Maggie-May was a phenomenal dog who broght happiness and joy to many people. She knew only love for
Flipping through some old bike photos and came across this video of Maggie playing in the mud...
https://www.facebook.com/MotorizedFatBike/videos/201661893519237/?__cft__[0]=AZXsmB7wbbEFzxGeW_nkD6HIu71i9ZJurwcc_Mp4CugJszCBPs1yfCJ8Hd47ZjfEHcr8okHAJC_Z3XziFpEpEl2D31JDQEq-AUHNtzUFYnahtyDT4aH6uCqpIN7kYglTAS4HHZRG4YaDmhygwr_AJt2FAERnVP9wlpiTkPqnv3IZ9w&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Found this picture of Maggie (Dec. 2015) getting ready to go for a bike ride in the new bucket. So funny, look at that face!
2012 - Lunch with Uncle Dave was a rare treat. "Ride in someone else's car!" What a happy doggie!
Some beautiful illustrations by Jim Warren.
www.jimwarren.com
2012 - Noir Doggie…
"Cinematic B&W Filter"
The auto mechanic was almost finished with the car. He hopped out and ran into the shop for a moment. My Pit Bull "Maggie" just had the longest day of her life and had been whining for me to take her home for a nap. When the mechanic left the door open she jumped in without notice and laid down in "her spot." An instant later the mechanic returned, got in, closed the door, and started the car. Maggie stood up with her head next to his and he noticed! The look of fear was priceless. (Maggie is now so old she probably hadn't even realized it wasn't me.) With his face plastered against the window I could tell he was screaming "What do I do!? What do I do!!!"
The other two mechanics who were standing right there next to me started yelling... "Drive with the fear Ricky Bobby!" and "Make friends with the fear." OH MY GOD, I can't tell you how hilarious it was. I was laughing so hard I started crying.
..the mechanic, by the way, took the test drive and lived to tell about it!
One of Maggie's Internet friends made this lovely image for her. Thank you Marsha Soto.
https://youtu.be/hqi_m-pMuoI
Wake up, Maggie, I think I got something to say to you
It's late September and I really should be back at school
I know I keep you amused, but I feel I'm being used
Oh, Maggie, I couldn't have tried any more
You led me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my heart, and that's what really hurts
The morning sun, when it's in your face really shows your age
But that don't worry me none in my eyes, you're everything
I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn't need to coax
Oh, Maggie, I couldn't have tried any more
You led me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my soul, and that's a pain I can do without
All I needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand
But you turned into a lover, and, mother, what a lover you wore me out
All you did was wreck my bed, and in the morning, kick me in the head
Oh, Maggie, I couldn't have tried any more
You led me away from home 'cause you didn't wanna be alone
You stole my heart, I couldn't leave you if I tried
I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school
Or steal my daddy's cue and make a living out of playing pool
Or find myself a rock 'n' roll band that needs a helping hand
Oh, Maggie, I wished I'd never seen your face
You made a first-class fool out of me
But I'm as blind as a fool can be
You stole my heart, but I love you anyway
Maggie, I wished I'd never seen your face
I'll get on back home one of these days
Cheers, to the best dog ever!
I put together this page so I could share the pictures I have of Maggie and share a few of our stories with my friends and family who are going to miss her as well and might want some images to remember.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/maggiebestdog/posts/
To see all of the posts, be sure to click on the post tab. There are also a few short videos under the video tab.
(Days Left: 0)
Monday, September 09, 2019
I went to check on Maggie when I woke up in the morning. I knew the odds were good that she would be gone. I was so happy to see her look up at me when I walked in. She was still sleeping all curled up in her bed but sometime during the night she wadded her blanket up and was snuggling with it. "How are you feeling my good girl?" I asked her. "Not great, Papa but I'm ready!" I told her to just relax and I gave her lots of scratches and hugs. I pretended to play with her and scratched her ears.
A short time later she got up and walked to the door to go outside. She was usually up before 7:00 am and it was already after 8:00. I let her out and she p*ed. She even p**ped a tiny little bit. When she came back inside I asked if she was ready for a hug. She let me give her a good long hug. She looked somewhat dizzy. She had a little bit of uber hanging from her lip that she didn't want me to fuss with. I offered her a little water from the cup of my hand but she didn't drink it. She gave my hand a little kiss then went to lay down in her spot behind the table by the widow to the patio.
I laid down with her on her blanket facing her. Our eyes were staring into each other from a few inches away. I gave her scratches and told her stories. I knew she would be leaving soon. I cried as I tried to explain to her just how much she's meant to me, how happy she's made me, and how much joy she's brought into my life.
After almost an hour I was having a hard time deciding what to do. Should I lay there for the rest of her life? I wanted to, but how long was that going to be? I wanted to wash my face and quit sobbing. I needed to p*e. It was Monday morning and I had messages from clients that wanted my response. I got up and took care of those things. I had already decided that I would take the day off and spend as much time as possible with Maggie. I would come right back in a few minutes and lay on the floor with her some more. While I was checking my messages, Maggie came to the office and got some scratches then lie down in her spot next to me. She just lay there relaxing and watching me.
Without a fuss, Maggie got up and walked out of the room. Since this was something she has done many times every day for many years, I didn't think about it too much. She was probably just going to get some water I thought. Maybe she needs to go to the bathroom. I decided that I'd quickly finish what I was doing then go lay down with her and show her some love. I heard a thump and was trying to decide if it was someone at the door or if a golf ball had hit the house or just what. It hit me hard to realize the sound came from the direction of my old and dying dog! I jumped up and ran down the hall to find Maggie stuck behind some furniture and looking very confused. I pushed things out of the way and went to grab my dog. As soon as I reached under her to pick her up, she collapsed into my arms.
I broke into tears and started sobbing immediately. "It's okay my doggie. You're going to be okay. Everything will be fine." I didn't know where to take her so I laid her down in the middle of the room by the window. I snuggled with her and kept talking to her while petting her as I cried uncontrollably. She didn't want to leave. She fought to stay. I was craddling her in my arms as I did when she was a little puppy. She looked at me with enduring affection.
I was holding Maggie in my arms when she licked the tears from my face and quietly passed away...
Maggie left us at 12:59 pm PST on Monday, September 09, 2019.
She was the biggest blessing that God has given me in my life. She taught me how to love better and appreciate life more. We spent almost every minute together for fourteen years but it just doesn't seem like enough. We had lots of things left to do, trips to take, squirrels to chase, and lots of hugs.
She tried to stay as long as she possibly could. She always wanted to show me what a good dog she was. She just wanted to be with me and make me happy. I am grateful that I got to meet her and get to know her. I am infinitely grateful that I could be there when she left and be able to try and comfort her. I was the lucky one. She gave so much more than she took. Nothing has ever brought me so much happiness as this little fuzzy dog.
(Days Left: 1)
Sunday, September 08, 2019
On her last day it should have been obvious that Maggie had lived all that she could. She was happy but tired and didn't want to quit. I knew this day was about to come but I didn't want it to. Down inside I knew that she would not get better or recover but it would not register in my heart. My mind was telling me that she would always be here with me and we would continue to try and have fun and enjoy doing things together. How would we be able to do all the things that we had left to do if she didn't get better? ...go on the trips we had left to take? ...have all the fun were still going to have?
Throughout the day, Maggie did her best to perform her duties. She took a lot of naps on the floor by my side while I worked at my desk. She wanted to follow me when I went to another room for any reason and I would tell her, "You wait here. I'll be right back." (which was our version of "stay"), and she watched me walk away and still seemed a little excited when I came back. "Did you miss me? I'm back." A couple of times she followed me outside and found a spot to p*e. She tried to p**p but couldn't. When we came inside she stood in her spot ready for her treat but wouldn't take anything I tried to give her, cookie, chewey, beggin strip, hotdog, even fresh chicken. "How about a hug and some love?" and she let me hug her. She followed me to the kitchen but didn't want anything from the fridge.
When I first got Maggie fourteen years ago and I was reading books about how to train a dog, I had no idea what I was in for or the years of great times it would bring. One way to train a dog is with discipline. You scold the dog when it doesn't do what you want. "Bad. Bad dog!" I had a newspaper insert that I kept rolled-up in my back pocket. It was soft and flimsy and didn't hurt even when you smacked yourself as hard as you could, ...but it made a loud noise! My parents would smack us kids on the butt with a paddle and I turned out alright so it should be fine for a dog too. It did work! We did this for a couple of months. By that time all I would have to do is show her the roll and ask "Do you want a swat on the butt? ...then you better..." and say what I wanted her to do.
She didn't like being around me as much when I had the newspaper insert in my pocket and she stayed away from it even when I wasn't around. I felt like such an as***le. You can't find love or enjoy life if you're being cruel! Just because you dominate someone with authority doesn't mean you should use your power to be bad! Nobody deserves that, we're all just trying to do our best to get along. I didn't want a scared dog that feared me. I can't see how I ever thought that would be okay.
I switched to the other method of dog training which is positive reinforcement! I would ask her nicely to do something and when she would, I'd give her a treat. The good treats were expensive and I didn't always have them with me so sometimes she would look at me for a treat when I didn't have one and I'd say, "Are you ready for your treat? How about a hug?" and I'd get down on the ground and give her a big hug and some scratches. "There you go, big hug!"
I've apologized to her profusely over the years for not being a better Papa in the early days. I've tried to make it up to her by trying to never be mean or angry at her. I'm not saying that it might not still have happened on occasion, but I put forth a conscience effort not to and I think I was mostly successful. I never again told her that she was "bad" or a "bad dog" but instead tried to be understanding "It's okay, I know you didn't mean to do it. I know you'll try hard to not let it happen again." and give her a hug. It was enough punishment for Maggie to just think that I wasn't 100% thrilled with everything she did. She spent her life trying and proving that she was "such a good girl."
At some point she learned how to start gaming me. You would go to the door and stare at it to let me know she had to go outside, presumingly to go to the bathroom. I'd get up and let her out then wait for her to finish. She started getting a little too hasty with her plan, she would take a few steps outside then turn around to be let back in, "I went outside. I'm done now. Where's my cookie!?!"
At the end of the day Maggie climbed into her doggie-bed that was covered with the fuzzy blanket that Grandma had given her for Christmas when we were on our trip. This was somewhat strange to me because she would normally wad it up in a ball and throw it to the side. There she was, sleeping softly all curled up in a little ball just like she has done throughout her life. Warm and fuzzy. Cute and snuggly. Good warm fuzzy doggie-bears.
I didn't want to disturb her or wake her up but since I did, I decided to give her big hugs and scratches and tell her little bedtime stories about what a great dog she was and all the joy she has given me. I scratched her "fuzzy ears" and "scrawney neck" as she fell back asleep. I asked God to give her a blessing and then I went to bed.
(Days Left: 6)
Tuesday, September 03, 2019
It wasn't until the last week of her life that I started to get very concerned. She was having a hard time breathing sometimes and would breath heavily. Sometimes she would huff loudly like hyperventilating. She looked very skinny and weak. She started not eating her food and would only eat the very best stuff such as cookies. She would not move around and be as active as normal even for being old. Sometimes she would just stand there and stare at me or something else. She still patrolled the house regularly and came to check if everybody was still here and doing alright.
She still went outside when she needed to p*e and I still told her what a good girl she was for doing it but when she came back in she would normally get a cookie or treat but this week she wouldn't even eat hamburger or chicken and there would be no more cookies eaten.
I was giving her all the love and affection that she could deal with. She stopped asking me for hugs or scratches but still accepted them when I gave them. "Are you doing okay my puppy? Do you need a hug?" I kept giving her hugs & love as much as I could. I kept telling her that everything would turn out fine. She would just smile at me.
I took her to the vet and he gave her a couple of shots to help her feel better. It worked! For the next few days she got her appetite back and ate only chicken. A LOT of it. She was still barking at strangers and even ran down the hall a few times. The vet tried to prepare me for the inevitable but we had already had that talk, ...two years ago! I got some details about what to do if she passed away and it was late at night or over the weekend. He offered to put her to sleep but I told him about the deal we had and that I wouldn't rob her of a single second even if all she could do was lay around. Even if she had accidents in the house, I would just take care of it and tell her it was okay. It never got like that. She kept doing her thing and being a good girl who finds a spot outside, right up until the end.
Of course I took some extra pictures because I knew it would be my last chance. She didn't want her picture taken even still.
She was every bit as lovable and trying hard to act like herself but she was obviously having a harder time than usual. My old fuzzy puppy-bear.
(Days Left: 83)
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Working on "The Dog House" and it's all starting to come together. Should be ready for a trip in a couple of months if we're lucky and keep working hard.
Maggie dig a big hole in the carpet and would sleep in it even if her doggie-bed was right next to it. She also started to use the mirror to look around rather than having to get up to see.
She was still going strong and ready for more!
(Days Left: 106)
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Still going for walks every day and working on the truck. Starting to get hot again. Almost summer.
(Days Left: 230)
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Another Birthday?!? Fourteen now. This was two years past the high-end of her expected life expectancy (9-12).
I got her the biggest juiciest steak they had and barbecued it for her. I just gave her the whole thing on a bed of doggie-food. This was probably a mistake because later she barfed in the house and I had to clean it up.
(Days Left: 258)
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Christmas Eve with my doggie-bear working on the truck!
I was working on the fusebox under the dash. Maggie was helping in the back and came to say hello.
I always thought it was so cute the way she sleeps in a little ball. It makes you want to HUG IT! She was sleeping so peacefully on her last Christmas morning.
(Days Left: 303)
Saturday, November 10, 2018
The weather was perfect. The sunsets were awesome. Were were making progress on the truck but it was still a long way from ready.
We spent a bunch of time just sitting on the patio drinking morning coffee or eating snacks. Maggie would fluff-up that rug then lay on it right under me practically! I would usually sit in that chair with my feet up on the table.
She was a little bit slow and a tad chubby but we were eating good. Lots of chicken and cookies! She still behaved exactly the same as she always has. It was just another day with the Papa.
(Days Left: 324)
Saturday, October 20, 2018
This was Maggie helping me work on the truck. She's sitting in her spot and ready to take a trip. She knew we were going to spend more time in the truck traveling and doing things. Sometimes she seemed a bit impatient but I would tell her "I have to work on the truck so we can take a trip" and she would smile.
(Days Left: 383)
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
By this time the truck had been completely gutted and I was trying to get it put back together. New floors were going in. It would then be like a big empty van. We should have loaded that we gear and gone but I really wanted a toilet that flushed!
Maggie was there to help as always. I let her come outside for as long as she wanted. It was usually only a few minutes at a time but I'd come inside every hour and check on her, let her out, give her some love.
(Days Left: 396)
Thursday, August 09, 2018
More Arizona sunshine and heat. Trying to get the truck ready for another trip (still).
Always happy! Eating well. Spending time with Papa. Working on the truck.
Another summer almost over. It couldn't happen soon enough. Once it cools off there will be plenty of time to get it done before it gets hot again!
(Days Left: 425)
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
It was the middle of summer. We had survived another semi-traumatic fourth of July fireworks extravaganza.
I got a couple nice pictures. She was facing the wrong way so I tried to take a picture in the mirror. In a few of the others I was not patient enough to let the auto-focus do it's thing. I'm still very thankful that I at least have this.
She was so happy most of the time and it only took a little thing and she was so proud of me. "Hey everybody! That's my Papa. I'm with him. I'm HIS Maggie-dog. Look what we're doing! We're standing here watching something. See how good I am, I stand right next to him and do it too.
(Days Left: 430)
Friday, July 06, 2018
By this time we were working on the truck all the time, trying to get it ready to take another trip. I let the project balloon out of control and had already been working on the repairs for almost a year and a half by this time. I should have realized that time was passing and it was taking too long and Maggie was running out of time. Instead, I just worked as fast as I could to make it more accommodating for a guy traveling around with his old dog. It's just as well I suppose.
Every weekend we would go "get the truck" and work on it. On the weekends I worked on the truck, and during the week I tried to get a bunch of work done so I could afford the repairs. I don't know what else I could have done. Maggie loved "work on the truck" too. She would go with me to get it and then ride around with me if we had anywhere to go. She loved riding in the truck. Sometimes she would get all settled in for a journey. "Are we taking a trip, Papa? Will there be big free water (lake)?" She usually seemed a little disappointed when a short time later we were back home and out of the truck. I would try to explain it to her "I've got to go work on the truck so we can take another trip." and she would patiently wait for me.
One of her new favorite things to do was go to Home Depot with me to get camper parts. It's one of the few places where you can bring your dog and let them walk around with you. The other place is Pet Co. but we stopped going there and it's much smaller than Home Depot. Actually, Maggie has been going with me to the hardware store throughout her entire life. In the early days, she would ride in a regular shopping cart. I would bring a floor mat from the car so she had something soft to stand on.
At some point we switched to the small flatbed dolly. We called it "The Skateboard" and she thought it was great! She would stand way out on the tip and "hang ten." She got to know everyone who worked there and they all loved her. They would stop us and pet and play with Maggie. Her best Home Depot friend called her "Surfer Girl" and I tried to tell him it had to be "Skater Chick" but he told everyone there she was Maggie the Surfer Girl.
Home Depot was one of her favorite places to go. In the summertime it was one of the only places she could go because of the heat. We would leave early and get there while it was still relatively cool outside.
On Saturdays Home Depot would have a craft-thing for kids and the place would be packed with about 50-60 little kids running around with their parents. They all got very excited to see a dog. A line would sometimes form of little kids wanting to pet Maggie and give her a hug. She definitely knew the word "Hug." Some parents were shy at first to let their kid near a strange dog but once they saw the other kids and parents doing it, the line just got longer.
Another thing she liked to do was visit the garden section. They usually had misters and fans out there in the shade. I would push Maggie slowly up and down the aisles near the plants. When she found one that seemed interesting, I would stop and let her "smell the flowers" for as long as she wanted. We usually made the trips to Home Depot last about an hour or hour and a half because that's about all Maggie could manage. She would be ready for a nap or just to lay down in the truck for a while.
The staff at Home Depot gave her one of the kid's aprons to wear. After that nobody was ever afraid of her or shyed away. When I would show Maggie her apron and ask if she want to "go to Home Depot" she would get all excited. She knew exactly what that meant as well. Get your collar on and get in the truck for a ride!
(Days Left: 440)
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Arizona summer is in full-swing and Maggie is stuck in the house a lot of the time. We go outside often but for only five minutes or less and then she's had enough.
For some reason I pulled out my phone and snapped these quick pictures.
(Days Left: 530)
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Just sitting out on the patio with her Papa enjoying the afternoon Arizona sun.
(Days Left: 573)
Saturday, February 13, 2018
Our good friends from Hawaii were going to be in Vegas and asked us to come for a visit. It was about the right length of trip and we would both enjoy getting to see our friends. The poor little truck was having a rough time but it was still a nice drive. The trucky was really starting to feel like a home and the dog couldn't get enough.
When we got to Vegas it was late and we were tired. It was raining. I thought we would try "urban boon-docking" for the first time at a Walmart. We had heard a lot about being able to "stop at any Walmart and have a safe place to sleep overnight." We found a nice big one near our destination and tried to get some sleep. After a couple of hours a security guard came and chased us away. He was a nice enough guy and really didn't want to do it. I told him it was no problem and we would just move along. Not far away we found a large commercial complex with lots of empty parking in the back and several big trucks parked there. We found a small out of the way spot and tried to get a little sleep.
A couple of hours later a couple of city cops woke us up and told us to leave. We wondered around in circles looking for a place and finally took the only spot we could find at a freeway truck-stop. The lot lizards were out! It was kind of scary and I'm a big guy with a pitbull. The only thing I've seen that was similar was the cantina in the movie Star Wars. I just wanted a little sleep after the long drive, then we would check into a nearby campground that had spots available in the morning.
The morning came and we split nice and early. We had to wait around for a couple of hours for the place to open. When it did, they showed me a nice spot with electric hookups. It had good cellphone coverage. I planned on staying for about a week to get some work done and check the fluids and everything. Just as we were ready to settle in, I said "we" or something and the guy looked in the window and saw Maggie. "Is that a pitbull?" he asked. I told him that she was very old and mostly just lay around all day, and that we just needed to charge up, get some rest, do a few things and be on our way. "I'm sorry. The owner hates pitbulls and she won't let you stay here." He said we could try to be sneaky but as soon as Maggie was discovered we'd have to leave.
There was a dog-friendly place right down the street and they said there were no breed restrictions as long as the dog was well behaved. When we got there they asked if our truck was more than ten years old. I said, "Yeah it's an '87" and they said they were sorry but our truck was too old to stay there.
We went ahead and saw our friends and had a nice breakfast but I told them I didn't have a place to stay and really wanted to get some sleep and fix the truck. They were sad to see us go but were very understanding.
It was just before sunset when we set off on the last leg of our epic adventure!
(Days Left: 590)
Saturday, January 27, 2018
I have a friend who has done a lot of camping and boon-docking in the desert. I gave her a call and asked if Maggie and I could go camping with them. We had never stayed out there with no facilities and we were both new to that whole type of situation. She said, "Sure!" Then told us where and when they would be there.
It was even more fun living this way with other people/friends involved for some of the time! They also had a dog that Maggie could buddy around with and some toys we got to play with. As a bonus (for me) there were desert races going. The Toyota guys seemed to get a kick out of our little "Dog House" and of course they saw what a great dog Maggie was and were delighted to be around her.
Beautiful sunsets, unlimited self-guided walks, fun people to play with, good food to eat, music, drinks, ...I got a real sense of just how good life could be even with so very little. Priceless.
(Days Left: 613)
Thursday, January 04, 2018
After the holiday the beach cleared out so we went back! Some of our previous friends were still there and Maggie was excited to see them again.
We went for lots of walks and exploration. Met many more people and dogs. Used Maggie's wagon a few times to take her very far. She didn't seem to mind not having to walk. When we got to a good spot, I would lift her out and let her roam around. Saw some more of my friends that time too and got to eat a familiar donut shop and thai food restaurant. I spoiled Maggie as much as possible but mostly she just wanted to hang out and listen to music with me.
(Days Left: 623)
Monday, December 25, 2017
We had to leave our spot on the beach because there were no reservations available over the holiday weekend. So we moved inland a few miles to a forested campground I went to when I was a teenager in high school. We usually just spent the day there but I had also camped there a couple of times in a car with a tent.
We spent Christmas together out in the woods going for a MINIMUM of three walks per day. Maggie made it on some that were nearly a mile long. She just wouldn't quit. "Look at all these things, Papa!" and I would let her take her time and do whatever she wanted (except go into other people's spots). The weather was perfect. It was a little cold some days and Maggie would climb into bed with me. She usually sleeps on the floor near me and it had been many years since she actually wanted to sleep in my bed. Of course I let her.
We ate lots of grilled chicken and I was able to do enough work to get by. There were some unexpected hiccups such as the solar system would not power my computer workstation long enough so I bought a very cheap generator from Walmart. I figured it out and got it working but then burned my have pretty bad. Not only did it hurt for at least a couple of days but it also made everything more cumbersome. We made do.
I got to see a lot of my friends whom I hadn't seen in a very long time. They shared the experience with me and Maggie loved getting to see everyone again and meet the others.
The beautiful thing about living like that was that time lasted a long time. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly but a week feels like a month. You get a lot of value from your time. You get to enjoy more time to do things. It was awesome. It was not easy to give up the traditional things like a house with a private bathroom but it was well worth it.
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