3/18/2025, 2:21 PM
![[Image: Viv_Aisling.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Viv_Aisling.gif)
The snow-laden ground was almost all Aisling had ever known.
Since her eyes could open and her paws held her weight, the world had been dusted or consumed by the white powder. In recent days, however, it had begun to turn into muck, mixing with the thawing soil below as the sun and warming air worked away at the snowbanks.
She had become accustomed to leaping across drifts of snow, learning to keep her steps light and springy to avoid sinking into its depths, but now the grass tickled at her legs as she navigated the meadow. The squishy earth settled between her toes and, at first, it was gross and she high-stepped with uncertainty, but she eventually accepted it. Her tolerance for it only grew as she searched for the bright yellow flowers that had begun to crop up in the wake of snowmelt.
Her hunt was cut short, however, when she reached the river's edge and spotted a patch of mud deeper than the rest. It reflected the blue sky above and she neared it with curiosity, reaching a paw out to gently touch its surface. The pap that sounded upon contact was a delight to her ears and her freckled features brightened.
Without further thought, Aisling pressed forward, stomping her paws in the almost-viscous mud and sending dense droplets flying all around her.
Since her eyes could open and her paws held her weight, the world had been dusted or consumed by the white powder. In recent days, however, it had begun to turn into muck, mixing with the thawing soil below as the sun and warming air worked away at the snowbanks.
She had become accustomed to leaping across drifts of snow, learning to keep her steps light and springy to avoid sinking into its depths, but now the grass tickled at her legs as she navigated the meadow. The squishy earth settled between her toes and, at first, it was gross and she high-stepped with uncertainty, but she eventually accepted it. Her tolerance for it only grew as she searched for the bright yellow flowers that had begun to crop up in the wake of snowmelt.
Her hunt was cut short, however, when she reached the river's edge and spotted a patch of mud deeper than the rest. It reflected the blue sky above and she neared it with curiosity, reaching a paw out to gently touch its surface. The pap that sounded upon contact was a delight to her ears and her freckled features brightened.
Without further thought, Aisling pressed forward, stomping her paws in the almost-viscous mud and sending dense droplets flying all around her.
![[Image: Viv_AislingSig.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Viv_AislingSig.gif)
