# Story of My town



## Guest (Jun 8, 2004)

This is an essay I wrote describing the town where I grew up. I happened to be reading E.B. White's "Here is New York" and thought it was an excellent essay describing his feelings for New York. I love the town where I grew up and that was my inspiration for writing this essay.

                                   "Here is Grant"

    Nestled between White Bear Lake and Stillwater lies a town called Grant. Many people seeking quiet and calm outside of the Twin Cities, land in Grant. This town provides a peaceful and safe environment to raise a family and a tranquil hideaway for retirees. Grant is not too big or too small, but just the right size.
    Grant offers a small town atmosphere, yet it is only twentyfive minutes from the big city. Houses are not built on top of each other; almost every yard is an acre or more. Neighbors are shielded from each other by a wall of trees or bushes, giving people a sense of privacy. The houses are larger in size and come in a variety of styles. There are old farm houses and colonial homes with big wrap around porches. The newer homes are more contemporary but still have a classic look.
    There are many farms in Grant. Down one residential street is a stable that boards and grooms horses. The stable has one large outdoor arena where riders practice their dressage techniques. A few times a year, the stable puts on horse shows and people from all over attend. Pick-up trucks and trailers orchestrate along the sides of the road, with smaller sedans woven in creating a zigzag pattern. A small produce farm has fields of fruits and vegetables that border the main road. The produce farm also has a big pumpkin patch and in the fall around Halloween, you can go and pick out your own pumpkin. In the opposite direction is a dairy farm that has big, fenced-in pastures for the farmer's cows and goats. This farm also has corn fields that line both sides of the property and continue on across the street. In the summertime, the smell of manure is pungent in the warm, humid, and still air.
    The changing of seasons is a wonderful thing to experience when you live in Grant. In the summer, the smell of freshly cut grass is forever present and lingers in the air. Lilacs and honeysuckle scents are overpowering, yet subtle. As the weather starts to get cooler, and the leaves on the trees begin to change color and fall from their branches, the smell of fall is in the air. It is hard to put your finger on one distinct odor; it is a combination of stale leaves, bonfires wood, and smoke. The aromas aren't pleasant by themselves but transposed together they're invigorating. Winter hits and snow blankets the earth like a white sheet. Snowmobiles cruise through the ditches of Grant, leaving paths for others to come. The roar of snow blowers and tractors plowing driveways hum at all hours of the day and night. In the occasion of a big snowfall in Grant, people have to wait for the snow plow to come and clear out the roads, otherwise driving is impossible. Grant's main road gets plowed first, the residential roads get plowed last, makin it hard to get anywhere.
    One drawback of living in a small town is that everyone knows each other and people like to gossip. If something happens to you or your family, it becomes town news. It is hard to keep anything a secret. Neighbors are constantly competing with each other in almost every category of life. If a family in Grant purchases a new car, their neighbor has to buy a new car. That goes the same for almost anything, like buying a new riding lawn mower or installing invisible fencing for the family dog.
    As time and technology advance, the town of Grant has change. Once small and sparsely populated, more and more people are moving here. The school district has tripled in size and you do not get the same feeling of recognition. The dairy farm no longer has cows, just two plots of corn fields. The land where a small, private airport stood is now inhabited by million dollar homes. The roads that were once dirt and gravel are now paved and smooth. Major intersections, which are four-way stops, now have blinking red lights to accompany the stop signs.
    Even though the surroundings have changed, Grant is still Grant. You can not take away the smell in the air and the beautiful scenery. Yes, there may be more houses and more automobiles on the road, but it is still a country town. At night you can hear the singing of crickets and toads blend together to form a chorus of high-pitched chirps.


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## Bongoland (Jan 8, 2014)

Nice essay. 

You love the town you grew up.


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