Andy Griffith Show

One of the more endearing things about living in Woodstock is it seems to be lost in time. If you looked at the signs on the businesses on Main Street, you might think you were living in the 1950s or 60s as easily as the 21st century. A quick look at the old-school movie theater proves it. But nothing does the trick better than the Central Barber Shop, complete with an old bottle-cap Pepsi logo over the words on the outdoors sign.

Louis works as the barber in the shop. There are two barber's chairs in there, yet I've never seen anyone other than Louis working in two years. He always seems to be wearing the same type of shirt, a short-sleeved white button-down shirt. On the radio plays Woodstock's "Retro Radio" station, which really only broadcasts for about 10 miles in any direction, live and in living black and white from across the street in a storefront. There's a lot of big-band stuff, Frank Sinatra and the occasional Counting Crows song always playing in the background, just to be hip with the kids.

Timeless old men sit around waiting for their turn to get what's left of their locks shortened. In the interim, they'll discuss what's coming into town or what's leaving. Today they were discussing what might happen with the site of the old Ford dealership in town, which recently moved closer to the interstate from its somewhat downtown locale. One heard it would turn into a junkyard. Another heard it was being used to store classic cars.

Louis knows how I like my hair cut -- short -- and he knows we can chat about outdoors activities or sports. We both love to fish, but neither of us get to do it enough. [For Louis, that means once a week. For me, it means a few times a summer.]

Inside this shop, nothing has changed in ages. It's all frozen in time, from a 20-year-old calendar he keeps on the wall because he likes the picture to the barely functioning woodburner in the middle of the shop to keep it warm in the winter. If it weren't for the table full of current magazines and today's Northern Virginia Daily and Washington Post, this could be a scene out of any year. There's even a display of "the newest improvement in hair care available today... Unbreakable combs!"

Something about the place just seems neat to me. It's sort of like the Andy Griffith Show... except Louis the Barber isn't nearly as creepy as Floyd the Barber.