A Small Town House and Garden Tour

I'd like to thank our gracious hostess Susan at A Southern Daydreamer, for taking the time to host our "Outdoor Wednesdays."

Yesterday I drove to a little town called Crystal Springs, Mississippi, which is about an hour's drive southeast of Vicksburg. It was my first visit to Crystal Springs, and I really didn't know what to expect, which always makes my exploring more fun.

The thing that impressed me most were the beautiful old houses lining the streets leading to the downtown business district. They reminded me of houses you see on post cards or calendars ... not really what you think of as elaborate or grand ... but oh, so pretty and "homey" looking. There were picket fences and flower gardens, swings and benches, arbors and trellises, and gazing balls and bottle trees. Everywhere I looked there was something beckoning me to "come sit a spell."

Like this pretty yellow house with its side-yard garden (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like) ...

And backyard flower gardens reminiscent of our grandmothers' gardens ...

This house was built in 1859 ...

I love these colorful bottle trees ...

This beautiful transparent gazing ball was in a rose garden on a side street ...

Isn't it beautiful!
It looks like a giant bubble resting on the roses ...

I love this old-fashioned looking arbor welcoming guests up the steps, and the two colorful Japanese Maples ...

Isn't that a pretty door on this little house,
and I love the old bench on the porch ...

My camera couldn't capture the peaceful, nostalgic aura surrounding these old houses and yards, but I felt it. And you can, too ... in small towns all across America. All you have to do is look for it.

Life in "Small Town, America"

I feel very blessed to have grown up in a small southern town back in the days when ... ... children could walk to neighborhood schools without their parents having to worry about them. ... families sat down to dinner together and shared their day with each other. ... teenagers, at least the ones I knew, had curfews and rules and didn't even think about questioning them. ... movies left something to the imagination, and our heroes were Roy Rogers and Doris Day (I'm probably dating myself!). ... music was something you listened to for relaxation, or danced to ... and didn't have lyrics that instilled violence and hatred. I don't think that today's "Small Towns, America" will ever be able to achieve the "innocence" and freedom of the ones of my childhood, but it does your heart good to drive the backroads of this beautiful country of ours and see these little towns --and the people who live in them, raising their families in an atmosphere of values and morals reminiscent of the "Small Towns, America" of long ago. It's a shame that so many of these towns have almost disappeared, just because they were not conveniently located near an interstate highway ... or were in the way of men and their machines razing buildings and cutting down trees, all in the name of progress. It saddens me to see new "super" discount stores or shopping malls replacing the corner drugstores and family-owned businesses in small towns. Drive through any small town and you will see vacant buildings in various stages of disrepair, with the names of former businesses faded or worn away by time. I can't help but wonder what happened to the people who made a living from those businesses. On a more positive note, many small towns have revived their old downtown and historic areas, offering upscale restaurants, antique and gift shops, and art galleries. Some have spring and fall festivals and holiday celebrations which bring thousands of visitors to town. In closing, I'd like to suggest that the next time you are traveling on an interstate highway, consider getting off at the nearest exit and traveling a few miles on the "backroads." I think you will be amazed at how much you've missed! And, if you just happen to be traveling in Mississippi ... you might enjoy visiting some of our small towns. I know you'll be impressed by their charm and the gracious hospitality you'll receive. Here are a few of my favorite places in Mississippi: Vicksburg Natchez Greenwood (Home of Viking Range Corporation) Yazoo City (Home of Willie Morris) Oxford (Home of William Faulkner), and Holly Springs (Home of Fox News Anchor Shep Smith) Sincerely,