As we walked, watching for birds, squirrels and any other creatures who would wish to bless us with their presence, Kimi *sprang* into some action of her own. As I walked along Kimi ran and bounced, and sniffed, and pounced. Anything and everything. With her big happy grin, she kept to the front of us, unless of course she had to stop to smell the ..Uh.....well it WASN'T roses, along our way. Having her on a flexilead helped because then she could go to the end in front of us, run back behind us to the end and back to the front again. If we walked 2 miles Kimi most likely did 10. As we walked n past her happily sniffing out her smells, she would keep one tiny eye on our position. Once we got to a certain point along the lead she would suddenly lift up her head and come flying along the path. Once she reached my side she would launch herself up up up into the air and as she joyfully sailed past my hand she would nip it ever so gently. As her bright white paws would connect to the ground again a sharp and happy "YIP!" would explode from her. Galloping on a head of us, she would occasionally toss another excited "YIP!"or two over her shoulders at us.

Walking along, enjoying the sun on my face and the gentle spring breeze that kept us from over heating, my eyes were busy searching for wild life to share with the kids. They weren't exactly focused on what our little darling was about to do. Kimi had dropped behind us again. To sniff whatever delightfully odd smells she could find. Feeling a slight tug on the lead, I simply called out "Kimi, come on." The leash went slack and I expected her to go racing on past, nipping at my hand as she did so. I guess that should teach me to expect the unexpected with Kimi. For as she raced up to me, and NOT past me this time, I felt a vicious tug on my left shoe. And as she raced on by, my left foot went with her! The little imp had grabbed a mouth full of shoe laces and kept right on going! WITH MY FOOT! Now, being a dog of very small nature, Kimi didn't get very far for once she reached the end to the length of my leg, her little body whipped around and came to a stop. Not that that stopped her. Right there in the middle of this graveled path, surrounded by trees and singing birds Kimi commanded a full scale assault on my poor foot. Keeping the laces firmly trapped between tightly clenched pearly whites, Kimi gave it a fierce shake saying "GGGRR GRRRR!" the whole time. The kids are laughing, as I am in between gently shouted words of "Kimi ... NO, not my foot!" and "Kimi, get my foot out of your mouth!" Dragging my foot to the left and scooting back to the right with it again, she shook my poor bedraggled foot so hard she nearly shook herself off her feet! I finally managed to get my foot set free from the little tyrant again only to have her pretend to be a cowpony in front of me.

If I tried to step left, Kimi jumped to the right. If I tried to step to the right, Kimi dodged to the left. Each time she landed in front of my foot she would do her deepest toughest "GGGGGGGRRRRR YIP!" Once I ever tried to outsmart her and lift my foot up OVER her. Nothing doing though, With eyes aglow and her hot pink tongue lolling from the corner of her grinning mouth, Kimi would just leap up in to the air, grab it and pull it down to the ground again. From there she would shake the devil out of it. By now my feet must be the purest in all the land.

Kimi finally decided my feet must now be safe to be around and she went on to newer and better things. Once again taking up the supreme commanders role of the lead position, we all went along quite happily. Then suddenly........there it was........a NOISE! IN the BUSHES! The hackles raised on Kimi's back. She stopped, all four legs stiffening. Her tiny ears perked to full attention, she stood there, waiting to defend us all. There it was again! A scuffling, scurrying sort of noise. Coming from deep with in the tangled bushes. We stood silently, watching Kimi and waiting for what ever tiny creature it was to make an appearance. Slowly rising up from the depths of her toes, I heard her threatening growl begin. Coming forth slowly and cautiously, she said "rrrrr" "RRRrr". "GGRRrrr" Each time she growled, it became louder. More threatening. More commanding. And each time it came forth, the force of it must have thrown her off balance for all four legs sort of vibrated to the left, and then back to the right. Like she was standing on ground that was being jack hammered. "GGGRRRR!" she went as her body vibrated across the rough ground to the left. "RRRR!!!" She repeated as she vibrated back to the right. I walked closer to the brush, peering between the branches intently and Kimi stepped up closer. To the back of my legs. Where SHE in turn peered intently around them. "YIPYIPYIP!" she shouted bravely, from around my legs as I tried to spot our forest friend. I could feel the tension from Kimi vibrating right through my legs and as I finally spotted our fierce little foe, I laughed at Kimi. "Kimi," I said..."It's only a Robin! A bird of very small nature you nut!" Hearing the relaxed joking sound to my words, she looked up to me with questions in her eyes. I pointed out the bird and with her laughing grin back in place Kimi scrambled away from my hands, and issued it one last quick "RRR!" Then we went on to our next adventure.

On this trail we walk, there are two wooden bridges. Low to the ground with wide planks on each side covering the edges, it is perfect for young children to test their courage by walking on them. Balancing on the edge, yet safe, even if they fell all but the youngest took their turn at walking the plank. Even Kimi.

She valiantly climbed aboard and began walking the length of one. Hearing an odd sort of croaking noise coming from the tall grass and bushes around the murky waters, she failed to heed my warnings to becareful. Being one of a very curious nature, Kimi just HAD to see what was making this odd sound of "CROOAACK CRROOAAKK" Her furry ears perked and turning like tiny satallite dishes, she leaned as far over the side as she could get. Eyes keenly trained in the grass and mud at the waters edge, she leaned a little further over the side. Now at this point we are not sure if she actually made a very clumsy attpemt to jump, or if gravity simply took over to become a pulling force on her body. At the very second she leaned out a little more, she shouted "GGRRYIP!" to whatever was making that odd noise. And as she did the laws of nature took over and over she went! The ground below her feet was fast approaching, so Kimi did a perfect tuck and roll sort of move and quickly landed on her feet again. Never mind the leaf that hung lazily from one ear. Or the clump of mud resting between her eyes. Kimi looked up to where we stood laughing on the bridge, back to where she stood below us and with her grin shining in the warm sun, she simply threw back her head and said "YIP!" ( which meant COOL!) She turned and quickly ran back up to where we stood and rejoined us looking over the edge. Knowing Kimis penchanct for repeat performances and not wanting to risk her bailing off the side again, we moved on.

Knowing of a pond not much further ahead of us where we often spot turtles basking in the sun light as they float lazily on top of the water, we headed in that direction. The day was quickly warming up and the sun on our backs felt very good indeed. The children's cheeks were beginning to pinken beneath the glowing warmth of the spring sun, and once or twice I saw one wipe the sweat from his forhead with the back of his sleeved arm. This time of the year there is not much shade to be found, for our friends the leaves have not yet come out of their winter resting place. With all the running around Kimi had done I knew she too had to be getting a bit warm under all that fur. Indeed her tongue was literally close to dragging the ground. Though with her shortened height, it isn't hard to do. Before long we had reached the pond and Kimi once again surprised us all.

Remembering her from last summer, and knowing she didn't care for the water, I had little doubt she would get too close to the edge. Okay, so I was wrong. Kimi stepped down to the edge and cautiously dipped her hot tongue to the cool water. Not really drinking it she just sort of tasted it. It must have felt good for she stepped into the shallow edge with her front feet. The water barely lapped over her toes at this point so she ventured out a step or two further. Turning to her right, her rich coat glistened in the sunlight. Deep mahogany blended with the bright pure white of her coat. She rounded a tree standing at the waters edge and I stepped down to move the leash around the tree so she wouldn't get tangled. Seeing the shaper edge of the ponds bottom I cautioned her about going out further. Kimi, being the daring do-er she is, didn't heed my warning. Again. She stepped out a little deeper. The water was now half way up her front legs. I decided as I had the leash on her still, she would be safe enough, so I allowed her to continue exploring. Just off to her left a small pond frog suddenly jumped into the water and Kimi's curiosity over-ruled her common sense and she stepped forward after it. Suddenly there was no ground under her feet and she plunged in. And UNDER, the water. Head first. Her back feet suddenly kicking in to four-whel drive, she attempted to back up out of the water, with her face still UNDER the water. I pulled the leash to give her help and out she came. Figuring she would be spluttering and indignant, imagine my surprise when she righted herself with a dripping grin on her face! We all laughed at her soggy expression as she blinked away glistening water droplets. Then this odd look overcame her delicate face. Her eyes lit up with a new kind of wonder. She looked up to me with a big smile and ran past my legs. When she reached the grass on the slight slope to the ponds edge she hit it at a rolling glance.

With her tummy to the sky, Kimi rolled over from side to side wiggling her way DOWN the hill. Right toward the waters edge again! I shouted "Kimi watch out!" But it was to late. KERSPLASH!! In she went! In a flash Kimi had rolled over and climbed out of the water. The kids and I all laughed at her for her clumsiness. She had managed to get her behind all wet and when she got back up on the trail she ran around like a silly clown with a goofy look on her face. Kimi was sporting a cockeyed grin where one corner of her mouth was pulled up into her smile and the other side of her face was sort of wrinkled up. Her eyes danced with joy though. Before we knew what she was doing, Kimi had run past us, hit the grass in a tucked roll and was wiggling her self right back toward the water! Choking with laughter I tried to call out a warning to our little nut again but couldn't manage it in time. This time she slid into the water face first. When she stood up her right ear was plastered to the side of her head and her left ear stood up straight. She had such a look of joy on her face that I was transported back for a moment to life as a child when we all jumped in rain puddles on the way home from school. Kimi looked up to us when we shouted with laughter at her and through her own laughter she shouted back "YIP!" to us.

With this she took off at a slow run with her behind tucked under her and headed back for the grass. This time she headed straight down the hill on her side. Kimi's face was pushed into the grass and her back legs were propelling herself along. Just before reaching the edge of the water she gave a mighty shove with her back legs and sent her behind over her shoulders! This would have been a neat trick expect she landed in front of a clump of grass that effectively blocked her progress into the water. She lay there for a second or two and then jumped to her feet and ran back up the slope. When she reached us at the top, Kimi whirled around in the sparkling sunlight gave a mighty "YIP!" and threw herself down nto the grass again. This time she had her chin in the grass and her rear end still pointed upward. She basically wheel-barrowed herself down the hill right to the water. As soon as she reached the edge of the water again, she launched her behind up and over her shoulders again and this time met with success! In a great big splashing form, she met with success, nd with the water she was aiming at! When Kimi pulled herself from the water this time she was completely drenched! The kids and I were howling with laughter at her! The little imp didn''t slide into the water on accident! She was doing it on purpose!

Kimi crawled up out of the water, shook herself a time or two, being careful of course to share the water with everyone else. Then she headed for the dirt on the path we were on. Hitting it in the tucked roll that she had by now perfected, Kimi managed to cover every conceivable wet part of herself with dirt and old leaves. Laughing at her for her silliness, I exclaimed as she stood, "Kimi! Look at you now! You're all dirty!"

Not one to worry about trivial things like this, Kimi jumped to her feet, and with a joyfully shouted "YIP!", she headed right back for the water. This time she was aiming right for a deeper spot though so I watched her carefully. I guess she figured if she was dirty then the best thing she could do is wash it off! Just as she reached the grass, her head dropped lower, she turned it to one side and laid down in the grass. Once again using her back feet to propell herself forward Kimi was as happy as an otter in the snow. Timing this just perfectly, Kimi shoved hard with her back feet at the best time to ensure maximum air and over her tail went. Her back end sailed up and over her head and, KERSPLASH! Right into the deeer water she went. Her ever present grin in place as she paddled for shore, Kimi dipped her tongue back into the water a time or two as she made her way back to us. Once she crawled out, she shook herself mightly, covering us all in chilly pond water. Once she felt she had released enough droplets into the air, Kimi stood there before us all, proud as a peacock for what she had learned today. We all laughed hysterically at the sodden pooch standing there.

Figuring it was time to head back, Kimi turned and headed back down the trail leaving tiny dark, wet footprints in the sand. Following in her footsteps, tiny though they are is not an easy job for any of us to do. We all tend to get caught up in our everyday struggles and forget what it is like to simply cut loose and let our troubles slip away into the rivers of life. As Kimi once again managed to remind me today. Learn to laugh at life again and go jump in a puddle. You'll be surprised at how good it feels to touch that child within yourself again.

Walk In Beauty
Kristi & Kimi