“Then followed that beautiful season … Summer…
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new-created in all the freshness of childhood.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One sultry night around 3 in the morning, lace curtains drifting in whispering breeze, I was rudely awakened by snarling and growling, clashing and what sounded like fur flying outside, then flapping of low-riding wings.

This was definitely more than being awakened by my own snoring! A cat fight? Bears on the loose? How could a cat have wings, anyway?

It sounded more like one beast, rather than many: a cross between an angry cat, squawking bird and howling monkey. Finally, the answer came to me: it must be the elusive woolly booger!

Years ago, many a ghost story was shared with cousins on Grandma’s front porch, overlooking the purple-dark of woods, or over the crackling orange flames of a late-night campfire at Scout camp.

These tall tales included various frights and haunts, as well as featuring the woolly booger haunting the long shadows of night trees. We scared ourselves silly, over and over, at every little rustle.

Eyes grew wider and wider, and we huddled just a little closer to the fire and each other, shivering in fearful excitement that the creature was hovering out there in the dark forest.

Then yelled “Woolly Booger” to frighten it away. I hope somewhere those frightfully delicious ghost stories are still being told over the fire, and the blue glow of cell phones banished.

I never found out what was outside my window, and asked my neighbors if they’d heard the frenzy. Not a thing. Those woolly boogers really are elusive creatures. In my lifetime, while never having spotted one, I now have heard one. The critter vanished to the woods, and hasn’t come back. Maybe it’s hunting a campfire near you.

Community: Saluda’s 48th-annual Coon Dog Day is Saturday, July 9 from 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. The parade starts at 11 a.m., and lasts about an hour; the rest of the day is live music, fun events, street dancing and more.

Wellness on Wheels (W.O.W.) will be at the Saluda Center on Tuesday, July 12 from 8 – 11 a.m.

The Saluda Tailgate Market is Friday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Support local folks and enjoy their smiles and fresh, delicious offerings.

Several Saluda artists will be on the third-annual Art Trek Tryon Foothills open studio tour July 30-31, with artists from Columbus, Tryon, Mill Spring, Green Creek and Landrum.

There’ll be a preview party at the Upstairs Artspace, 49 S. Trade St.,Tryon on July 29 from 5-8 p.m. featuring work from all artists on the tour. This means I’d better start cleaning up around here so folks can get in the house.

What a happy day to see Pace’s store reopen with the Morgan family in charge. The Morgans have a long history in Saluda. In my mind’s eye, I see Robert Pace standing at the antique cash register, smiling with Saluda stories.

Volunteers make Saluda a special place; and a big thanks goes to all those who worked tirelessly on the Saluda Art Festival: music and art made it a fantastic day.

Love waterfalls? Horace Pace has a DVD for sale of the Green River Narrows and The Devil’s Tracks – remote areas that many of us have never seen. A woodsman and fisherman, Horace filmed these locations back in 1990.

Happy July birthday: to Doris Marion, Debi Thomas, Linda Poole, Rheta Foster, Nancy Weinhagen, Tosh Miller, Emily Rose Ford and Jeremy Ford.

Thank you, dear readers for reading this column.

If you have something of note, feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com; or 749-1153. You may also visit my website at bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on facebook.