A day in the sun at Lake Jasperson

So today I was out tying gates open with Amber. The gates need to be open so the pivot irrigating system does not munch them when it goes through, we tie them open every spring when we turn the cows out. Anyway...we finished tying the gates open and I get the brilliant idea to check the hoses and buckets for the pump to make sure they havent been washed away yet. I gather them all up and put them in the barn, and then Amber and I make the decision to ford the puddle in front of us to get home instead of going around. When I say this puddle is giant, I mean huge, massive. Measured in feet, deep. So we get the six wheeler about 1/3 of the way through. The bucket on the back is about three feet from shore when lo and behold, we get stuck. I try to back it out, but we start spinning out. I have amber crawl into the bucket and try to jump to shore, but the honest truth is that amber is not very graceful and would have probably broken an ankle attempting the jump. She rolls up her pants, ditches her shoes and plops into the mud. I throw the bike into reverse and I get a few inches...but nope. nothing. I get into the bucket and manage to rather gracefully launch myself through the air to solid ground with nary a drop of mud on me. I retrieve the shovel from the barn and we proceed to try to dig some of the more solid mud under the tires. I decide to try it again, but realize I cant reverse my leap back on to the six wheeler. I peel off my shoes and socks, tossing them into the bucket, hike my pant legs up a few more inches and gingerly step my toes into this warm, gooey mud that felt like things you do NOT want me to describe. I sink to my ankle bone, with the next step, I'm in to the bottom of my calves, and then Im to the fullest part of my calf. I climb back on and give it a shot. nothing. I rock it back and forth. nothing. throw my body weight in. nada. And the reverse boost. zilch. I wade back to shore and march, barefoot into the calving barn. The one that was never fully mucked after we finished calving. We gather a few flakes of leftover straw and stuff it where it is getting stuck, hoping to create a ramp of sorts. I wade back and try again. close but no dice. I venture into the mire again. by this time, I have a glob of mud mounted to my toenail like thick nail polish from Urban Decay (I think Id name that color as Rancid or maybe even Wallow, yech!) and a very brown line on my calves that make my legs look like they have been stained to match my headboard. I march back into the barn and find a lariat. I pull the end out and drag the honda to the rear axle. loop it around, run the end through, VOILA! problem solved! we play tug of war with this very stuck machine and I finally start contemplating that I may have to swallow my pride and call someone to pull me out and that I may have to cram my now filthy feet back into my shoes. gross. amber suggests she pull while I try to drive it out one more time. By this time, I wade fearlessly into the muck and mount the six wheeler one last time. Amber pulled and I nudged. I rocked with every single one of my 122 pounds and she pulled again. and would you believe that we actually succeeded in pulling that thing out?! it was incredible! Empowering! I felt like Shee-Ra the gladiator queen! I had mud splattered on my face, dribbling around my arm and spattered on my jeans, I wore it on my feet like half boots. I was a little sweaty, I smelled like river water and slightly stagnant puddle of doom. And as I stood there a little stunned, looking with amber at the fact that we had indeed just rescued my very favorite contraption from the worlds hungriest puddle, I felt sexy. (trust me, I was stunned at that revelation too) I felt all strong and sassy and triumphant, I can only imagine how bedraggled we really looked, but I have never felt more attractive in any capacity than I did at that moment. We departed triumphant, muddy and with the beginnings of a sunburn, but it was a fantastic moment and embarrassment at getting stuck in the first place aside, it will be one of the happier moments of my life. Also, looking back on that moment now, I realized how important it is to me to have a man that looks on this episode with a silly pride, the kind that will make him shake his head and laugh, saying "thats my woman!" Not the kind of man that either refuses to let me ride at all or insists that he needs to come in and me be my hero when I get stuck. I dont want a man that has to ride in all the time proclaiming "Here I come to save the day!" (in my head that is sung like Mighty Mouse does it! haha!) Nope, I want a man who thinks my ingenuity is cute, that my determination is tenacious and who thinks that my tromping through giant puddles barefoot as a result of my ingenuity and determination is just a little sexy too...cuz heaven knows that if I can feel sexy doing that, it shouldnt be wasted on someone who wont appreciate it! :D