More kittens (a theme to the week develops)
So, it turns out that there are five kittens. And Stencil actually managed to get a picture with four of them. The fifth seems to be a match for the other two brown tabby-and-whites. Mama has decided that we are acceptable (though her kittens aren't quite sure they agree) and that she is allowing them to come over to our house to play. And eat.
Stencil has propped open the door to our laundry room and set food and water in there for the lot of them. They are all brave enough to come at least as far as that, but the kittens scamper if we open the door from the laundry room into the rest of the house. They, at least, aren't ready to come in. Mama, though, views it as an invitation to tour the house. Stencil has brought her in a couple of times to check things out. But, we won't keep her in until we can manage to get the kittens, as well.
As far as we can tell, she has moved the family nest from the tool shed to the crawl space under the house (just off the stairs from the pictures below).
Mama clearly misses human contact. She snuggles up and kneads furiously when Stencil picks her up. Purrs her head off, too. If only the kittens were as cooperative.
But, they are damned cute.
Is that not the cutest kitten-butt you've ever seen?