Henry will be alive when I arrive

Campers,

Gotta write this.

I’m about Ben, the way Bojangles was about his dog.

"Dog up and died and after twenty years he still grieves."

Me too.

Got pictures and paintings and ash tray and his long time rabies tag all around me and in one shot I’m holding him in front of a, ‘Welcome to Alaska’ signe.

I’ve been through lots of critters over the years.

In Clemson the staff including my Turkish bride, joined together to create a unit complete with volunteer vets and we trapped 350 stray cats and 150 stray dogs from the campus and spayed and neutered them and adopted them out and never lost a one.

Rare event in life, huh ?

They always die tho don’t they ?

Eventually.

I get’s harder and harder to let them go.

I’ve known the Cohens for 42 years and my friend, Ben the cat is buried up there along with Dempsey, the legendary boxer and two more boxers as a pair still mixing it up in Heaven and couple of sheep and some chickens and a cat who made the move from Joyce Court to Penn Grove and I forget her name.

Ginger, my dog died in my arms as did my cat and it may be sacrilegious, but I was holding my mother’s hand and arm when she died and I felt a little shock.

Now, after what is it, 13 years, Henry is standing at the gate and my friends have to leave for Cuba so I may get to watch and nurse my old friend.

Lotta changes in my life.

General agreement but no scrip til few tests next month but looks like I have an incurable disease called, ‘Artautaug’s’.

Like the others from liver to esophagus and the spinal collapsing and the left ventricle of my heart and its plaque build-up.

Got medicine to mask symptoms of all and feel great except some pain in toes get’s thru now and then.

Be good to see Henry.

Go Niners !

h.