McElmurray's Mountain Retreat!

I consider Alamosa a small town - especially when compared to the cities or mega cities where I have lived in the past. The population is approximately 9,500. and it has a friendly small town ambiance. Today I went into the tire store we have been dealing with for 20+ years. We needed snow tires for our truck and I called the owner yesterday and told him my need and he had the tires this morning to install on our truck.

The waiting room is large, clean and friendly. A gentlemen came in and said hello to me and we struck up a conversation. Since we were about the same age we discussed the culture today and when we grew up. We discussed our military time and hunting and the valley and how it has changed. Next thing I knew our truck was ready to go and I had made a good acquaintance and enjoyed pleasant conversation.

To me this is small town friendliness and most everywhere you go in town it is the same. People look at each other, smile at each other, strangers talk to each other and life goes on at the leisurely pace of a small town. We have dealt with this same tire store over the years - even though other places might be cheaper, because of the friendliness of the people who work there and they have never once given us bad advice or tires that were not just right for our need.

I don't say this doesn't happen in some bigger cities but here it happens all the time and just makes life more pleasurable. Alamosa has growing pains and will get bigger but for now I'll just enjoy it as it is..