Now that the rains have subsided and lovely spring is in the air, Papa-Mummy have been taking me to the park regularly. Like a celebrity spectator at a big-ticket game, I had been circumspect in my visits to the park until now, but now I've decided to let my hair down. Put me on the swing now, and watch me squeal with laughter.

Within a week, I've gone from being corralled down the slides, to finding my own way down.

It's a bit unorthodox, but then you know me, and it's actually quite fun.

Astute readers of this blog will know that vacations and us Kishores don't mix very well. But being the gluttons for punishment that we are, we had planned on a trip to Tahoe and Reno for the new year vacation, so that we could frolic in the snow, and watch the firworks at Reno bring in the new year.

Things didn't begin too well when the forecast said rain pretty much every day of the week. Sure enough, we had rain all the way in. But we did get to Reno roughly in time on the 30th, where we were joined by Sonal Uncle and Mamta Aunty.

In the evening, we first made for the Hilton next door. We took tickets for a standup comedy routine. That inspired me for some standup yelling of my own, and off Papa marched me from the theater. Poor Papa and Mummy had to take turns watching the show and looking after me.

Then we made a beeline for Mummy's favorite Circus Circus Casino. I won my first ever arcade trophy when I scored this plush puppy at a shoot-the-balloon game together with Papa.

More bad news the next morning. It had rained through the night, and there was talk of Reno flooding. The rains had been very heavy, and cities thoughout north California and Nevada had been flooded. In Reno itself, streets were closed off and, more gloomily, the fireworks at night were called off.

After a hearty brekker at IHOP, we went againt to Circus Circus for even more arcade games. Papa got me to try out this penny ride for the first time. I liked it a lot, but by the fourth time or so it was getting a bit old.

The new year exuberance was beginning to take hold, and Mummy and Mamta Aunty got their faces painted.

Which I found a little scary, if you ask me.

It rained or dribbled pretty much throughout the day. In the night we went first to the Peppermill casino. The inside was really a sight to behold.

Next stop, Atlantis casino, and these party hats and even more arcadia.

Then, in a fit of irrational exuberance, the grownups decided that 45 minutes was time enough to load me up on milk, dash to the other side of town, make it to the Silver Legacy casino and watch the laser fireworks show there. Of course, by the time we got there, the streets were packed and the clock was ticking dangerously close to 12.

We tried for Circus Circus instead, but it didn't strike us to call the valet to park, and to our dismay, the parking lot was full too, and trying to find an empty slot burned up the remaining minutes to the new year.

Rather ungloriously, our new year was spent on the roof of the Parking structure at Circus Circus.

But hey, nobody accused us Kishores of being short on enthusiasm. Here's us back at the hotel.

We had planned to go back the next day via South Lake Tahoe and play a bit in the snow there. But while the day dawned clear, the rains had taken their toll, and highways I-80 and I-395 were both closed down with mudslides and flooding. As another storm had been forecast, we decided to return via North Lake Tahoe.

Pretty soon in the mountains it started snowing. It was slow going, but the snowfall was very beautiful. The snow had really piled up, and everything was a huge sheet of white.

We made a short stop at Mt. Rose en route.

The snow made for some really beautiful scenes.

It really looked like a desert of white!

Snow then gave way to rain, and it rained all the way back. I was getting indignant at the long drive and puked a few times to show my displeasure. Which irked Mummy even more, and there was some resolution-breaking yelling going around. It finally took all of 12 hours to get back home.

I can't wait to see what unfolds on our next vacation!

... is to go easy on the bubbly :-).