Have YOU ever seen a Cattle Drive?

This past weekend, Jen and I went to Fort Worth. Fort Worth is a modern city that still has the stockyards to the north of the city. These stockyards made the city, although they have been downsized tremendously in the last 20 years. On every Visitor's brochure the cattle drive is promoted as a free event that occurs every day at 11:00 am and 4:00 pm. Now I was extremely excited about seeing the world-renowned Texas Longhorn's being driven through the streets, so I made sure that Jen agreed to join me on the lawn in a prime viewing area to see this wonderful spectacle of man and beast. I couldn't wait to see the cowboys riding through the streets on their horses at a full gallop prodding these huge cows with horns that are quite impressive, long and dangerous through the streets to the stockyards. I, of course, wanted to get their early, so we arrived at the lawn fifteen minutes early and I placed us at a location where we could easily see up and down the street to see the drive come and go. Just before 4:00, they cleared the street and made everyone stand up (presumably to allow them a chance to dash out of the way before certain injury, dismemberment, or death).

I was breathless with anticipation before the beginning of this dangerous activity. With a smile on my face, I laughed at those that were not behind the fence like my wife and I. Then they came--yeah, all 15 longhorn cattle taken for their afternoon STROLL!!! There was even a bell on the lead cow. I was crushed, I felt betrayed, I didn't know what to do! So, I expressed my disappointment to my sweet and understanding wife, who replied "Well, what did you expect?"