Meet Pete!

This is our neighbor and friend, Pete. About 30 of our cows and 3 bulls tired of the snow on our ranch had booked vacations on the " salmon creek Riviera." Pete's Place! We've delivered some hay to offset the grass they are eating, but their bar tab is growing! Today we conned Pete into helping us roundup two of the bulls for immediate return.(Their harems missed them).

During the ride Pete grimaced and squirmed, then turned to me and said," I might as well tell you the story too, it's already been spread around."

Turns out that our animal-loving friend had himself a "situation" a few days ago! Pete and Chris filled their barn with 800# round bales last fall and their goats have been playing king - of -the - hill on the pile. Discovering that his billy goat had fallen into a 12' crevasse, Pete set out to rescue the poor animal. From directly above, a rope merely slips off the horns of a goat. (Good to know) so Pete needed to reach the animal's head with his hand to cinch the noose before hoisting.

Pete went headfirst into the darkness until he reached the (he reports VERY rank smelling )and frantically uncooperative billy, the rope was tightened and... you guessed it! Pete got stuck. Sliding down headfirst is rather simple, levitating backwards straight up is more...complicated.
Enter the lovely Chris, who I imagine mixing her concern for the billy goat and her old goat and her more personal concern for getting enough air while laughing. There was struggling and muffled bleating from both goats, and really, can a woman be expected to be able to lift a man out of such a predicament? At one point she is reported to have stated that she was leaving to call Gil, a great friend and very experienced woodsman who would certainly have known just what to do. (and who to call for maximum embarrassment!) Pete was in such a tight spot that he agreed she should indeed call Gil... just as long as she would shoot Pete first!

With creative and inspired wriggling Pete managed to free himself, and the next morning dismantled the bale mountain to free the goat, but the story got out too! Thank you Chris!