by Donna Dutchess

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: April 23, 2008

We were up at our hunting camp for the weekend. 120 miles from home, in an old potato farmhouse that was 75 years old with 7 bedrooms, we brought up all our friends with their kids for a time of fun, laughter and making memories.

Just a few miles down the road was a bridge over the Genesee River where the kids loved to jump, swim and play. The sounds of summer filled the air as the kids jumped off the bridge squealing with delight as they hit the water and swam to shore. The reality of life seemed so far away for the adults as they watched their kids swim and have a ball. This is what we came for, to appreciate the beauty of Whitesville NY, and to escape life for a little while.

My husband and I were watching the kids intently as they jumped off the bridge. Our 9-year of daughter was they only kid missing the fun. She opted to spend the night at a neighboring farmer who has a daughter her age. Tammy had swum the Genesee River many times and loved jumping off the bridge. Looking back in hindsight, what a blessing it was that she was not there that day.

It happened so fast: the squeal of the tires, the sound of the thump, the shocked silence, and then the tears. We were so busy watching the kids, we never thought about our beagle dog Misty. On this remote country road, we never gave traffic a thought. What traffic went by was usually a tractor going 5 miles per hour. Where did this car come from? And why was he going so fast? Those questions were never answered. In the horror of the following minutes, we gathered our children away from the scene. My husband Chris was on his knees sobbing besides Misty, who lay in the stillness of death. Misty was everyone's favorite dog. She roamed our neighborhood at will, often stopping for a treat at each of her friends, our neighbors. Now, the neighbors were with us and witnessed her death. It was not something they would ever forget.

In shock and horror, we all got in to our cars to drive back up to the farm. Knowing the weekend was completely ruined; everyone decided to go home, except for my husband Chris and I. While Chris buried Misty underneath an apple tree, I went and got Tammy and prayed for the right words to tell to her about her dog. I'll never forget the look on her face when I told her that Misty had died. Never having experience death before, Tammy asked me where Misty was. "Misty's happy in heaven Tammy, chasing bunny rabbits all over the place", I told my daughter. "Are there really bunny rabbits in heaven, Mom?"

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