Voila!

Okay, before we start on the real topic, here is an update on the resident hooligans. They are no longer cautious around their kitty tree; they zoom to the top and bounce to the bottom as quickly as it took to type this sentence. They race through the house, tackling each other, the dogs, and me. They can hear me open the pantry door from the far corner of the upper floor. They steal laundry about to be folded and create their own kitty toys from a rolled up sock.

In other words, they are generally a blur and impossible to photograph. Until nap time. See how they've grown...

I must mention here just how fabulously the kittens and the dogs are getting along. I've caught every one of the dogs nuzzling a kitten from time to time and even tolerating friendly pats from kitty paws. It's a miracle.

Now, on to the real topic. It occurred to me that bringing the plants indoors this year was going to be a problem, what with the two little monsters on the prowl. I had visions of broken branches, leaves littered all around, and smelly vapors coming from the potting soil. On the other hand, I knew it wasn't going to be long until the weather guessers came up with the first freeze warning. What to do?

Sometimes I amaze myself. I decided to turn one of the gazebos into a green house this winter, allowing me to keep the plants outside. At first, I figured that I would need a lot of plastic sheeting. And then the brainstorm hit. Shower curtains. I bought 8 of the cheapest clear shower curtains I could find (about $20 worth), and 8 sets of the cheapest shower curtain rings I could find (about $12) and this morning created a very passable greenhouse.
During the coldest nights this winter, I can run an extension cord from Mother's bedroom and put a light in with the plants for a little heat. On the warm days, I will just push back the shower curtains. The plants will still have light and fresh air and my house will be plant-litter free. Win, win, win solution.

LSW