# From New Hampshire To Tennessee: Happiness & Tragedy



## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Well, we did it. We moved from New Hampshire to northeast Tennessee this past week.

The "Tri-Cities area" of Tennessee is beautiful, and everybody has been extremely friendly. 

We are settled in at our new temporary home. We are living in our motorhome at a nice campground, while we look for our new home.

The people in this part of Tennessee have been absolutely amazing. Very friendly. Very helpful. Very "down-to-earth". Very respectful. 

Our trip down from New Hampshire was uneventful until we crossed over into Virginia.

A horrible, devastating, and completely unexpected tragedy occurred to our family during our first night in Virginia, at a KOA campground.

Our wonderful 9-year-old German Shepherd girl, Maya, passed away in her sleep during that night. We have no idea why she passed away. Heart attack. Stroke. We will never know. 

I had stayed up to watch the Sunday night football game, and fell asleep on the couch. I woke up at about 3:00am and as I walked back to the bedroom I noticed that Maya was lying half on and half off her bed. She has always slept on her own bed on the floor at the foot of our bed. I reached my hand down to check on her, and she was gone. She had passed away probably shortly after my wife went to bed at around 11:00pm that night.

I was in shock. I yelled to my wife "Wake up! I think Maya is dead!"

We had taken all three of our dogs (Maya, and our two little Pom mixes) to the vet early last week for their yearly wellness checks and shots, and all three of them were completely healthy.

The ONLY indication that Maya was not feeling quite right was that she had thrown up earlier the day she passed away, but she has done that before and it was always just a sour tummy or the fact that she was a pretty high-strung dog.

We were both extremely upset and in shock, to say the least. My wife called 911 in Virginia and they sent a deputy Sheriff out to the campground. The dispatcher and the deputy could not have been nicer or more respectful to us. 

The deputy put us in touch with a 24 hour emergency veterinary hospital about 10 miles away. We immediately left the campground and went to the vet hospital, and they were extremely nice and accommodating. Our beautiful girl is going to be cremated and her ashes will be with us in the next week or two.

Some of you, maybe most of you, will not understand or not agree with how I feel about this devastating loss. 

We had Maya since she was 8 weeks old. She was "daddy's girl". She, for some reason, decided from the time she was a puppy that I was her "buddy" and she was my protector, my friend, and my constant companion. 

I cannot possibly express how devastating her death is. She was truly my best friend. She was my shadow. She went everywhere I went. She was always waiting at the door for me when I would come home. She was extremely intelligent, more intelligent than 99% of the humans I have known. She was loyal beyond compare. She had the ability to pick me up when I was down, and calm me down when I was stressed. She loved playing tug-of-war, and she would bring her big rope to me almost every day. She love fetching her hard rubber ball, and running around our yard, her big ears flapping in the wind and a big smile on her face. 

Her sudden and unexpected death is the single most devastating event in my life. Period. My comfort has come from prayer, and my wife and I sharing "Maya moments" together, grieving together, crying together, and thanking God that she did not have to suffer from the infirmities that afflict many German Shepherds when they get old..........hip problems, blindness, joint problems, cancer, etc., and that we never had to make that heart-wrenching decision to have her put to sleep. 

Our Maya lived, and died on her own terms. I know that I am a much better person by having the honor of being Maya's friend, playmate, and "buddy". We take comfort in knowing that Maya knew how much we loved her, and that she left us with a heart full of love and peace.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Sorry your dog died. Anyone who doesn't understand the bond has either had no dog, or has no heart.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Your account brought tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks. 

I am trying to post a pic of Maya, but can't figure it out.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

My very best to you and Mrs PFT. Maya is doing all the things she loves to do in the place that all good dogs eventually go. God Speed Maya.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I am sorry for your loss, Patriot. 
As a dog lover myself I certainly understand your pain.
Whenever one of our pets passes, as many have, I find comfort in The Rainbow Bridge. If you have not heard of this, I will post the link. 
And it is OK to cry. Real men do.

The Rainbow Bridge Poem - The beautiful journey of a pet after death.


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## darsk20 (Jun 1, 2015)

We are here for you and it is never easy to lose a best friend. They are always there for you unlike most humans and are always happy to see you. Prayers.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

So sorry to hear of your loss,I understand your pain.I hope you may like this,

http://www.schnauzers-rule.com/images/pet-loss-poem-meet-me-in-the-light-maureen-bauer.jpg


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## coates776 (Sep 4, 2015)

I have a small dog to who follows me everywhere can't imagine life without him, sorry for your loss.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I am sorry for your loss, Patriot.
> As a dog lover myself I certainly understand your pain.
> Whenever one of our pets passes, as many have, I find comfort in The Rainbow Bridge. If you have not heard of this, I will post the link.
> And it is OK to cry. Real men do.
> ...


Thanks, RPD. We have always taken comfort in the Rainbow Bridge, when we have had previous loved ones leave us.

I spent several minutes alone with Maya at the vet hospital. I kissed her on the nose, as I always did, and I told her that I would someday see her at the Rainbow Bridge, and I'll bring her rope and ball.

Thanks to everyone. Your words and thoughts mean more to me and Mrs. PFT than you know.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Maya Morningstar Twofeathers

3-23-2006 to 9-20-2015

Forever Our "Big Girl" and our "Miss Maya"


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

I am so very sorry for your loss. I wish I had some wise words to help you and your wife. I hope you can find a way to post a picture.


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## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

It sucks when a family dog dies. Hopefully it was painless.


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## Renec (Dec 21, 2012)

Just know that Maya has already passed the word along. There will be another Dog looking for you with her good reference of you in mind. It's been 2 yrs and I still miss my Sam. But I'm grateful for my Scout ! Can't imagine life without a dog,personally.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Renec said:


> Just know that Maya has already passed the word along. There will be another Dog looking for you with her good reference of you in mind. It's been 2 yrs and I still miss my Sam. But I'm grateful for my Scout ! Can't imagine life without a dog,personally.


I imagine that Maya and Sam are at the Rainbow Bridge together. I also can't imagine life without our 4-legged furry kids.

We also have our two small "little angels", Lily- half Pom and half Pekingnese, and Katie- half Pom and half Poodle.

We have already decided that we are going to adopt another small dog and name her Maya, in honor of our first Maya.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I feel your pain. I just got a new dog about 2 months ago. I had a beagle growing up, we got him when I was about 14-15 and he lived to be 16 years old. Old enough to drive I would always say. I moved out of the house and was generally away for years. I came back a few years later. I think he was waiting for me to return, he was waiting to die. (Sad)


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## DARK1 (Oct 4, 2014)

Very sorry to hear of your loss. All the best with your new home.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

Made me cry too and I'm so sorry for your loss! Made me think of my childhood dog that without him I'm not sure I would have made it thru
troubled youth. My dog died March 11th 1970 and I still think of him darn near everyday. I hope I can find him when I get to the other side someday!


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Very sorry for your loss. I've had a dog in my life since I was five. I've been there, I know it, I get it and I hate it. My wife and I have four dogs now, so that's at least four more heartbreaks on deck. Godspeed Maya!


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Welcome from a fellow volunteer. I hate that you lost your dog. I have one struggling as I type. He has arthritis and I am sorry to say......He's fat. The vet said no more bacon and ice cream, just dry. Sorry Milo, it is for the best.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

So sorry for your loss. Prayers of comfort headed up.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

I am very uplifted by the fact that there are so many of my fellow preppers in this forum who understand what it is to love and lose a great friend and companion that does not walk on two legs.

All of you have gone a long way in restoring my faith in human beings, with your kind and heartfelt comments.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

So sorry to hear you lost Maya, she was a beautiful dog. Good luck searching for your new home. I wish yall the best and welcome to the south.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I didn't read all the posts, so this may be a repeat. Someones tag line is "I love dogs more than I like most people". To me dogs are more human than most people. Comfort prayers sent.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Arklatex said:


> So sorry to hear you lost Maya, she was a beautiful dog. Good luck searching for your new home. I wish yall the best and welcome to the south.


Thanks, Arklatex. We are very happy, and proud, to be new residents of "the south". We are looking forward to finding a new church and becoming a part of our new community.


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## turbo6 (Jun 27, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your dog. That truly is terrible news during this time, moving isn't easy.

I wish you the best, although I didn't move to TN, I did in fact move from NH as well to NC 8 years ago. It took adjustment, but in the end we're fine. No more snowy winters, yuppies and ridiculous cost of living. 
I do still miss certain aspects of NH though, left behind a lot of great people but life is much more relaxed now.


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## Snocam (May 29, 2015)

It's really ashame about your dog. My aussie is our family's loyal pet, and it will be a sad day when he goes. Congrats on your move though, hopefully brighter days are coming. I actually moved to the northeast from southern new jersey. I love the winters, actually all the seasons. Tennessee is pretty cool too though, did some back packing there when I was in college. Good luck!


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## ruhamey (Sep 30, 2015)

PF so sorry to hear of your loss. 
Please feel free to enjoy my hometown while I'm on exile in Florida. If you have any questions about the area, PM me and I'll do my best to help.


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