“So, how’d yer dad git that big dent on the door?” I
asked Dave. Truth is, it was quite an accomplishment for one single dent
to stand out from all the other wear and tear, deterioration and
assorted damage that covered his 1983 Ford Ranger diesel pickup truck
like elephant tracks on a styrofoam cooler.
“It’s a long story,” sighed Dave.
Dave
went with his mom and dad to gather the last of the cows off their
forest permit above Feather Falls in the Sierra Madres of southern
California. Dad drove the old stock truck with racks made outta airport
landing and pulled a portable Powder River loading chute with panels.
Dave followed in the Ranger. It took’em a while but they finally loaded
16 head of cows and calves. Then Dad spotted one ol’ cow that had held
back. She’d calved recently but the calf was nowhere in sight. They had
spotted lion track in the vicinity. They searched till Mom, the family
tracker, found the little calf under a bush.
They
could feel the storm comin’ and were relieved to get the last cow
squeezed onto the load. They packed the loading chute and started down
the mountain. Dave followed in the Ranger with the new calf in the cab
beside him. Bear, the faithful cow dog, rode in the back. Next thing he
knew Dad waved him to a stop. There was a cow down in the stock truck.
Dave pulled ahead, stopped on the steep mountain road and went back to
help.
After
several minutes of struggling with the down cow Dave climbed up to say
they’d need to let some of the other cows out to give her some room. It
was then he noticed the Ranger, complete with dog and calf, had
disappeared! Dad was hot to catch his favorite truck when Dave pointed
out that wherever it was goin’, it was already there. The down cow could
use some help right away.
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