So we had a very exciting Sunday. The Bannfield" vet clinic at the Monument Petsmart had (I guess has regularly) a rabies vaccine clinic from 11:00AM to 1:00PM on Sundays, at a pretty darn good price, $19.05, regularly $50.00 at Bannfield, over $60.00 dollars at our regular vets. It just takes a long time.
BUT not as long as we thought, Since we had not gotten "X" (for eXtra-Gnarley) to come into the house tht I thought we'd need the entire two hours to get him into Petsmart, especially to the back of the store.
So we move the seat in the van so both Gnarf and X can fit, we then head for Petsmart a little after 10 for the 11:00 slot. Stop and get some coffee at my favorite coffee shop, no not Fourbucks (nothing against Starbucks though), then to get a newspaper. We actually got the Petsmart just a little before 11. I went in to warn them of the impending potential disaster. Filled out the paperwork came out for the rodeo. Susan took Gnarf, I took X and followed Susan right through the door... Got a little hesitation after he got inside, but followed Gnarf to the vet clinic with not a single issue.
He didn't really think he wanted to go through the exam room door, so Susan, Gnarf and I went in, left the door open. He laid outside for a bit then ever so cautiously slithered in.
He got his rabies shot and back to the car, which he was real happy to see. He just jumped right in. So on the way home we devised the "get the newf in the house" strategy. Susan would get out first and take Gnarley through the garage and into the house. hmmm... X and I would follow.
Well Gnarf is VERY good about staying in the car till he's told to get out. X on the other hand jumped right out and headed for the gate to get back into the yard. Well at least he wants in. He burned my hand pulling the nylon leash through my fingers which were too stupid to let go, well too stupid and too slow.
Susan and Gnarf go in, and X follows RIGHT into the house. I kept him on the leash for a bit but NO issues. I finaly turned him loose, Gnarf showed him around the house and introduced him to Miles the Russian Blue pussy cat that was peacefully sleeping on our bed. Miles actualy belongs to Allisa Elliott but seems to have taken up long term residence with us.
So X spots Miles on the bed and gently puts his feet up with his ear perked up, as much as a newf can perk up his ears. Meanwhile Gnarley was on the opposite side of the bed just having a look. Miles jumped up when he saw X and headed right for Gnarley and was absolutely beside himself when he ran face to face into Gnarf.... Somehow he jumped to the floor and tried to make a break for it but they caught him. Standing over his poor cowering little kitty body BOTH barking at the poor thing, a total of 257 pounds of Newf and he can't be more than 8 pounds wet. Hence the title of this post, I have no doubt that Miles was afraid he'd died and gone to kitty hell. I did pull X back and let Miles escape, to where, I have no idea...
I did muscle X onto the vet scale, I was a little over, he actually weighs 147 pounds. Bet he weighs at least a pound less when he gets neutered.
I am fighting the urge to tell the rest of the story, X at Petsmart. Susan took some photos that are really touching. I'm trying to encourage her to post the verbiage and the photos.
Oh, BTW ask her to post the painting she hung at the pastry shop with a couple of Brandi's. They are simply wonderful. My Susan and Brandi are amazingly talented. I simply can't believe the work that comes out of them.
http://talesfromtablerock.blogspot.com/
See what susan has to say AND some of her most recent artwork at the above link.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
New subject, the Maine Coon Cat Susie rescued last year - FurB (fur-bee)
FurB, short for furbag or perhaps furburger is the largest of the cats that live inside, or nearly inside as he has laid claim to the laundry room and occasionally scoots outside for five or ten minutes. He weighs over fifteen pounds and is the laziest animal I've ever seen.
FurB is absolutely the dumbest, or perhaps the smartest cat in existence. He is terrified of three of the other indoor cats. all weighing only bout ten pounds. They chase him till he hides in the laundry room or in the bookshelf in our beds headboard.
Now this cat is absolutely hilarious running, hissing and spitting at the other cats. hmmm.... enter Gnarley who frequently goes into the laundry room to search for kitty Tootsie-roll treats. Fortunately he rarely finds any as Susan is fastidious about keeping the litter box clean.
In any case enter Gnarley, FurB jumps down from his perch on the drier and sometimes actually comes out of the laundry room to rub up against Gnarf. That's right, Gnarf steps on him, tries to play with him, drenches his with wet tongue. other than an occasional squack or hiss when Gnarley steps on FurB. This interaction is completely beyond me. Not afraid of the 110 pound Newf, but terrified of the 10 pound cats....
Life is truly an amazing mystery, the observation of the things around us an the study of nature is truly fascinating.Of course some might say I'm easily humored.
FurB is absolutely the dumbest, or perhaps the smartest cat in existence. He is terrified of three of the other indoor cats. all weighing only bout ten pounds. They chase him till he hides in the laundry room or in the bookshelf in our beds headboard.
Now this cat is absolutely hilarious running, hissing and spitting at the other cats. hmmm.... enter Gnarley who frequently goes into the laundry room to search for kitty Tootsie-roll treats. Fortunately he rarely finds any as Susan is fastidious about keeping the litter box clean.
In any case enter Gnarley, FurB jumps down from his perch on the drier and sometimes actually comes out of the laundry room to rub up against Gnarf. That's right, Gnarf steps on him, tries to play with him, drenches his with wet tongue. other than an occasional squack or hiss when Gnarley steps on FurB. This interaction is completely beyond me. Not afraid of the 110 pound Newf, but terrified of the 10 pound cats....
Life is truly an amazing mystery, the observation of the things around us an the study of nature is truly fascinating.Of course some might say I'm easily humored.
FurB on his lofty washer/drier perch
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Judgement....
I really do try hard not to proclaim judgement on people but on occasion I just can't help myself. Fortunately the last time we found a dog, sitting in the middle of Walker Road, it turned out she HADN'T been abandon as we suspected, she actually belonged to one of our neighbors, she was chipped but the information was old, finally found a lost ad on Craigslist. We had just about resigned ourselves to being the owner of a very gentle and easy going pit bull we called Brownie.
But I'm really disgusted with the current situation, Brownie was a pit bull so we avoided the humane society as Pit bulls aren't generally kept for adoption, or so I'm told. She did have a chip so perhaps that would have changed the situation but no sense in taking chances, besides many pit bulls are used as penis extenders for the less well endowed of our society.
But this is really pathetic. One would never believe how absolutely gentle and docile this huge newf is, I've been calling him Darth but I don't really like it. I did in fact call the humane society and put "Darth" on the found dog list, newf rescue put a found ad on Craigslist and we've talked to people regarding him. not a SINGLE call, not one....
We've made some progress as all four feet have actually come into the house but he immediately leaves when you stop petting him or bribing him with treats. I'm fairly certain I could force him in, one pushing and one pulling, but it seems he would really be traumatized. He's perfectly content to sleep on he front porch in the 10 degree weather. Sure doesn't appear to be suffering from the cold. He has a tremendously heavy coat and I suspect he would be uncomfortable in the house at a balmy 68. Regardless, I want him to have the opportunity.
We're going to go to Petsmart Sunday for a rabies clinic, he desperately needs to be groomed but they won't touch him without a rabies vaccination certificate. Gnarley freaked out at the Petsmart door, I'm not sure how "Darth" will do, but I'm not optimistic. Come to think about it I wonder how we're going to get him groomed. Dang... We may try the garage door to the mud room since it's a lot smaller and he can survey it from the door. Plus FurB kinda hangs out in the mud room/laundry room and loves Gnarf (Gnarley + Newf)
How about Extra-Gnarley and calling him X? He truly is HUGE...
But I'm really disgusted with the current situation, Brownie was a pit bull so we avoided the humane society as Pit bulls aren't generally kept for adoption, or so I'm told. She did have a chip so perhaps that would have changed the situation but no sense in taking chances, besides many pit bulls are used as penis extenders for the less well endowed of our society.
But this is really pathetic. One would never believe how absolutely gentle and docile this huge newf is, I've been calling him Darth but I don't really like it. I did in fact call the humane society and put "Darth" on the found dog list, newf rescue put a found ad on Craigslist and we've talked to people regarding him. not a SINGLE call, not one....
We've made some progress as all four feet have actually come into the house but he immediately leaves when you stop petting him or bribing him with treats. I'm fairly certain I could force him in, one pushing and one pulling, but it seems he would really be traumatized. He's perfectly content to sleep on he front porch in the 10 degree weather. Sure doesn't appear to be suffering from the cold. He has a tremendously heavy coat and I suspect he would be uncomfortable in the house at a balmy 68. Regardless, I want him to have the opportunity.
We're going to go to Petsmart Sunday for a rabies clinic, he desperately needs to be groomed but they won't touch him without a rabies vaccination certificate. Gnarley freaked out at the Petsmart door, I'm not sure how "Darth" will do, but I'm not optimistic. Come to think about it I wonder how we're going to get him groomed. Dang... We may try the garage door to the mud room since it's a lot smaller and he can survey it from the door. Plus FurB kinda hangs out in the mud room/laundry room and loves Gnarf (Gnarley + Newf)
How about Extra-Gnarley and calling him X? He truly is HUGE...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
So, Exactly Where Did The Design For Darth Vaders Helmet Come From!
I got the answer.....
Well a little, very liitle story first. Last night Susan was at the Equine Vets annual dinner and presentation on "what's new in equine medicine", accupuncture, that's really true... but not this story....
It was about 7PM, I had finished my microeconomics class and just laid on the bed to watch an episode of "Dead Like Me" (look it up on the internet). kinda dozing and the phone rings. Hmmm dang... It's the guy that fostered Gnarley, so I answered.
"Clyde! do you know who this is?" Sure. Brian with Truman, the biggest dog I've ever seen. "Yes", I have a problem... uuuh ohhh!!! I love solving problems but this sounds ugly.
"We got called regarding a Black Newfoundland living in Black Forest Park. We went to get him but have no place for him to go. You had said that perhaps you could keep one even if for a short time."
OK where are you. ..... off I go, I meet them in greater Black Forest and low and behold in the back of Brian's Volvo station wagon is a monster. No, really a huge black newf, but still much smaller than Truman (30 or more pounds smaller). We don't know if it's a male or female so Brian checks to see if "it" has any "junk". DANG does he... So of course now I have to see if he has the rest of his "junk". Dang he size of tangerines. Now what, a fully intact male newfoundland at probably 160 or so pounds. whewww...
He sits between the van seats with his chin on the dash, looking out the windshield.
I decide I'd bring him home and let him stay in the barn in the foaling stall until I could check him out and make sure he didn't eat Gnarley, or at least try. I'm serious here!
In the morning I held Gnarley on one side of the fence and let 'em sniff noses, and all I got was waggin tails. I tied Darth (that's what I call him) to a tree on a longe line and took old Gnarf in. WOW to Gnarf it was love at first site, someone that's finally big enough to play with me... I finally got around to letting both off the leashes and after a little butt sniffin, and tree peeing it was off to play, and play, and play. Darth got a little tired of it but Gnarf was still going strong.
Darth is very very gentle. Really a gentle giant of a dog. HOWEVER push pull or bribe he will NOT come into the house. I'm fairly sure he's never seen the inside of a house before. He comes to the door, looks inside then leaves. In any case, no collar, no chip and not a single response to craigslist or the humane society. BTW Susan has already said NO! you can't keep him. Dang, I didn't even ask, I ain't stupid, well maybe a little.
He's in kind rough shape, big mats on the bottom half, smelly and kinda dirty. The fact that he's not neutered is also a bit concerning, Why would someone keep a 160 pound newf intact, clearly he isn't being shown or being put on display for stud, he's in pretty bad condition for that.
In any case I did get a couple of pictures this morning....
Anyone that knows Gnarley knows how big he is but I bet Darth outweighs him by 50 or 60 pounts easy
Check out that face, whoever made the Darth Vader helmet musta known a newf, a big newf
And no, all that isn't his slobber, like any newf he has his drool but a lot of this is snow from plowing furrows.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Dang, Global Warming Strikes Again....
Ah, the main stream media, and how they love "global warming". Pretty dang funny, yesterday set a new low of -2. Today the HIGH was -13 degrees, -19 when I fed the horses at 6AM in the dark.... Not to worry, they're all pretty good. Don't even seem to notice. *NOTE* these are NOT windchill temperatures.
We have to use 8' florecent "freezer" bulbs in the barn or they won't start when it's colder than 20 degrees. I turned them on couple days ago when it was "relatively" warm. Today it's so cold in the barn that the bulbs can't even stay lit.
The diesel truck was plugged in and started pretty easy this morning but it wouldn't stay running because the fuel in the lines were turning to geletin.
We drove 45 minutes to the 7:00AM Dr. appointment and never got even close to warm.
What REALLY amazes me is the global warming mongers aka "climate change" fear mongers now blame the chilling cold on man made CO2. Certainly one can say the "climate" is changing it most certainly is, always has... Sure wish they'd send some of the warmth our way. I'll tell you what, we are certainly pouring out the carbon, heaters running nearly non-stop.
Hmmm Hmm Hm homemade cream of mushroom soup for dinner....
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