She has become of sheltie of the Great Outdoors since it has gotten warmer, and once out, like a child you have a difficult time getting her to come in again. There is just SO much to see and do! She had been in the backyard the last time I checked up on her. Happily laying in the sun watching the neighborhood kids all running around, riding their bikes or scooting past on in-line skates. Bright pink tongue bouncing between smiling lips, she seemed perfectly content. Little did I know what she would soon discover.

As in most low lying areas, we have a sump pump. This is placed in the basement and is designed to pump out the water as levels rise to keep your house from flooding. With all the rain we had here last week, it was pumping out water every few minutes. All that water had to go someplace. We have our drain hose set so it drains under our fence line, into the ditch that will then lead to the lake. As does everyone else around here. As the pump begins to work you can hear this loud whooshing noise as water is sucked up and the air in the hose is displaced. It also causes the hose to jump a little. Then as the water races thru the hose you can hear a gurgling sound until the water bursts forth from the end to come shooting out with a loud BLOOMP sort of sound.

Well, all that noise over came common sense and curiosity for Kimi who had to explore and determine this to be friend or foe. It appears as the snows lifted from the ground her Great American Heroine cape fell back around her shoulders. She is prepared to pick up where she left off her world protecting duties.

Lying in the grass, she was still unaware of what was about to literally burst forth upon her lands. Suddenly she heard the *whoosing* sound and up came her ears instantly. Her tiny head lifted, her neck arched in wonder. Soon after the first sound, the hose came to life and twitched, the end bouncing up just a tad. Kimi's chest seemed to lift a scant inch off the ground, her shiny white paws slapping at the ground. If you watched her closely enough you could see her draw back her head almost imperceptibly squinting one eye as she watched the hose warily. As the gurgle followed the bounce, Kimi jumped to her feet and ran to the hose barking and yipping furiously at it. "YIP!" she shouted "YIP YIP RRRRYIP!"

Stopping at the edge, but not the end, of said hose, she reached out a delicately clean white paw and scratched at it. It lay there, unmoving, perhaps playing possum with her! She bumped it once......twice.....with her wet nose, but still it remained as silent as a church mouse. Kimi just have decided it was only a fluke thing, this hose jumping and belching as it did for after a moment or two of careful consideration, she turned to walk away. Just as she did the hose went....

BELCH....very loudly and very rudely right behind her. In an instant she had whirled around, back feet twisting and nearly tangling with the front in her haste. "YYIPP....RRRUUFFYYIIP!" she demanded, as her still-pure toes tangled with the hose. Clawing and scratching at the hose, she made her way down to the end of it. Suddenly a big burst of water came shooting out the end with a loud gurgle..BBLOOMP!

Kimi drew back onto her back feet, raising snowy front ones off of the ground. Launching herself at the water like a mad bear she attacked. As anyone knows what goes up must come down, and so her feet did. Right directly......into.......the ......mud!! MUD?? MUD??

I groaned under my breath as I watched mud splatter all around her. My groan quickly became a giggle as I watched the emotions cross over her face. First it was a look of pure horror as she realized she was ankle deep in mud. Mud mixed with standing water mind you! Her face was tilted downward, her nose pointing to the ground, her eyes a mix of disgust and delight. Yes, delight. For it did not take long for Kimi to discover how simply GOOD it feels to have mud squishing up between your toes. I watched as her face clearly transmitted her thoughts of "OOH ICK!" to "OOH NIFTY!"

Kimi's face lifted as she looked toward the house, wondering I hope if mommy could see her in the mud, and probably praying I didn't. Her ears lifted, her head slowly cocking to the left, she slowly lifted one foot then the other, allowing each to squish back into the mud. As though she were feel testing the consistency. Kimi's face began to split with her ever widening grin. She had just discovered how wonderful mud could be! Raising herself back up into the air on back feet, she pounced.....and pounced again. As muddy water splashed up all around her, her grin grew. For her final pounce at that time, Kimi jumped up into the air, all four feet, once so pristine white leaving the ground. When she came back down with a mighty SPLASH, she threw back her head and shout "YIP YIP!!!!" ...which of course I took to mean YIPPEY!

Now a pup of four brown feet, eyes twinkling with glee, Kimi took off on another mad puppy run. Feet scrambling for traction on the mud, tiny clumps flying under her, sticking to her belly and even more pummeling the flower bed fencing behind her, off she went! Heading across the yard in the freshly mowed grass, she made a sharp right turn at the tree. Rounding the bordering rocks, tiny tail tucked under her, dopey grin in place, she scampered for the corner. The corner with the mud puddle! Racing right directly through the mud, with chocolate colored water spewing up from both sides of her path, Kimi raced on. Down the fence line, around the flower bed, executing a tight turn around the bird feeder pole and back across the grass she shot!

Just as I was about to shout a warning to her to LOOK OUT..she turned quickly to the left narrowly avoiding the large lava rock in front of the Elm. Sighing deeply in relief while shaking my head at this tiny wonder my eyes followed her every move.

Kimi ran under the swing, having to duck as she did because she had grown since last summer, Kimi rounded a red leg post and kept going. With her pink tongue flying madly beside her in its attempts to keep up, she again headed right for the mud. This time as she ran for it, she dropped her head and the twinkle in her eye turned to one of determination. I was no longer sure if her tongue was hanging out because of her huge grin, or if she was actually holding it in the corner of her mouth in intense concentration. With a slight squint to her eye, she focused in on the target and just as she reached the edge of the mud, she hit the brakes!

Her behind dropped low, her front feet began to back peddle and her body just kept sliding. Her look of pleasure turned to one of pure joy as she slide all the way thru the mud. No longer chocolate colored water, this had turned to pure mud. The oozy slushy kind that still splashes but clings to everything it touches. The kind that looks like a chocolate milkshake! Her head tipped back, her ears were flopping in the wind of her passing, and she shouted out a loud resounding "YIPPPP!" As her slide began to slow, her body turned a bit and as she came to a stop she saw she was once again facing the yard.

Kimi sat there, grinning larger than life, perfectly pleased with her newest discovery. Leaning her nose down toward the mud I watched in disgust as her tiny pink tongue reached out for a taste. Lapping gently at the sludgy water regaining the surface, Kimi's eyes sparkled as though she had indeed found heaven on earth. After making sure her once shiny tongue had been thoroughly covered in dark ooze, Kimi stood. or should I say tired to stand? She was about to discover mud can be as slippery as it is fun!

She she stood to all fours, her back feet slipped out from under her going opposite directions. This in turned caused her behind to lower back to the ground. Looking under herself, the tips of her ears nearly dragging in the mud as she tried to peer between her own legs, her left front foot slid. startled she jerked her head back up, which caused her to put press down on her right foot while trying to regain her balance. it too slipped. i laughed out loud at her Bambi like performance. hearing my shout of unconcealed laughter, Kimi's head shot up, as did her ears. Finding the source of this irritating noise...namely ME...Kimi ooked disgruntled and "YIPPED!" back at me. Why, if I didn't know better I'd have to say my own sweetly innocent little girl told her momma to be quiet! Unfortunately the force of her yip caused her back right foot to slide a little more to the right. Now looking somewhat like a bull legged horse, Kimi tried to slowly gather her legs back up under herself. One tiny foot at a time. Eventually she succeeded and working in much the same way she got herself out of the mud she was in.

Once back onto terra firmer she picked up each tiny brown foot, shook it once like you would see a cat do with wet feet, and waddled across the grass. As soon as she had all four feet shook off, but certainly not clean, she threw her head and caution to the wind and off she went again!

Racing through the grass she headed for the downspout. Leaping like a graceful deer over what lay in her path, she landed delicately on the other side. However muddy feet, perpetual motion and force do NOT mix, and Kimi's feet slid out from under her again. Landing on her side on soft grass, her muddy body spun sideways. Laughing, she quickly righted herself and began her race again. Dashing off across the yard once more, with tiny tail tucked under herself, she ran. Not gracefully, and not quickly, but definitely in pure joy. Reaching the tree, she turned sharply to race around it to the left. Once again her muddied feet lost control, or perhaps took over control and she was slip sliding away again. Spinning in one full circle on her belly, Kimi's tongue glistened in the sun as it tried to wrap around her head in the turn.

Never being one to be down or out for long, she jumped to her feet and raced onward again. This time I think she had it figured out for she raced through the mud puddle again, causing slimy spray to fly away from both sides of her. As she left the puddle, she headed back across the grass and as she reached the milk can she executed a tight right turn. As her feet slipped again, Kimi's grin grew and as she spun away from the can she yelled "YIP!!!"

By now her many trips through the mud puddle had only succeeded in covering her from tip to tail. No longer was there any pristine white showing through the mud. No longer the mahogany sable and white she once was, Kimi now sported a full coat of mud. As her body came to a rest and no longer slid through the grass, she lay there with her sides heaving. Now she simply looked like a drowned rat someone half heartedly tried to cover with dirt. And as I walked over to her and looked down at her, I could make out a few pearly whites covered too in mud, peeking out past her panting tongue. I spoke to her, asking her if she had had enough fun yet. Rolling her eyes toward me, yet not picking up her head, Kimi said "YIP!", but I am sure she meant NOPE, for around the mud plastered to her tiny face, she still sported the biggest grin I have ever seen her wear.

As this story comes to a close, Kimi would like to invite you all to come share in her mud puddle. Or if you live to far away, go find one in your own yard, even if you have to make it yourself. Kids have known the joys of mud for centuries. Mommies have spouted the benefits of it to their skin for years. Even some daddies have found their own joys with mud. But to each of you, be it pie making, mud bathes, or .....well..whatever it is that daddies like about the mud...you all have a purpose to the mud. Let peace be your purpose this time. Go out, stick your bare feet in it, sit down and just.....BE! Be *one* with the mud. Feel it breathe around your feet. Feel the joy that can ooze into your heart and the mud does between your toes. You'll be glad in this hustle bustle world for every chance you take to either stop and smell the roses or let mud ooze between your toes.

walk in beauty...even through the mud!
Kristi & Kimi