So, Sunday 5/21 we joined the Willifords on an outreach to Ball Ground, Georgia. It ended up only being us and them, so we had a wonderful picnic in the park. But before we even got to eating, a cute kitten with a very large voice came trampling toward the park from somewhere behind a row of buildings.
We quickly followed it back to the front porch of a company called Georgia Animal Project, where we found its five siblings huddled under a staircase. We couldn’t really decide what to do with the situation, so Sarah and Bethany Williford (the 14- and 11-year-old daughters of the Willifords) and I cuddled the brave ones and ran back to inform our parents of the situation. We then launched an all-out campaign to transport the kittens from their position under the staircase to a large plastic crate which happened to be sitting there.
We then found evidence that the kittens were dropped off at this tucked-away front porch by finding a soaked and soggy cardboard box.
So after the transfer occurred, we enjoyed our picnic, after which we called Georgia Animal Project. We were then informed through the voicemail greeting that they are closed on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. With that, we knew that they were dropped off late Saturday night.
We had been thinking about going to the store to get kitten chow and a litter box and toys, but once we realized that this place was closed, we knew someone would have to take care of them as emergency foster parents until either Georgia Animal Project or one of our friends could either long-term foster or adopt the kittens.
So that is how we ended up with Bethany and a large, tall cardboard box filled with six named kittens in our van.
When we arrived at the house, we set about feeding, watering, and petting the kittens.
We soon realized that they had been starving.
After taking these necessary steps, we chilled out with them for a while before dropping Bethany off and then heading out for a service in Douglasville where a guy from Dalton brought his Bible that had been weeping oil.
After this service, we took our trek back home and went to bed.
Then, on Monday, Ms. Meg and Austin came over to visit. We had a wonderful evening of the adults talking and Austin and I sitting around playing with kittens and tinkering with ukuleles, pianos, and guitars. And playing Beethoven (the music, not the movie) with Pixie, my dog.
By the time Ms. Meg and Austin left in the wee hours of the morning, they had already fallen in love with two of the six kittens. And took them home.
The next morning, we received word that their dogs had not taken well to the new squirrel-like additions and had reported another transfer may have to occur before everybody got too attached.
And so we had dinner together until 10-something at Chik-fil-a after the kittens transferred.
After a night full of cherry-tying contests, cherry-eating contests (none of us could stand those little milkshake maraschino cherries and so we (my dad, Austin, and I) challenged each other to eat some), and Austin popping a French vanilla creamer in my face (fun times), we went to my grandma’s nursing home for a quick visit.
Wednesday morning we had to say a sad good-bye to all six kittens. They would go to our foster friend Punky, who would take them to the vet for shots, worming, fleas and ticks, age check, and check of the eyes and ears.
On Thursday evening, we then went to our Thursday night meeting, called Jasper Georgia Prayer Meeting, otherwise lovingly known as the Barn. Ms. Meg and Austin joined us there for dinner and worship.
After some sad good-byes to awesome people, we headed back home.
And on Friday, we had to take my mom to the ER for symptoms of Lyme disease – which Mike also contracted after his visit to Nicaragua. My mom got released with antibiotics for Lyme, and we left the next Thursday for South Dakota.
(Sorry I’m not remembering everything in between – this is why I need to blog more often)
Aaaaannnndddd, we’re now in South Dakota!!! We rode and slept for over 48 hours, so we were glad to get here Saturday afternoon.
I’d like to keep y’all updated, but no promises 🙂
Love y’all!
Elle's Everyday 