I was sitting on the deck, enjoying what sun I could, while Kimi inspected the deck, and world around us. Suddenly she stopped mid-step. I watched, waiting to see what was on her mind now. As it turned out it wasn't what was on her mind, it was what was on her HEAD. A fly had landed there. Just where she could begin to make it out between her eyes. Kimi lifted her head up, way way up, with her tiny white chin pointing toward the sky and her eyes trying desperately to see what was on her head. When lifting it way back didn't work, she twisted her head to the left, then to the right, while still with chin to the clouds. Needless to say, though I will anyway, it left her a bit unbalanced? Off balanced? Well, anyway, she lost her grip and stumbled over to the side. This dislodged the slumbering bug and off it flew. Kimi's bright eyes quickly caught it in mid-flight and she scurried off after it Just as she would get close to this poor hapless fly, her front feet would come off the floor of the deck and she'd hop after it on her back feet. I have no doubt this poor thing would have become a mid-afternoon delight had she caught up to it!

The fly, being an insect of very many eyes, knew exactly where he was headed. Toward the patio doors. Kimi, being a dog of only two eyes, both of which were trained on that fly, did NOT watch where she, or he was headed. THUMP!! Kimi ran into the glass doors with her chin. Coming to a sudden and surprised stop, tucking one front foot up under her chest as she did so, she jumped back and tried to lick her chin. So much for me offering to kiss her Oowie now! Backing up a couple of steps I watched her eyes focus in on this fly as it flew around and about the glass doors. Perhaps seeking a way inside? Trying to escape the world around it?

As flies fly, this one too did much of it's flying in circles. Big ones to the left and small ones to the right. My own smile grew as I watched Kimi's tiny head following the flight of the fly. As it flew up, her lead lifted. As it circled to the left so did her head. As it completed a full lap, Kimi's head came back to a full upright position. As it did, the fly landed and came to a stop. As it did this Kimi tossed her head and called out "YIP!" Eyes round and bright, inquisitive as ever, Kimi approached the glass. Slowly reaching out her nose she touched the glass gently as though to measure it's distance or strength. Then thru a delicately squinted eye, Kimi leveled a glare at her opponent and with perfect timing...........she jumped! Straight up to where this fly is......was.......uh........is no more! It was gone! Kimi stepped back again and began to search for it. Ears perked to full attention, eyes alight with wonder, she left no surface unsorted, no stone unturned, no spot unchecked.

Except of course her own behind. The fly had landed on top of her fury little rump! Going for a free ride I suppose. Watching Kimi search for this busy black fly, I could see how keen her attention was to the task before her. Then suddenly, whether it moved and caused a tickle or she just happened to get lucky and spot it on her rump, the gig was up! There it was! On her behind!! Kimi's little almond eyes narrowed to a dangerous squint, one corner of her tiny mouth drew back in concentration, slowly her chin crept forward toward her behind. Knowing what she was about to do I covered my eyes with my hands. Then peeked around one so I didn't have to miss all the action.

Just as her chin got real close to her own hip, she lunged. Jaws snapping madly at this intruder, she twisted her tiny body around, nails skittering across wooden floor. The fly flew off and Kimi came up....sputtering. Hair! Her OWN hair, from betwixt her lips. "P-P-Peewy" was the sound she made. Fuzzy fawn colored hair swayed drunkenly from between her lips as she quickly looked all around again. As she once again searched for this winged foe, I caught the grin on her face and the smile in her eyes. Life was good.

This time the fly had landed on the deck itself. The floor of said deck. Kimi spotted it and as her head dropped low to the floor, her ears perked and flipped forward. Trying to sneak up to the fly, Kimi dropped her chest lower to the floor and gave all her attention to this one tiny little insect. Creeping up slowly behind it her tiny front feet barely lifted from the deck with each baby step forward. Being the mommy and one of many years experience, I know it is next to impossible to ever sneak up on a fly, but we each have to learn in our own way. So I simply sat, watched, and waited for her to learn one of life's funnier lessons. Just as she got right behind the fly, Kimi gave a sudden lunge forward, nails slipping backwards on the smooth wooden surface, and a sharp "RRYYYIP!" came bursting forth. Nipping madly at where the fly was, and was no more, Kimi missed in her try for a snack. Frustrated, she sneezed. A funny sort of "PPFFTT!" sneeze, as she shook her head. Tossing her head up and back in her Queen like attitude, and with that little Sheltie strut we all love so much, she bounced off in a different direction. Behind and tail swishing behind her steps.

Kimi turned as though to go inside the house through the patio doors that I had left open just a tad. There it was! That darned old fly! It flitted across the glass like a skater in ice. Circling tightly, moving up and down, back and forth in it's own search for life, or whatever it is flies seek for, the fly flew. Well..what else did you expect a fly to do? Kimi's eyes suddenly caught the erratic movement and she once again came to a sudden and complete stop. Ears lifting as did her head, our little girl just couldn't pass this change up. If opportunity knocks a second time, open the door.

She spotted this winged black pest as it buzzed contentedly about the glass. As it did, it kept bouncing off of the glass making a small little pinging noise. Ping! Ping! Ping! it would go and in between each ping was a BUZZ. Kimi's head followed the movement precisely. As the fly backed up and went BUZZZZZZZ, Kimi's head backed up a tad. As the fly flew forward and went PING! against the glass, Kimi's nose jutted forward. Ever present was that dopey little grin as her head see-sawed back in forth, keeping the rhythm of the fly steady. Buzzz PING! Buzzz Ping! I watched this continue for a couple of minutes, knowing Kimi is never one content to watch life happen without having to eventually jump right into the fray of life.

And jump she did! Adding her own musical sounds to the ruckus. Each time the fly went PING! Kimi sang out with a resounding "RRRyip!" And each time she did, she would rise up on her back feet, lifting her tiny white front ones off the floor of the deck. So then the sounds changed to this BUZZ ...PING!...RRRyip!

It became obvious to me the fly was about to turn the tables on Kimi. Where once she controlled it's movement by chasing it around, the fly was now set to do so to her. Seeing her undivided attention was at hand, the fly flew UP...Up Up Up....and as it did, Kimi's head went back back back....... Her eyes never once left the direction of the fly. The fly flew down again......and as it dropped down down down........so came Kimi's head....down down down. Little did she realize she had just offered herself as a puppet without a string! I could hardly contain my mirth as I watched her head follow the flies path. What the fly had in store for her next I could not stand quietly. My laughter erupted as I watched Kimi's tiny little head, ears perked fully, going round and round in tight little circles. Round and round it went clockwise. Then back round and round counter clockwise. And with each tiny little circle she made came the sound of "Grr..Grr..Grr..Grr" When the fly snuck in a new turn of events by zipping quickly up and down, up and down, Kimi's head followed UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN. Just as quickly as she went "Rrr...Rrr..Rrr...Rrr" I had to laugh harder as I watched her little jaws chattering with the sound. There is a line from a song that popped into my head about then. It went "Wherever He will lead I will follow......."

I guess she tired of the inactivity of that silliness, because just as the fly dropped down to a lower level Kimi sprang up into the air from her tightly coiled back legs. As she launched herself upward, the fly flew higher. As she dropped back down, the fly again followed. So what........now they were playing follow the leader?? And so it went, the fly flying up, and Kimi jumping up. Kimi dropping back to the floor as gravity demands, and the fly dropping down with her, taunting her. Soon frustration added wing to her voice and with each spring up she went "YIP!" and with each drop down she added "GGRR!" Hopping like a bunny in place, singing her mad little tune, I was busting a stitch laughing. With tears of laughter streaming down my cheeks at her silly shenanigans the game went on.

This time the fly remained down low, teasing Kimi with it's nearness. Never one to pass up challenging fun, Kimi gave chase. As the fly moved to the left and stopped, Kimi jumped and poked the glass with her nose. The fly buzzed off to the right and Kimi jumped that way. Her chin thumped the glass again as she reached too close too fast for that pesty little critter. "RRR!" Kimi called.......jumping at it again, getting frustrated with each try. "GGGRR!" Feet scrambled against glass as she pawed madly at the surface trying to climb up to where the fly so casually flew off too. Instinctively I cringed with each hard thump of her chin to the glass. Undaunted Kimi only tried harder. ""RRYIP!" she called out as she began to bounce up and down, each leap into the air bringing her closer, yet not close enough.

She obviously decided to stop and think things out, so resting back on her haunches, head tilted to the left, Kimi sat. And watched. Perhaps *sizing up* her opponent. Maybe watching for his game plan. To see what the flies next move would be. I'm quite certain by the widened look of surprise that came over her face, Kimi did NOT expect the flies next move to be on her! As this little tiny minuscule fly landed on her right foot she jumped up and back so fast you'd have thought the fly was on fire! The sudden movement caused the fly to become dislodged, up it flew, only to land on her left foot. Jumping back again, quickly picking her foot up, Kimi shook it free. As it lifted up, it just as quickly dropped down onto her right foot again!

A look of shock and horror came over her face as she jumped backwards another step, picked her right foot up off the floor and shook it wildly! Again the flew was dislodged from her foot and again it landed, On her RIGHT foot! OK, forgive me for the liberties here, but in my mind I could hear this tiny tiny little voice calling out "Dance Sucker!" As indeed this fly had our Kimi dancing! And I could hear a Kimi type voice crying out "EEWW!" "IICK!" "EEWW" each time it landed on her fur! Laughter I could no longer contain erupted from me as once again the fly flew up and landed on her other foot. this time she had had enough and twisted around and jumped onto my lap in one fell swoop. Barely having time to catch her before she went over my own shoulder, I pulled her back down safely into my arms and buried my laughing face into her soft fur. Kissing her once I asked her if that mean old fly was out to get her. Lifting her face up to mine with laughter now restored to her own smiling eyes, she leaned over and gently nipped my nose. In her own talking reply of "RR RR RR RR!" as she chewed the end of my nose I knew all was right in both our worlds. Her game of tag ended in a draw. Kimi was safe and the fly lived to play again another day.

Which after all in Kimi's world is the whole point to each day. To live laugh with laughter, so you can live to play another day. Maybe instead of always *paying the piper* you too should learn to play with him instead. Laughter truly is the best medicine.

walk in beauty
Kristi & Kimi