ACROSS THE RIVER

In 75 we were workin at hughes and ganz , a division of arizona land and cattle. we, my new bride and i with out 2 year old son, and one on the way. i was sorting fat cattle day lite to dark. horses were drawn down to look like greyhounds not to mention me. we all breathed manuare dust from before daylite to midnite. everything we owned was permeated with the feedlot smell. we didnt notice it much because after supper it  was sleep where ever you happened to be sitting! many times my good young wife woke me up and told me to go to bed!  as time went on i found myself going to sleep at just any place at all. when i went to sleep while driving down the road i finaly consented to going to the doctor.  there after a couple weeks of tests i was told to get out of the dust of the feedlot. seems i had    the early stages of tuberculosis.  we found a job running a ranch for some good people in the town of kearny az.  the kicker was the ranch lay on the west side if the gila river and the town was on the east side within sight of the ranch. the only bridge across the river was a 2x12 plank bridge suspended on cables . that thing had more sway in it than mae west fanny!  we left our personal pickup on the town side and would walk across the river on the little bridge, then drive the ranch truck on home. it mwas at the rafter 6 ranch that our second son was born. his birth certificate gives a p o box then a slash and across the river typed in! one good thing about that little bridge, we didnt get a lot of visits from  family!