Awesome? No, RAWsome!

Editor’s note:  Many of you followed Archie’s progress as he underwent surgery on both shoulders early last fall.  We’re all happy to tell you that Archie’s blogging haitus hasn’t been because he hasn’t had much to say, but because he’s had so much to DO.  He spent much of December and January in the field with Dr. Griswold and Rana, and has barely paused in his activity since, accompanying the family on numerous spring hikes and other adventures.  He has been free of lameness, and shows no signs of the discomfort present before his surgery.  Thanks, Dr. Lirtzman!

Now that I’m back on my feet, it takes a lot to stop me, but after a long walk at Gilbert’s Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch last weekend,  mom and dad found us all a nice place to relax.  We drove over to In the RAW, a cool coffee bar/juice bar/dog bar—a DOG bar!—on the southeast corner of Higley and Elliot.  Dad, Rana, and I met owners Valerie and Kevin (along with their wisecracking friend Susan) the day before at the Gilbert Spring Fair, and we just had to check it out.  The Mutt Muffins they were handing out at the fair were great, so I was pretty sure we were all in for a treat.

I was right.  The place is beautiful; mom and dad said it was obvious that Valerie and Kevin had put the same kind of thought and effort into the design and layout that they had put into designing Priority Pet Hospital.  It sits on the southern corner of the Lakeside Village shopping center, and is separated from the main building by a palm-shaded patio with a fountain (no swimming, BTW).  Valerie and Kevin were working the bar that morning, and they hooked us up with dog smoothies, which were WAY better than the smoothies the cats make after they eat too fast sometimes (and my folks didn’t tell me not to eat this one, either!).  I had peanut butter banana, and Rana had peanut butter carob; we didn’t do much sharing, so I can’t vouch for Rana’s flavor, but we both pushed our empty bowls around until Valerie came out and picked them up for us.  Dad had a frozen coffee drink and mom had a fruit smoothie, and everybody was happy.

While mom and dad sat and talked, I made goo-goo eyes at a cute little English bulldog, just one of several dogs of different sizes enjoying some time with their people that morning.  Rana just found a shady spot next to our table and took a nap.  All and all, it was a great morning.  I think I could get used to this long walk followed by a smoothie thing…