One of our favorite photos of Kylie, ever – and that’s saying a lot! This was taken up in the mountains. Kylie loved exploring the great outdoors, especially climbing around on rocks. It took a little convincing when we first moved to colorado to get her to get her feet wet, but once she did she became some sort of river dog, more than happy to wade in and get those paws nice and muddy!

She was a dog after all (or was she?), so sometimes instead of rolling on perfume samples she rolled on dead frogs or other unidentifiable stinky stuff.

Once in Jersey she took a romp through the ravine beside our apartment and came out the other side covered from the shoulder down in green-ish, brown-ish, gray-ish sludge – New Jersey sludge – and happy as a clam!

In Colorado she became mountain dog. She loved going for hikes, especially with her aunt Merrianne, especially when she got to get especially dirty.

Of course, as the mom I would always spoil the fun and give her a bath. Even this new year’s eve, we were having guests so I was busy cleaning the house, running the vacuum, when in comes Kylie through her doggie door leaving a trail of muddy paw prints behind her. I turned off the vacuum and yelled STOP, before she got from the wood floor to the carpet! She had apparently found some sort of mud pit in her backyard which thrilled her no end. So again I was the bad guy, picked her up and carried her to the tub and she got a happy new year bath.

Crazy, Dirty, Happy, Dirt Dog!