Fly swat Montan
Along the roads out west in Montana and Wyoming there many little ''towns'' Some consist of a few buildings that are ''combination'' structures. They serve several purposes and offer a variety of services to the passer by in need of help, food, directions, camping, where to go fishing ….etc etc …..
I dont really remember the name of the particular ''town'' (Fly Swat, population four as I recall) that we stopped at but it consisted of '' one combination store''... The store featured the following. Garage, tire shop, cafe, tanning parlor, small grocery store, sheriffs office and camp ground office, bus stop and gas station. As I recall it was on the left heading west in Montana.... Anyhow.........
I eased the coach up to the pump and hopped out to fill my tank. A lady wearing an apron approached and informed me she would be glad to pump the gas and clean the windshield for me. ''Wow, good service''.....
As she cleaned the windshield, I noticed a 357 S&W holstered on her hip and a sheriffs badge pinned to her apron.... Hummmmmmmmm ?
When she finished filling the tank she asked if we were hungry and we said yes …... Good steaks inside for seven dollars with all the trimmings.... I parked the coach and we went inside.
The cafe was small but very clean. There was her husband doing the cooking and she wiped down the table with a windshield squeegee and took our order. We ordered steaks, a salad, Texas toast and ice tea...... I wanted to question her about the ''squeegee'' for cleaning tables but since she was ''armed'' I just let that pass. The steaks came out and they were perfect. Tender and cooked to perfection. The guy served them to us because the lady was out front pumping gas and cleaning windshields. I asked him about the gun and the sheriffs badge and here is the story he told us in his own words.
It seems that thru some sort of government thing the little town had been incorporated some time ago … This meant that they had to elect a sheriff and a mayor,. He told us that he was the mayor, mechanic, tanning bed operator, tire changer and general handy man etc.. and he and the waitress, dishwasher, janitor, check out clerk and stock person, elected his wife as sheriff and she took the job dead serious. I asked about the ''population of 4 thing'' and he explained that the fourth person was 'Shep' the collie dog that hung around the campground. I then asked about the ''waitress', dishwasher, janitor' check out clerk and stock peson. He explained that he made the error of helping her into the tanning bed one evening when things were really slow. It seems that his wife the sheriff, windshield washer, gas pumper, table cleaner waitress, caught him, the mayor, mechanic, tanning bed operator, tire changer and general handy man etc.. in a delicate situation concerning the waitress, dishwasher, janitor, check out clerk and stock person and she whipped out the 357 S&W pistol. She (the wife who is the sheriff, gas pumper, windshield cleaner etc etc) arrested the waitress, dishwasher, janitor for indecent exposure and threw her in jail. The jail consisted of one of the toilets in the back of the combination Garage, tire shop, cafe, tanning parlor, small grocery store, sheriffs office and camp ground office, bus stop and gas station and held her there under lock and key until the next bus to Denver came by and she put the waitress, dishwasher, janitor on same and warned her that if she ever seen her again she would be in deep trouble....
He asked if we would like to camp there for the night... He said the 'campground' was in the pasture west of town and on the honor system and it was five dollars. He said for water there was a well with a windless and a bucket and you had to ''draw your own''. The electricity consisted of a 'five gang' plug in like on a computer. It was taped to a tree and you just plugged in and you could not run your air conditioner because that would trip out the breaker and all the electricity would stop. He also advised us not to mess with the bull and to be sure and lock the gate when we came thru the fence.
We took a pass on the campground but I would advise that if you are ever heading west thru Montana and you see the small town of ''Fly Swat'' that you stop for gas and have a steak …....
Seajay and Willa …..... THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES ...
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