Today she decided the outside was much to hot and muggy for her. She also discovered the joys of playing with the vents as the cold air blasts its way past. I was laying on the couch...being a potatoe, or similar vegatable, when I spotted her by the patio doors. Now at first I didn't think to much about this as she has always enjoyed looking out thru the glass doors to the world beyond. Especially if Brigs and Katy, or our cat were on the deck. But then the air kicked on. The cold air blasted its way upwards toward Kimi in its quest to cool off our home. As the air jettted past the vents, it shot right up onto Kimi's bare tummy.

"YOW!" she shouted. I have never heard her make THIS particular sound before. As you kow it is always a "YIP" that she lets out. Not so today. This was a non-dignified, resounding "YOW!" and she jumped up into the air about 6 inches as she leaped backwards by about the same distance. I couldn't help myself, I laughed. Out loud. Now, for those of you who have been keeping up with Kimi, you know how she feels about being laughed at. For those of you new to her stories, Kimi does NOT take kindly to being laughed at! Kimi came running over to where I lay on my tummy, my face pointed in her direction, and she leaped right at me. I instinctively ducked backwards just she she bounced upwards again, this time letting out her usual "YIP!" at me. I tried to hide my chuckle, but we all know dogs can hear much better than we can. Kimi proved this to be true, and began her bouncing tirade of 'YIPS' that she threw my way with each upward thrust of her bounce. I am quiet sure mommy would have been in deep...well ...doggy-do..if Kimi could have gotten ahold of her!

I swallowed my laughter and appoligized to our outraged Kimi, which must have satisfied her pride for she went back over to inspect what had started this in the first place. Now before I tell you what happened next, you have to know that her ears are NOT glued down any more and are attempting to stand straight up. I left them unglued the last time she scratched them free as I grew as tired of gluing them as she did in having to be held down to have them glued. She isn't a 'show-dog' so what does it matter? No one will care where her ears are once we go into the obedience ring as long as she uses them!

Kimi stopped in front...WELL in front of the vent and stretched her body WAY waayy out and leaned over carefully to inspect this blast of...of...cold...evil....whatever it could be! As she leaned her head, nose pointed down to sniff position, her ears flopped over a bit. And I am not ashamed to admit...this is where this next thought popped, unbidden into my mind...."Na na na na na na na na...BAT DOG!!!!! Her mouth dropped open and with her ears blowing up over her head and flopping in the wind, she began trying to bit the wind! How she managed to let out continual string of "YIPS" with her mouth wide open I don't know, but then we all know how talented our Kimi girl is! Turning her head from left to right and back again, giving most owls a run for their money in head manuverability, Kimi kept trying to grab this cold stuff she could feel but not see. To no avail of course. Air is such an elusive mysterious thing, but science is still a bit beyond her talents.

When Kimi finally realized she was not going to grab it with her mouth she tried other tactics to catch these invisible spirits. She began slapping at it with her front paws. You have all seen our Shelties do this at something, but Kimi was doing it with such speed had she been a Boxer instead of a Sheltie, Mike Tyson would have never had a chance! Then in one leaping graceful jump, Kimi switched from a full frontal attack to trying it from the side of this thing. Maybe re-positioning and re-grouping herself would work. After all it works in all the great war movies! One thing our darling Kimi is not big on, is patience. And she quickly lost what little she had with this airy pain as it kept blasting her in the face...and of all the nerve her EARS! She has always HATED having air blown into her ears and she began yipping and nipping at this thing with lightening speed. She threw in a left jab and a right round house for good measure, determined as ever to bring this thing down to its knees...or vents or whatever it has.

And here all this time I laid on the couch trying to muffle my chuckles and giggles in the cushions. I guess I didn't try hard enough or she had come begging for help because suddenly she left her position of attack, came flying across the front room as fast as her short little legs could go (which mind you may be short but can move with alarming speed!) and made a flying leap right at me. Having never successfully landed on the couch unassisted before, she came closer than ever this time as she let out what I can only describe as a huge bellow as her front feet hit the top edge of the cushion. Just as quickly she whirled around and flew back to her intended prey. With a grace belying her puppiness of late, she barely missed a stride as she slide to a stop and began biting and nipping at the air once again.

This time she would jump into the air, bite at it, and in the same single movement of her tiny furry body, she would leap out of it again, her feet having hit the ground only once. She continued her hit and run tactics...or is it leap and bite tactics, figuring maybe that if she continued to show no fear this thing would give up the ghosts and leave? She bit.....she leaped...she pounced (forwards and backwards)....she yipped...and she did it all more than once. More than twice. More than...well more than I could count on my fingers and toes.

Then...hold it....I think...I think...Kim has decided to LIKE this thing! She was standing there with her face hanging over the air....her ears in that Bat Dog flop again....the hair around her face blowing backwards....and her tongue hung out and dancing in the wind too! And suddenly there it was...that ever present grin of hers was growing wider and wider...her YIPS turned from yips of frustration to YIPS of pure glee. Her eyes lit up and began dancing as did her snapping little jaws. They were no longer trying to catch the air to protect her family though....now she simply looked like a little kid trying to catch his or her first snow flakes as they danced on the winter winds. Her determination to rid us of this cold blast of air turned into having a blast of her own...in simply trying to catch the air before it could rush past her. No longer was she bouncing and pawing with mad speed, now all her moves were made with a single mindedness of simply enjoying the moment. Something maybe we could all take to heart and learn a lesson from. These golden moments of life can pass you by in a flash if you don't seize the moment and treasure it while it is there. Like seeing the beauty in a wave as it crashes to shore. Or the joy in a child's eyes as they laugh. Sometimes in the blink of an eye those moments are gone forever and all you have left are wasted thoughts instead of glorious memories.

As Kimi soon discovered. For within a short time of her turning this into a game strictly of fun, the air conditioning shut off and the blast of air died down and disappeared as quickly as it had shot her with surprise earlier. Kimi stopped short, mid-stride in her bite and simply looked down into the vent waiting for the air to come back again. Surely this must just be a new trick? One designed to catch her off guard again? The delight in her eyes turned to dimay and her nose dropped to the vent. Once...twice she nudged it, the last none to gently as she tried to coax and prod the air in to life again. You could see the realization come over her that for now atleast the fun was over, and she lay down on top of her new found and quickly lost friend. Her nose dropped onto her paws and she let out a deep sigh of disappointment. Her eyes slowly closed as she droppped off to slee, perhaps to dream of the fun she could have if her friendly ghost of air came back? Perhaps wishing she hadn't wasted time being afraid to play with it and have fun earlier? Before it was to late. I guess we will never know for sure, but I do know that in watching Kimi grow I have learned to see many things in life with a whole new eye. With the eyes of a puppy. Specifically the eyes of a Sheltie puppy.

Walk In Beauty

Kristi &

Kimi