Rio Linda (FAWM)

Rio Linda, “Beautiful River” That’s what the conmen made you think A trickle of water in the heat of summer Not even enough to take a drink Hundreds were convinced, bought into a homestead Only to find the ground was too hard Built them some houses, started a town there Only enough soil to plant a yard “Poultry’s the future! We’ll raise some chickens They only need to scavenge the ground” Soon there were thousands, meat birds and lain eggs Rio Linda soon found some fame as a town Second to only Petaluma, Chickens and eggs were the big thing Industry grew, but at steep cost Everything in town did stink Over the years, demand did dwindle Tighter became the community Maybe a few bad eggs were noticed A radio host dissed them with impunity Limbaugh went national, infamy fed RL became the butt of all jokes "For those of you in Rio Linda" Drew a broad brush over many good folks But then some tragedy brought a new fame Rio Linda under water again Clinton did visit and shored up the town Bought all the chili from the local drive-in Town caught some action, water diverted Threats of flooding now minimized Damage from Limbaugh was now long forgotten And RL did prosper to many's surprise Centennial party, a very big hit And now every year, a great country faire Parades and zucchini, tractors and lights And fourth of July fireworks up in the air The small town, the phoenix Survived its own crash And continues to thrive And still makes a splash