We were out in my backyard.....I was on my swing watching her and relishing in every little thing she would do. She was sitting in the shade in the grass, one of those very rare moments when, like any good Sheltie, she was NOT in a perpetual state of constant motion. I noticed she was looking upward, her head tipped back in a strange way and moving slowly from side to side, like radar tracking something. I tried to follow her eye direction and low and behold....the girl wasn't losing it! There REALLY was something there to watch!! It was a butterfly. Now...I am not all that *up* on types of butterflies, but it was a black and orange one. A tiny little thing. And Kimi had the funniest look on her face. I tried hard to *key* in on what she was thinking and I am sure she would want me to share it with you. To sort of give you the puppies version of watching a butterfly for the first time. Bare with me thru the fantasy part of this tale, but what is life without a little fantasy?

Kimi's *thoughts*: " Hey! What is that thing up there? Wow! Look at it.....it's like way cool or something. It floats......it flies....(wish I could fly.....) Wait....is that one of those bee thingies my mommy warned me to leave alone? Uh-oh...maybe I should run...where is mommy?"

With this thought she looked over her shoulder toward me..I swear I saw a grin when she saw me sitting there, smiling at her.

"Okay...there she is, Hi Mommy! She didn't look worried so maybe it isn't a bee-thingy. Well....if it isn't...hey! There it is again! If it isn't then what is it? It's kind of soft looking...and pretty too. Betcha it would taste pretty good..I wonder if I can coax it into coming down here closer for me? Maybe if I stare at it REALLY hard and stick my tongue waaayyy out it will come down here."

Now, I know you are probably thinking how I could ever know what she is thinking, but by the way she looked.....staring intently toward this tiny little butterfly, and running her tongue out, well...it had to be it. Sure, it was warm outside and I know some of you are going to think her tongue was just out because she was hot, but I don't think so. Not with my Kimi. Not with the way her tongue was out, she wasn't panting, her tongue was just sticking waaayyy out of her mouth. Let's go back to what she is thinking now....

"Nope....it isn't working. Maybe if I jump up and down and call it it will come down just to see me...." And with that Kimi did her little grizzly bear shuffle where she jumps up and down on just her front feet. It took me a minute to figure out just what her "YIPs" meant this time, but the tone of them finally gave it away. As she hopped up and down she kept "YIP"-ing, saying "YO! HEY YOU! Come down here!"

I couldn't believe my eyes! That blasted butterfly actually came down closer to her! Can she 'speak' butterfly now too? Did it really understand her or did it just come down out of curiosity? Whatever the reason Kimi became so stunned that for a second she forgot to jump or YIP or anything! She just stood there with her little mouth hanging open! Much the same way I was probably sitting there looking. Before long her stunned disbelief turned into joy and she started jumping up and down in earnest. Barking and yiping like a "mad dog:. (sorry my fur-pals...no disrespect intended here) The butterfly floated in the air just above her head and Kimi stopped jumping. She still had her head tipped way back so she could watch this delicate little creature, but she was no longer in constant motion. In fact....she sat down, head still back, mouth still open, tongue still lolling out the side of her mouth. I watched in fasination as the butterfly settled in the air a little closer to her, right above her head. Kimi sat up straight.....as straight as she could, her little front feet left the ground in her attempt to get her nose closer to this fragile insect. Closer her nose got..lower the butterfly came to her....farther she stretched her thin little neck to reach it...higher her feet came off the ground... And then, just as you thought she could go no further she did it....SHE FELL OVER BACKWARDS!!!!!

I laughed out loud at that one and was rewarded with a very dirty look and a sharp "YIP" (did she tell me to be quiet???) Kimi in all her curiosity was not thru yet, and so it seemed, neither was the butterfly! Perhaps it understood WHO she is...what her name means? Kimi sat up again slowly, gracefully (MY Kimi?) and reached her nose high into the air. The butterfly descended just as slowly and....Oh my gosh!....ssshhh be very very quiet here....the butterfly has landed on her head! I do NOT believe this!!!! Kimi is sitting here in my yard with a BUTTERFLY....a real, honest -to-goodness butterfly on her head!!!!!!! Oh where's the camera??? I don't believe this!! And apparently by the look on Kimi's face she doesn't quite believe it either! Have you ever seen a Sheltie trying to look on top of their OWN head??????? Kimi was trying so hard to see this thing without moving. I swear...and I am NOT kidding here guys...I swear she was cross-eyed with her head tilt slightly back trying to look at this 'thing' on her head! She wasn't afraid....she was curious, yes....but it seemed more than that. She was.... mystified....stupified....stunned. But something else...something I can't quite lay my tongue on. I know she was happy, well-pleased. With herself? Or the chain of events? She gently and slowly laid down on her side, the butterfly still on her head. If only you could see the look on this puppies face! She was looking right at me, and had a huge, happy, wide grin on her face with her tongue still hanging from the corner of her mouth. She was so self-pleased it was funny, but I dared not laugh and scare this thing off. She was looking at me as if to say "MOMMY! Looky...it's on my head!!!! It likes me!!" But there was stilI something missing... she looked...like she was....was....I GOT IT!!!!! Like she was *blessed*!!

Kimi has been blessed by her name sake. Is this something 'sacred' or just co-incidence? She has been kissed by her name sake. (and don't go thinking I have been kissing the Blarney stone again either mind you!) I don't know how else to describe this event. This delicate, tiny, wonderful creature....a mystical creation of God has come down from the heaven's and *blessed* my Kimi. Who in her own right is a delicate, tiny, wonderfully mystical creation of God. The wonderment of this event stunned me. The perfectness of their 'oneness' stole my breath away. The beautiful magic transpired at the very second they touched was awe-inspiring. And I have been *blessed* in my own way, by witnessing this moment. One I am sure will never be repeated again. And to think...the heavens granted me the right to be here to witness this with her. Another' first' for our book of *firsts*. I know I am going to wish many many times that all of you could have been here to see it too. It is the only way any of you are ever going to believe this really happend. Why is it cops and cameras are never around when you need them?

Kristi (still in shocked disbelief....)
Kimi (mommy......what was that neat thing anyway???)