The Griswald and Kya Blog

Griswald

"Downward Dog"

Serendipity

The Artist who created this image has never met Griswald or Kya but these two bulldogs look exactly like them! My son's girlfriend  bought it from the artist, who was selling her work on the sidewalk in NYC. Griz & Kya could have posed for this picture. ..Kya stands in the pool on the first big step all of the time & Griswald doesn't know how to get in by himself so he stands on the edge & harasses her,,,I wonder who these dogs are? I would like to talk with the artist. I guess she's only at her "spot" once a month so I don't know if we'll ever find out more about this drawing or the two bulldogs. I think it's a water color & the collar, the harness & the headband with the flower have sparkles on them...it's very pretty & I love it.

The artist's signature got cut off on the blog but it's either ckalrs or dkalrs 2010

The Grizwald Olympics

Grizzy is the most enthusiastic and energetic dog I've ever met!

 
 

A more reflective moment:

 
 

Grizzy

I already broke my promise to myself to start posting every day...so taking a shortcut and adding pictures of Griswald instead, since "a picture is worth a thousand words";

 

  
  
 
  

 

 

Kya Pictures

 A flock of green parrots kept swooping through the yard just out of Kya's reach this morning while she was trying to take a nap...I didn't have time to get a picture of the parrots...next time!

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Kya laughing...

Grizwalds' Chateau Poochie Review Five Stars*****

The Chateau Poochie Gift Certificate was for a spa bath, pawticure, massage, blueberry facial, nail trim, ear cleaning & a spa lunch. I dropped  Grizwald off for his appointment at 10:30 Friday a.m.  After filling out some paper work, I handed the leash over to one of the  groomers & Grizwald marched into the spa room ahead of her  & never looked back! He was ready around 1:30 & I picked him up at 2:00 p.m. The receptionist told me that everything had been fine & she gave me some pictures of Grizwald having his bath in the sink. Grizzy seemed excited & happy to see me. He smelled great !! Whatever shampoo the groomer chose for him made a noticeable difference in Grizzys' fur. His coat was soft & glossy & he looked like a sleek, shiny, little seal. What I really liked was that the grooming room smelled fresh & was spotless.The dog kennels are stainless steel & they're so clean they look like they've never been used. The spa was peaceful & quiet & the lighting & the temperature was just right.I had meant to bring a small towel with me that Griz could lay on while he waited for me to come back & get him but I forgot to bring it in with me from the car so I was  happy to see that someone had put a towel in his kennel & he was comfortably stretched out on it while he was waiting for his ride home. I'll definitely be returning with Grizwald to Chateau Poochie for another spa bath and a nail trim. Someday I'd like to try to leave him for  a half-day play visit.  I love my dogs & it's  nice to know that I've found a place where they can be safe, well cared for and have fun. I'll add a link to Chateau Poochies' website under " links" in case anyone wants to find out more about their other day services or about their hotel accomodations. Next week they're having a Halloween party so if anyone is still making plans  or trying to find a way to celebrate Halloween with their pets they can find out the details on the Chateau Poochie Website. 

Grizwald enjoying his spa bath & blueberry facial

 

Click on the pictures to see full- size

 

 

Grizwald Found An Iguana Swimming In The Pool Today

This morning, Griswald was frantically barking & growling while running back & forth along the length of the pool.I could see one of his toys floating around close to the edge & there was a baby frog sitting on top of it!! I thought that was what Griz was barking about but then Grizwald ran over to Kya and started barking in her face, then running back to the pool & peering over the edge as if there was something else that he wanted us to see. At first, I couldn't see anything else in the water besides the toy, then all of a sudden, there it was; a long, dark shadow racing along underwater ...it was our backyard Iguana, swimming laps near the bottom of the pool.  The sun was so bright, it made the water shimmer, so it was easy to miss  this swimming "shadow".If Grizzy wasn't outside,I know I would have been swimming with that Iguana...I'm not afraid of Iguanas but since I wasn't expecting to see one in the pool, I know that I would have been screaming as soon as I saw it near me or worse,if it brushed up against me underwater!!!! Kya missed the whole thing!! She was really excited but only because Grizwald was excited and trying to fling himself into the pool. I took a few pictures of the Iguana when he finally got tired & climbed out of the shallow end of the pool. He looks so prehistoric but beautiful. I need to find out if Iguanas can be very aggressive, when they breed, what they eat, how to identify males & females & anything else that would be helpful to know to keep the dogs safe while letting the Iguana share the yard with us. If anyone has their own "backyard Iguana" or Iguana stories please let me know how it's worked out for you. I did read that their poop can carry Salmonella so I always clean it up as soon as I find it plus I pick up after the dogs right away, too.  So far that's all I know about Iguanas (and that they can swim)!

 

LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Equine Clinic "Molly" Video

An Amazing Story (with a happy ending) about a Pony Rescued After Katrina

I just finished reading this email about " Molly"

Meet  Molly.She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her  owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern  Louisiana  . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued  and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were  stockpiled. while there, she was attacked by a pit bull  terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg  became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help,  but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a  welfare case. You know how that goes. But after  surgeon Rustin Moore  met Molly, he changed his mind.He saw how the pony  was careful to lie down on different sides so she  didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people  to handle her.She protected her injured  leg.She constantly shifted her weight and didn't  overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a  serious survival ethic. Moore agreed to remove her  leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was  built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story  really begins there. 'This was the right horse and  the right owner,' Moore  insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient.  She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope  with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she  was in trouble.The other important factor, according to  Moore,  is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is  dedicated to providing the daily care required over the  lifetime of the horse. Molly's story turns into a  parable for life in Post-Katrina Louisiana  ....The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a  comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg. The  prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca  DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. And she asks for it.  She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let  you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she  wants you to take lt off too. And sometimes, Molly gets  away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't  catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs. Most  important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm  owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing  homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought  that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed  people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had  a good time doing it. 'It's obvious to me that Molly  had a bigger role to play in life,  Moore  said. She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible  injury, and now she is giving hope to  others.'  Barca  concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be  better.To me, she could be a symbol for  New  Orleans  itself   This  is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The  bottom photo  shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a  smiley face embossed in it.. Wherever Molly goes, she  leaves a smiley hoof print behind.