When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.”

~ Gerard Manley Hopkins, excerpt from “Spring”
With spring in full bloom, Saluda’s a symphony of nature…an adagio of green leaves unfolding gloriously, while orchestras of flowers burst in color. Azaleas leap into the foreground as saucer magnolias recede back. Fragrant irises spike toward the sky in allegro, lavender fountains of wisteria sing with bees humming among blossoms as birds chime in. Wildflowers chortle close to earth, trillums pirouette in shaded glens, tiger lilies leap in orange tangos.
Phlox whispers in shimmering soft-blue veils among green grass. A glimpse captures a small beribboned garter snake swimming in the back yard pond, wiggling like a cowboy lariat; it took me a moment to realize he was enjoying the water. If a snake could feel delight, he was: crawling out and finding the sun-warmed rocks.
Butterflies flit, hummingbirds flash and whir, expecting (more like demanding!) fresh nectar. It’s all a great song, this symphony, this dance, punctuated by dandelion smiles along the path home.
​Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday, with dinner served from 5:30-7 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church. All welcome; donations accepted.
Saluda Tailgate Market reopens May 2, 4:30 p.m. at the city parking lot off Main Street. Offerings throughout the growing season include fresh vegetables, meat, fruit, honey, baked items, plants and much more. Many Saluda businesses will stay open later on Friday, so you can stop by after tailgate marketing!
There’s a hotdog supper benefit, May 3, 6 p.m. at Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street which will help Saluda Medical Center. You’ll be able to look over the telemedicine equipment and see demonstrations. For information, contact Shena Mintz at 828-674-9788.
Save box tops for Saluda School: containers are located at Saluda Library, Saluda Post Office, and Saluda Elementary School Office.
Don’t forget to purchase a brick paver that can have the name of your choice engraved for Pace Park to be located in the alley by M.A. Pace General Store. For information, contact Catherine Ross at 828-749-3534 or carnc@charter.net.
Saluda Community Land Trust can help you utilize dying or dead hemlocks by getting logs made into fence rails, etc. Visit saludaclt.org for more info or call 828-749-1560. You can pick up a brochure for the hemlock project or SCLT’s enjoyable “Walks in the Woods” at the library.  May 4 will be a hike from Moonshine Creek to Pacolet River; and May 18 is a walk at Saluda Nature park; meet at 2 p.m. at Saluda Library. Even if you missed the April 23 annual meeting, you can still join and/or make a donation.
Don Clapp was the lucky winner of the jade tree raffle, but generously gave his prize to Susie Welsh, who’d wanted it so much. Only in Saluda!
Art Notes: Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Saluda Arts Festival on May 17. Live music, art, and fun in our small town with a big heart! There’ll be great food from local restaurants available.
Happy May Birthday to Amy Copeland, Corinne Gerwe, Chris Anderson, Mark Jackson, Cary Pace, Lisa Hipp, Trevor Young, Jemme Latell, Paul Marion, Jesse Thomas, Margaret Sease, Elizabeth Baldwin, Chad Baldwin, and Lynn Cass.
T  hank you dear readers, for reading this column!  As ever, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying a front porch visit and small town life in a friendly little mountain town called Saluda. You can contact me at bbardos@gmail.com; or 749-1153, visit my website at bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on facebook.