Richland Springs is about three miles from our hunting lease. It is a small town with mostly closed stores. Population last listed was 350. The have a school system so that is the main business. Cattle and hunting are also money producers.
I went into town this week. Discovered an old "hardware store" there. They had most anything if you had time to look. It had the aroma of cats. That's because a bunch of cats live in the store. The owner/manager/clerk was a friendly fellow who let me look among the boxes and cats for the wing nuts I was after.
I went to the city office. The lady there was helpful. She helped me call Mr. Miller who had a deer-cleaning operation in town. It didn't happen quickly but he came and took my deer. I then asked about their RV park. I had seen about six slots behind Main Street that looked like they were once RV hook-up slots. That's when it got interesting. She knew nothing about them although they were less than a hundred yards from her office. She sent me to see the water department manager,and only worker as far as I could tell. Don didn't want no business or bother. He walked past me to his truck with some PVC pipe. I followed him to the truck and asked him if a fellow could bring his RV in and get water and dump his gray and black water and get new water. He didn't have a clue. I asked him what it cost to stay there a night. Again he loaded pipe and knew nothing. I asked him if I could come in and use the facilities. I would pay. Finally, Don looked at me and said something like this, " I do the water and most ever thing else in this town. I don't WANT to know about that place. I've got more NOW than I can do.". I told Don I understood (sort-of) and didn't want to give him any more work. I just wanted some water and leave some. I told him again I would pay. He said, "Bout what do you pay for something like that?" I told him I had paid $5.00. He said that would be fine and put it in an envelope and drop it through the slot in his door where folks paid the bills. I thanked him and left. It was then I realized NO ONE is in charge of this little town. They just get along and move along. That's okay by me. If you don't have a pair of well-worn cowboy boots and western hat and jeans better not plan to stay permanently. This is a cowboy town and these are genuine cowboys. Friendly sort. The Yellow Duck is their eat place in town. Trouble is you don't know for sure when it is going to be open. They can play six-man football! They have been state champions more than once. Last night, however, they lost to Strawn seventy something to eighty something. O well, there's next year. Let's go hunting and riding and roping in Richland Springs, Texas USA!!
