Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Fare Thee Well, Farm Friend...


We suffered a loss yesterday out here JOTOLR.  And we've been trying to piece the puzzle together as to what actually happened.

We believe this is the answer:  two titans were felled in the same incident:  a huge ancient Maple tree in our front yard decided to topple over in the middle of the night --the same night the bat got in--and our five-year-old Great Pyrenees, Torre, must have come to investigate the noises being generated by the tree's process of collapse.  

The tree fell on Torre and broke his back.  He managed to crawl back to the barn --his house.  He died yesterday afternoon and there was nothing we could do for him.  We spent last evening digging his grave in hardpan, out in the field he guarded so vigorously. 

So, my other photos, today, are posted simply in memory of him, as a tribute to his power (he was soooooo big!), his love for us, and his unmeasured adoration for MM --which in Torre's mind, stood for Main Man.  Goodbye, Torre...  We'll miss you, gentle polar bear.

If anyone knows of a young Great Pyrenees male not too far from Southern West Virginia that needs a home, please let me know.








 

10 comments:

  1. Oh, Elora, how awful for both of you. I'm so very sorry. Torre was such a fixture there, and did his job so very well. Love to you both.

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  2. My sincere condolences on your loss. He was a gentle giant and I'm sure he will be much missed.

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  3. Oh that is so sad. It is always hard to lose a beloved companion. My heart goes out to you.

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  4. Elora and MM, So difficult. Our dogs and pets are family. Your dog photo in your post was beautiful, a magnificent pal. Always difficult to believe they are no longer with us. Sincere regrets -- barbara

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  5. Sending you love and hugs and I'm shedding a few tears too because losing a faithful friend is so hard. Take care xx

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  6. I'm so sorry hear of your loss, Elora. Torre was a beautiful dog and I know that you and MM will miss him. It is clear that he lived a very happy life there on your farm. I love the photo of him in the water.

    Thinking of you both...

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  7. Just popping back in for a second to mention something. You may already know about this, but in case you don't... If you do decide you'd like another Great Pyrenees, you can search on Petfinder.com for any breed by entering the breed and your zip code (look on the left sidebar) and it will show you all of that breed at shelters in your area.
    http://www.petfinder.com/index.html
    I thought of you today when I was watching our local news and a local shelter featured two of the handsomest puppies I'd ever seen. They said they were part Great Pyrenees. They certainly looked it.
    http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/features/pet-pals/videos/wlos_vid_316.shtml

    P.S. Sorry to write all this in a comment, but I couldn't find an email address for you.

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  8. Oh, my....such an outpouring of kindness from all of you. Thank you sooooo much. I am humbly honored. The last two days have shown us how very much we miss him. My ever-wandering ear searches for his thunderous bark constantly; my eye searches the fields for his distinctive white, dashing after crows which he came to know we didn't like; or after encroaching deer, coyotes...

    Beth...what a lovely gesture. I have made inquiry on what sounds to be a perfect GP. Only problem for us is that it's located in Richmond, VA...a bit too much of a drive for us. Nonetheless, I've made inquiry. He is young, neutered, and a "bouncey puppy" but BIG. Maybe we can connect with what appears to be a magnificent replacement (no, I know...you don't "replace")....but the jobs Torre did are still needing doing.

    Thank you again, everyone. Included in that is Vickey Bell who also mentioned petfinder.com and both Beth and Vickey encouraged me to go that direction.

    And thanks to all, again, for your kind and loving gestures. You are dear people. When our search is done, we'll post pictures.

    Love you all,
    Elora

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  9. Elora I'm so sorry to hear about Torre. I know he was an integral part of your work and your family and will really be missed. blessings, marlene

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  10. Sorry on the loss of Torre. Pets are a big part of our families.

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