Not a great picture, but whatever.
It was a nice little event. Folks in Water Valley--and some friends of ours--are desperately trying to bring that town back from the brink of dying out. During the cotton days, it was a railroad town and a lot more wealthy than Oxford. But now there's not much to keep people there. Everyone keeps thinking it's the next big thing--the Hillsborough to Oxford's Chapel Hill, to you North Carolina people. But it just hasn't gotten traction yet.
All the businesses in downtown stayed open for shoppers after the tree lighting. Which was a bit odd, since we're talking an old-time drugstore, an auto parts store, a hardware store, and that's about it. The drugstore is one of those awesome old places that still has a wedding registry and a soda fountain with this amazing marble, carved wood and mirrored counter from the 1890s. If you've visited us, we've probably taken you there for a milkshake. They sell 50 cent coffee and 75 cent pimiento cheese sandwiches, too. It's that kind of place. I love it. Anyway, Mr. Turnage, the owner who is probably in his 80s, was there Thursday night greeting everyone and passing out hot cider. He's the sweetest man ever, and he pinched Billy's cheeks and took his picture because he said he was so cute. I bought a couple of ornaments and some sunglasses for a grand total of $9.
After a really crappy couple of days, how awesome is that?
1 comment:
Sounds like a place out of time. It's hard to know how to feel about communities that are off the beaten path. Isolation can deprive them, like Alleghany county where I work that has no Walmart or Lowes. That in itself is a breath of fresh air, until you need to buy office supplies. And working in Bugtussle also means everyone is related by family or business. Oh well. It beats the suburban/urban norm in my book.
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