Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Welcome to Sleepytown

I went to the dump today, well, it's actually a "recycling center", not a dump. We don't have any trash pickup out here in the sticks, so you have to take it yourself. Anyway, the dump has a new trash compactor. A second compactor! I asked the sanitation dude about it and he said we had "grown up" enough to need another trash masher.

Outside of the "big" dump.

New compactor to the right, cardboard trailer in the middle, and old compactor on the left.

Now, my girls will probably tell you (or anyone else listening) that we live, not in Sleepytown, but Punytown or Nowheresville. Not Quite Grown questioned the variety of experiences in my life when I got excited about the town getting a third traffic light. And that got me thinking. I should share some of my little town with the greater population. And so, I took some pictures today about "town." Granted, they aren't very good, but I was trying to stay in my own lane while snapping away!

So, at the start of Main Street, is Simmons Lumber, where everyone knows your name, and you can actually buy stuff "on account." Notice all the traffic in my side-view mirror.

And in case you haven't believed me in the past, the large market here is in fact, the Piggly Wiggly ("Shop the Pig!")



Being a small town, businesses have to multi-task to weather the economy. Here is an insurance company that also sells tombstone markers in the front yard!



The video rental place also doubles as the tanning salon!



The trophy shop is the only place to get office services like faxing and copying!



This used to be a sewing store that, in the year that I have lived wasn't open even once! It just got a new owner!



Curious combination of services!

I tried to get a shot of Snookum's Beef House (and self storage!) but there was a cop behind me so I didn't think stopping in the middle of Main Street was a good idea. Besides my hands were full.

Whoa! Where'd that come from??

Shot of the main part of Main Street, with our choices for fine dining!

In addition to McD's And Burger King, the third place literally next door to the other two is Jack's, for fried chicken.



Jack's is always packed, especially at breakfast, when you can get a pork chop and gravy on a biscuit. I can't even imagine that for breakfast, and I'll eat almost anything!

Of course, we have the county courthouse, where you get your driver's license, car registration, pay your property taxes, all by walking into the county clerk's office. No lines, no take-a-number. Just Johnny and his staff, who never ask for ID even when notarizing documents.



At some point, we had a bookstore, but no more.



The store next door looks even worse. Somebody stole everything but the front windows!



Okay, so we are really just an ordinary small town. I like the pace and the fact that people get to recognize you about town. Heck, my electrician almost ran me over in the Walmart parking lot! Instead, he waved and said hey!!

14 comments:

Handi Dandi Mandi said...

Looks like a fun town! My dad's hardware store still let's businesses buy things 'on account' and his store is in the city!

Celticspirit said...

I like small towns...speaking from someone who is temporarily living in Hickville USA. We got a dump station just like yours but I think there are 3 compactors and 3 or 4 various recycling thingys. Neat pics by the way.

Thimbleanna said...

Thanks for the tour you lucky girl! I love small towns -- the worse the news gets everyday, the more I wish I lived in one!

barefoot gardener said...

You have a fabulous little town there!

Desiree said...

Your town is pretty neat! When I was growing up my grandparents lived in a very small town in Northern AZ, and they too had a Piggly Wiggly! :)
Thanks for sharing the pics!

Mama Tango said...

I am such a LOSER friend!! I missed your 100th post :( I'm so sorry...but the sun made me do it. That and the lounging around in the community pool, and going out to dinner with Florida family.

Seriously, good to see you get to 100...I'm proud of you! And tomorrow's payday...so if you didn't give away (or sell) that awesome oranges apron set, I might just have to snag it!!

I love your town. I grew up somewhere similar, but I sure don't remember the dump being that...clean. And I know they didn't have compactors. I'm jealous now.

Lisa said...

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments! Having moved here from Las Vegas, the locals just can't understand why we have done such a thing! But it was time for me to get out of the big rat race, and enjoy a quieter pace of life. I'll take trash to the dump everyday if I can live on some land in a sleepy town!

Anonymous said...

Lisa, me too!

Love,

S. Muffin

barefoot gardener said...

I gotta say I just love it when Stud Muffin comments.

MarmiteToasty said...

We use to be a sleepy little village but with the new estate that was tagged onto the side of the village about 10 years ago our numbers more then doubled to 6,000 people.... but we are still a village with a village school and a little row of shops.... we do actually have a chinky take-away AND a chippie :).....

The thing I found funny whilst visiting the states was your wide roads with all the huge signs advertising McDonalds and BurgerKing etc with huge car-parks out the front all open onto the main road...... over here we shove those places behind pretty hedges and the car-parks are out of sight from the main road and just one little sign to show that these places exist.... and our dump about 3 miles away is also enclosed behind hedges so these things aint an eye-sore......

Gawd now I want a McChicken Fillet lol

x

Cedar Street Kid said...

At least you have stop lights!My town got so small they took the lights out.Enjpyed your post.

Julie said...

ROTFL at the surprise cone that showed up in your hand!!!!

Julie said...

ROTFL at the surprise cone that showed up in your hand!!!!

Unknown said...

McD's is my fave place to get an ice cream cone...yummy. Sometimes small towns have the best social life hidden in there.