Sometimes you run into some real characters out here in rural Texas. And sometimes Ill stop and strike up a conversation with them to acquire interesting pieces of local history or information that might lead to new exploring discoveries. This trip was no different but this would clearly be a different kind of conversation.

I spotted a couple of old boys out in front of a ramshackle little house working on lawnmowers. Some of the lawnowers were so old all the paint had rusted off and the two fellars workin on them were no youngsters either. The front yard was full of lawnmowers, milk crates, broken down junk cars and chickens. I slowed down to 1mph to see if they would make eye contact but they just kept piddlin with the mowers. I stopped and rolled the window down. Still neither one would look at me. Hmm, I said howdy and held a hand up to waive. Without even looking the oldest (and largest) of the two quickly turned around and walked right towards me. Now Im seldom intimidated by most anyone but the hair on my neck stood straight up when I looked into his eyes. He looked crazy.

First off, he was about 6'6" and rough as a cob. I could tell he had lived a life of hard labor. Before I could get out and stand up he staggered over to my window and craned his sun wrinkled old red neck in just about knocking me over with his breath. It wasnt whisky either it was either pure grain alchyhol or shine and this guy was saturated with it. Maybe he was using it to clean those lawnmower carburetors I must have grimaced as I thought, whueweee buddy... He didnt say a word. He just glared.

I said howdy, Im lookin for the old iron mill you boys wouldnt know where it was?

What ya wanna know fer? he said

Im a photographer I want to take some pictures of it.

My hand dropped down to the gearshit knob. This guy was polluted. And maybe crazy too. I felt like he was going to give me some trouble so foot on the brake, hand on the shifter I went on to explain more about photography.

You got a camera? he said

Yeah I got one, its just a hobby

A HOBBY??? his voice was getting louder now I was obviously getting him all excited. And the other gentleman was eyeballing us now.

They were both moving in slow motion. The big guys eyes were creeping me out, not only were they completely blood shot, his corneas must have been transplanted or he had cataract surgery or something, there was a raised edge around each cornea like extra thick contact lenses had been left on for about two years and grown into the sclerota (sp?)

Between the creepy eyes, the booze breath and the beligerant attitude I was ready to say adios and just drive away but something kept me listening to him as he started talkin.

I growed up right over there, the rock crusher was up on that mountain (large hill), right down there was main street, you think Im lyin? he said.

No no please go on. Whats that old building there?

Thats the constable house.

Oh the county constable lived there?

NO IT WAS THE CONSTABLE HOUSE I SAID... actually he yelled

OhhK then I said, well I gotta go now

Now over to there, was the store and right down there was main street! Ok he said

Yeah Ok I said

I can take you down there if you want to know more

Well is there anything down there to see?

No, its all gone

OK then I guess I'll pass

You think Im lyin dont you?

Oh No sir but thanks I need to go now

See that house there?

Uh yeah

Theres a bunch of dopeheads!

Dope heads??

There all over here that lady down there, she dont like me one bit, and I dont like her. She and her damn kids they all dope heads!

Once again my urge to take off was arrested by my urge to hear this guy out. Clearly there was fixin to be a feud or maybe some bad blood twixt the neighbors. I asked him again about any mining or mill ruins.

When you comin back? When you come back, I think Ill show you my book, next time you come Ill show you my book. I got a colored boy over to the school there, hes puttin it all together for me, its about this here town and all the people that was in it

You think Im lyin?

Well of course not sounds cool thanks Ill look at it next time Im comin through this way!

As I drove off I felt like I had just been contaminated by ignorance. A couple of cars had passed and one turned around to come look the situation over again. It was that lady, the dope head! She turned around again driving by and giving me the scariest evil eyed look a 50 year old woman could possibley give! She pulled back in her driveway and stood there staring while the old man went back to his lawnmowers. I decided Id have some fun so I pulled a quick U-turn in the intersection that would make any highway patrolman proud and gunned it straight down the road toward madame dope heads house. Seeing all this she took flight and ran inside her house as if being pursued.

I just cruised on by and laughed to myself at the local drama and how a passing stranger may have thrown off the whole balance of power in this isolated and confined little world.

Now the banjo music please...