Small Town at Christmastime
When my first husband and our two young children moved from Texas to Virginia to homestead nearly 20 years ago, we drove through Riner, the next town over from Floyd, took one deep whiff of the cow manure that was wafting down the road, rolled up our car windows and began to question our plans.
But how could we resist living in a town that still sells Radio Flyer red wagons and real wooden sleds in the General Store at Christmastime, a town with a real barber shop and only one traffic light in the whole county, where people wave to each other when they pass on the road, whether or not they know each other?
Photo: Downtown Floyd at Christmastime. For the flip side of the above post, go to “Life in the Rural Fast Lane.
December 18th, 2005 5:35 am
Sounds really lovely and peaceful, Colleen…I’m not sure I could adjust to that, but on the other hand…there’s something wonderful about knowing there are still small quiet places where people are friendly and know one another…
Just stopped by to say Hi, and see how you are doing…
December 18th, 2005 8:33 am
Floyd is much more active than this little post shows. I wrote a piece a while ago caled “Life in the Rural Fast Lane.” For the flip side of small town queit, check it out. http://looseleafnotes.com/notes/2005/04/life_in_the_rural_fast_lane.html
December 18th, 2005 9:57 am
I love your photo. And I love small towns. And boy do I know the smell you are talking about in Riner (don’t love that). My path home to and from college took me through that stretch of road and whhheeewwwiiee it smelled. It seems like when I drove through more recently though, the dairy cows might have been mooooved away with new houses in their place. I always wondered if the people in Riner knew it smelled or if they were too used to it to notice.
I also loved being able to say in college that I came from a county with no stop lights (Floyd’s neighbor to the south). Then they spoiled my fun by adding not one, but two. I think they might even have three by now. This is sad, and no joke, but I wrecked my mother’s car in one of the first stop lights I ever drove through. Green meant go, so I went. Went left right in front of another car. It took at least ten minutes before the police officer was able to explain to me what I did before I said “oooooh, now I get it, yeah, I guess that was my fault.”
And don’t you love it when someone in their yard waves to the passing cars?
December 18th, 2005 10:08 am
Living in the middle of London, England, as I do, I am very jealous of small town life… Mind you, it is often said that London is a collection of small villages, but the corner shop doesn’t sell sledges and the closest we get to snow is slush…*Sigh*
Very jealous…
Michele sent me today,
Minerva
December 18th, 2005 10:08 am
That post makes me miss my hometown – where you not only know every person you see, you know their cars, their dogs, their cows, and their goats.
December 18th, 2005 10:11 am
Hi Colleen…it sure sounds nie that town of yours..peaceful, NO TRAFFIC…people knowing one another…LOVELY!
December 18th, 2005 10:12 am
Hi Colleen…
This place you live sure sounds nice…no traffic…everyone kind of knowing everyone else…peaceful would be the word I’m looking for….
Here from Michele this morning..
December 18th, 2005 10:14 am
I didn’t mean to leave soooo many comments Colleen…when I was here hours ago it didn’t register that it had posted…OR, I just didn’t see it…Now I’ve said almost the same thing…TWICE!!!
Sorry about that my dear…
December 18th, 2005 12:50 pm
Colleen, please let us know when the next World Music Festival takes place. I may want to come to that.
December 18th, 2005 3:25 pm
Kenju,
The World Music Festival known as Floyd Fest is scheduled for the weekend of July 28-30 this year. You can find out more about it by going to http://floydfest.com.
December 18th, 2005 3:30 pm
I remember Roanoke when I was little. It was a larger town but you could still ride the bus downtown in a couple of minutes and I would go with my granpa to the market. He would get fresh fish that we called “colefish” and I really loved that for breakfast. I remember the first time they used the new sirens on the police cars and I heard one in the middle of the night. It sounded like a spaceship was landing or at least what my imagination thought a spaceship should sound like. I was really scared. Roanoke is much bigger now, and has lost some of its charm. I think some of my mom’s relatives lived in Floyd when she was growing up.
December 18th, 2005 3:52 pm
Thanks for the info, Colleen. I will let you know if I can work it out.
December 18th, 2005 4:21 pm
The town that I live in used to be the same sort..it’s grown quite a bit. My brother and his wife live in Afton and absolutely LOVE it. I haven’t been there to visit yet, but I’m shooting for a spring visit.
December 18th, 2005 9:22 pm
Sigh. (Sound of longing.)
December 18th, 2005 10:15 pm
Looks like a charming town.
December 18th, 2005 10:35 pm
OH we have a real barber shop here! 2 of them actually. And they even have a man who shines shoes! I love taking my son there. Its so funny to sit in there and listen to all the gentlemen talk and laugh. SOOOOOO Much better than the beauty salon. I hate going to the salon. My son hates it too..LOL However my girls hate going to the barber shop..
I can’t believe Christmas is so close!
December 20th, 2005 12:54 am
I believe this is where real Christmas celebrations are found.
December 20th, 2005 4:48 pm
This is the heart of America. How precious.
December 22nd, 2005 12:53 am
We’ve been getting more traffic lights recently (and county road expansions), but that smallness and slow pace is what I love about where we are, too.