Tumor Island

Let's talk about Hank's tumor. Hank is our 10 yr old Great Pyrenees/Border Collie/aust shep mix. He's roughly the size of Elizabeth Taylor, when she looked like a barge. He's so fluffy and I rarely wash him because just looking at all that hair makes me tired, so it took a really long time to realize that not all of that was hair. On his side, Hank is growing Tumor Island.

It did used to be a little smaller, more like tumor side salad, but in the last 6 mos or so, it is achieving islandhood. It's a fatty tumor (I've met alot of fatty tumors, some have even taken me to lunch), so there's nothing you can do about it. My old dog Jed was covered in tumors by the time he finally took the leap, the last big run toward the heaven buffet of all white meat chicken. When Jed was all I had, no kids, no husband, just freedom freedom wait, off subject - Jed got the first tumors taken off, because vet bills were the only kind of fun I really had then.

But Hank has no first class treatment. Hank is a farm dog, with a big head of hair. He's enjoyed eating a few chickens and rabbits (all pets), he's caught rats, he's herded goats. He's layed here on the floor next to the desk in the office for all of his life. If tumor island has come to eventually collect Hank, we will not be happy to relinquish him - nobody likes to say goodbye, and nobody likes to see it coming first. But all we can do is give him all the fat off the turkey now. Be right there with him. He's so big, it'll be a big hole in the air, here, that he's taking up. A vision of fluffy, every day. Fat headed happiness. The family bookmark. Since he knows where everyone is, and keeps up with the patrol, in a very laid back and fat friendly southern fire marshall kind of way.

The island is big, but so far Hank is bigger, just carrying it around like a saddlebag, but he's still running after squirrels and very very angry at the next door neighbor's pool man every Thursday, because his pole tips over our fence and that is just not okay.

Ten years has gone fast, old Hank. Hanky Panky. I like hearing you snoring.