Julie Andrews’s voice, singing “My Favorite Things” in the von Trapp house, from The Sound of Music, sometimes pops into my head as I walk along the bluff and notice a few things that could be done to spiff things up a bit.

Most of these things are little. A couple of them are not so little. (Now the song is stuck in my head as I write this article.) All of them would help showcase the bluff in the best possible light while the city and citizenry work toward a master plan for its long-term future.

So here are a few of my favorite things, in no particular order.

• Move the garbage cans away from the benches. Who wants to sit next to stinkin’ garbage? Put flower pots in these spots. Keep them full of colorful flowers and plants, spring through fall.
• Finish the pattern of crepe myrtles behind the benches, all the way to Madison Street.
• Keep the bluff clean and pristine (I’ve already written about this one).
• Extend the attractive metal-and-brick fencing along the top edge of the bluff all the way to the south end of the Rosalie grounds.
• Remove the unsightly chain-link fence just south of Silver Street, along Broadway.
• Cut the grass inside the construction areas (fleeting problem, but still …)
• Restore the Depot before it’s too late (to save it…and have it finished before the tricentennial). Given its central and pedestrian-friendly location, the Depot would make a great museum to showcase the first 300 years of Natchez’s history – with interactive exhibits, including the 365 moments in history. A cafe concession with covered outdoor seating (loggia, pergola, or even umbrellas) along the old tracks would be a nice touch.

Most of these things are relatively easy “fixes.”

Extension of the decorative fencing would require cooperation from the Mississippi State Society Daughters of the American Revolution and some creative thinking on funding.

Likewise, the Depot restoration project is not small potatoes, but something must be done soon to get it funded and under way. What about raising private funds to supplement available public funds? The city would have to provide adequate assurance that the Depot would remain public property. Phase 1 could be saving the structure — restoring the exterior and installing new HVAC/electrical/plumbing systems. Interior finish could wait until there’s a consensus on the function and use of the building.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels…

James Wallace is a Natchez resident.