The animal kingdom

I already know we're outnumbered -- Lori and me vs. Otto and the two cats, Rudy and Mabel. So what's the difference if we open up the house to another dog and cat -- plus their owners -- to spend the night in our barely large enough condo?

Yet, that's what we did recently. When Jordan and Jamie visited last weekend and spent three nights at our new place they of course brought along their chocolate lab, Brandy, and their new kitten, Mister Biggs. They've been in southern Oregon the past couple days, visiting Jamie's parents; this time they took Brandy with them and left the kitten with us.

Except for Mabel -- who's proven to be a most ungracious host (I'm thinking of the "B' word here -- everyone's made room for our sweet little visitor. Really, there's nothing like a kitten to bring a smile to your face. This little orange tabby greets you in the morning, purring and soft as cotton, curled up in the cloth bed Lori bought for him. At night, he's running and jumping across the room like an Olympic gymnast doing a floor exercise routine. On drugs.

Jordan and Jamie -- emphasis on Jordan -- adopted Mister Biggs from the Humane Society in late May, during their waning days in El Paso. He was 8 weeks old then, so I guess that would make him 4 months old now. They named him after Biggs Army Airfield, a place Jordan became very familiar with while serving at Fort Bliss, Texas.

The animal parade continues this week. We'll be taking care of Quimby at some point. She's the little thug -- er, Chug, also known as Lil' Quim -- who belongs to Kyndall and Simone. Speaking of whom...Simone flies back this coming Friday after finishing her four-week summer course at Carnegie Mellon. She and Kyndall will load up their truck, spend a final night with us, then hit the road Monday for Pittsburgh... and 2,600 miles of interstate highway.

Animals. What would we do without 'em?