A Bustling Hometown
Author: Bill Garwood
A Bustling Hometown
I don’t know how many of you actually notice it, probably not many as we are mostly too busy to stop and look at the snow. (Thought I was going to say “smell the roses” didn’t you?) Nope roses are all one with Elvis, now.
While walking around Townsend lately, (I tend to do a lot of that, and I love it!) it was/is snowing. That beautiful quiet, winter silence that makes you appreciate an area. I stopped and really looked at the town, and people. WOW! Snow coming down fast, with those beautiful BIG flakes. And you folks? Ah, you were all going about your business like it was just another weekday, saying hello to friends and walking into and out of all the local stores. Luckily the “serious” cold had taken a small detour elsewhere for a day or two, it’s still cold but NOT the windy freezing nastiness we have had.
For our town it was winter “pleasant” all the jokes came out about it’s just a balmy spring day, and others. But the beauty of this all-American small town shown through everything! This is OUR town, the place we chose to settle, retire, or just linger a while. The green will come, then you see something really spectacular. Green lawns, and trees with SNOW covered mountains just outside town. THAT is incredible and has a beauty all its own.
Sorry, I got sidetracked….SQUIRREL! …Here and NOW the snow coming down like gangbusters yes, we have to shovel but it’s so light and fluffy that the city folks are using Leaf blowers to clear off the walks. (That in itself is special to Townsend.) You have all heard the saying: "the silence is deafening”. Well, here it’s wonderful, most all the street noise is muffled and voices are less shrill. Even though we are all looking through the falling snow I think we all see a bit more clearly.
The local businesses are cleaner, their neon signs are brighter. It makes me want to break out in song like Petula Clark’s song: “Downtown”. I’ll spare you the noise, people…YOU all need to stop and look at the winter beauty. I know the hunters are drooling thinking of the elk & deer leaving tracks, and the skiers thinking about mountains loaded with fresh pack. Many don’t like the cold and snow, sorry about that WE like it! So GO, enjoy the winter wonderland and meet and greet friends and acquaintances. Revell in all that is MONTANA! Stay well oh my people, be extra careful on the ice.
Enjoy Our winter!
