Tip of The Iceberg? – Thoughts From The Middle of Nowhere

I have been following the whole <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2005/08/11/build/state/25-animal-disease.inc">vesicular stomatitis</a> outbreak with some trepidation not knowing where it's going to go. If they start quarantining the state as shipping is coming up what affects will it have on ranches that ship there cattle out of state? Not good I guarantee. Some good news might be that VS abates with a <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2005/08/13/build/wyoming/50-livestock-disease.inc">freeze</a> so any complications should clear up after that point but what until then? n nI was in Billings today and heard some scary news about this. People in close contact with vets around Billings say there is some cattle with it now but the tests haven't been confirmed by the State yet. Other states might start quarantining Montana cattle if this is the case. Then I heard from a family friend that has cattle in the Billings that he was set to ship a semi load of to Iowa this week and the truck driver called him the night before and said, "Iowa has not quarantined cattle from Montana but I cannot transport cattle into Iowa from Montana because they will not allow me to, sorry." n nSo, there is no quarantine but no cattle can cross the border. Is there to be a quarantine or what. With shipping season approaching this is not good. This is one of those situations that you have no control over but can really worry you. We'll see what happens. n nI do believe that most men live lives of quiet desperation. For despair, optimism is the only practical solution. Hope is practical. Because eliminate that and it's pretty scary. Hope at least gives you the option of living. Harry Nilsson n nUPDATE: I just recived the following e-mail which has a little more information including an <a href="http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nsu/surveillance/vsv/vsv.htm">APHIS website</a> which has a wealth of information on VS. <a class="block_level" href="http://www.sarpysam.com/archives/1145-Tip-of-The-Iceberg.html#extended">Continue reading "Tip of The Iceberg?"</a>