12/28/06 Out of Place

Out of Place When cows or horses get to have their day in town, it can sure cause some excitement. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll tell you about some excitement right after this. Several stories have been told to me by Dad and the neighbors about their adventures that came about when livestock used to be herded to market. In years past, the main shipping point for livestock in our area was across the Columbia River in another county. The construction of a vehicle bridge between the counties provided a way to get horses or cattle to market without swimming them across the river. That bridge caused excitement for the herders more than once. Just as Dad had about 80 horses on the bridge, an adjacent irrigation water main broke and sent a stream of water sideways that stopped the whole herd and caused the bridge to shift back and forth like an earthquake hit it. A neighbor's horse herd was crossing the bridge when all the trotting horses got in time and that bridge swayed like a big hammock in the wind. The riders left the bridge like rats off a sinking ship and picked up the horses on the other side. One horse started having fun before he crossed the bridge when he left the bunch and jumped over the trunk of a car. The lady driving the car didn't see the humor in the situation and followed the horses and riders clear to the bridge explaining in some pretty smoky language how much money they owed her. Maybe she wasn't a lady after all, but the neighbor had to pay damages. Tomorrow I'll tell you what happens on the other side of the river. I'm Jeff Keane.