32 Bullet Holes in Montana Attraction Was 32 Too Many
As I was scrolling through my pictures on the old smartphone this morning, I ran across this one. He's called the "Clearwater Cow". He resides at Clearwater Junction where Highway 200 intersects Highway 87 and takes you to Seeley Lake.
If you've never taken that drive, you should. Incredibly scenic. And the town of Seeley Lake has a lot of dining options for the whole family.
So, the owners of the Clearwater Stop & Go thought it was time to do a little touch-up on their mascot.
They had an autobody shop in Missoula do some work. They reattached one horn, fixed the tail, and give it a completely fresh coat of paint. After, that is, they repaired the 32 bullet holes.
Now I've done my fair share of shooting signs on the back roads of Montana. But I have never taken shots at beloved tourist attractions. I've got many fond memories of driving dusty Montana backroads and finding a wide spot in the road where we could stop and shoot cans with Dad's .22.
But we were never malicious!
As I think back on those days, I also remember that Dad's cars didn't have air conditioning. And we always seemed to take the longest drives on the hottest days usually ending up in a small-town bar that served great hamburgers.
At zoos, you'll see signs asking patrons not to feed the animals. But here in Montana, we ask the same sort of courtesy. Please don't shoot the fake animals.