgeous boy. If her vet wasn't taking him, I might be swayed...and I'd keep the name.

Auntie Jo gave Dad the second red, Humphrey, while she held the shy gray. The girls started adventuring. None of them had been to the porch yet. I don't think they'd ever left the bedroom before. Humphrey started meowing, too, so Dad put him with his brother.

The gray girl really took to me. Playing with my fingers; biting, licking, grabbing. We bonded.

Her name is Josie.

So when the shy gray girl got too scared, Auntie Jo decided to feed them back in the bedroom. She and Mom brought them back into the house, while I continued to play with Josie. Dad and I accepted a package for her as they were leaving. I brought Josie back a little later to talk with Mom and Auntie Jo. Dad was visited by the big person beauty, Dottie. The mother of 8 of out cats at home and grandmother to the new litter.

The others had finished eating and were playing with whatever they could find. They all watched me wiggle my fingers and pounced near me, but too nervous to touch. Except Josie. We're good. She's very independent, but also cuddly and sweet. And she comes right out to play when you're looking for her. Momma Lily peaked in at us from under the porch stairs. She's too skittish to come to strangers.

Dottie joined us in the bedroom and she is beautiful!

Looks just like our Callie (third litter).

We all went back to the front porch to visit for a while. I got kind of bored talking and not really listening, so I went back to the bedroom to find my kitten. Meeting her was the main purpose of this trip, and I'd bene so looking forward to it. Oliver was in the cat bed, but there were no other kittens in sight. Then Josie came right out to see me. I brought her back to the porch and played with her while keeping in and out of conversation.

Mom decided we should leave around 3:00PM. I reluctantly brought Josie back to the bedroom and put her in the cat bed with Ollie. I so would've taken that boy...

No-one was angry after the late breakfast/brunch, so we ht the road and made good time back to Massachusetts. Just off the highway in Rockland, they decided to pick up dinner at KFC. I got biscuits to have with the leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge at home.

We're staying at the Indian Head Resort in Lincoln, NH for the first weekend in July. So as not to leave a new kitten alone with eleven cats while we're away, we'll be stopping at Auntie Jo's to pick up Josie on our way home.

~* July 3, 2018 *~