a busy weekend

so much for my plan to sleep late yesterday! :D Tom and his friend Murray started in on a much-anticipated home-improvement project yesterday morning, about 6:30 am... (since the forecast was for 105+ temps, an early start was necessary!) They worked till about 12:30, when they ran out of 2x4s, but they got a nice start on the framing to screen in the back patio. Next week the plan is to finish the framing, then we have to paint everything before putting up the screen. Next weekend they'll finish up the framing, then we'll paint the wood to match the house before putting up the screen and trim pieces. This will be really nice once it's done-- no more flies or mosquitoes to worry about, and the pets can lounge out here without having to keep an eye on them, like when they're in the yard. (and we would, too, cause even though the wall is approximately 6 feet high, Butters has already jumped to the top and over it!)

and, meet our new kitten!! Yesterday after Murray and Tom quit working on the patio, Tom and I headed into Phoenix to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, to look at kittens. There were plenty (it's still kitten season), but we were on a mission for one that would be able to stand up to the dogs-- after checking our a few of them, we brought home this adorable gray tabby girl.

She's so tiny-- this picture shows a good comparison, since she's sitting next to the camera bag, which isn't very big. She likes to climb; she's already figured out how to jump up into the window, up onto the kitchen chairs (and table). She certainly has held her own against the dogs, too-- they were very interested in her, and there was some hissing, but she held her ground and took a couple swipes at them, which is a good thing, in my opinion. (I wouldn't even mind if she had connected-- that would make them think twice about messing with her!)

This pic shows just how tiny she is... the only collars they had at the grocery store were for 8" - 14" and Tom made it as small as it would go. It's way too big, but it sure helps to have the bell jingling when she's wandering around-- especially she can get under and behind the furniture!

she's an adorable little kitty; too bad Butters doesn't think so! There was plenty of hissing and some swatting from Butters, and since then, she's pretty much ignored her. Hopefully she'll eventually come around. And have you noticed, I haven't said what her name is?? That's cause she doesn't have one yet... The shelter called her Arielle, but that just doesn't have a good ring to it, so we're on the hunt for a new one. So far, we're calling her "Kitty," but there's gotta be something better than that out there- it'll come to us (hopefully)!!