05/30/08 Cliff's dozer

In our part of the country a lot of the water sources that need to be developed for livestock are in some pretty inaccessible places. Places like down narrow, rough canyons or out close to basalt bluffs. Springs are precious sites in dry country, but many only have trails to access them, so roads have to be built to the water sources to set up adequate size tanks to supply enough water for livestock and the wildlife that will drink there. One potential spot on our place was in a nasty little area right above a bluff and everyone said only one man should build a road to that site. That man was Cliff, our local legend who would rival the exploits of Pecos Bill, but Bill couldn't have handled machinery as well as Cliff. Dad asked Cliff if he would make the road to this water source and Cliff said he would. Dad asked him if he would like to look the area first. Cliff asked Dad if he ever rode his saddle horse to the spring. When Dad said he had Cliff said he could take his dozer to the spot. Cliff did build the road and leveled a place for the water tank. When Dad backed his four wheel drive pickup with the tank on it down Cliff's boulevard two men stood on the front bumper so the front wheels would have enough weight to steer properly. I don't know if you would call it silliness or bravery, but Cliff and Dad both got their jobs done. I'm Jeff Keane.