“Last night as I was sleeping, 
I dreamt- marvelous error!-
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.”
 ~ Antonio Muchado (excerpt from Last Night As I Was Sleeping)
 Late June brings thunderstorms and languid steaminess to summer days; lots of folks pack up kids and head off on vacation. I remember that delicious summer freedom as a kid; Dodge station wagon taking us to Maine or somewhere wonderful… the only thing we kids had to worry about was “are we there yet?” Now, I wish for vacations in a station wagon again. Around here, days are packed with working on paintings and sculpture for the open studio tour. The house still has not been cleaned; I wonder if people ever really notice my lack of Martha Stewart neatness—perhaps I could let it slide just a little this year. Martha would be horrified. All work and no play makes an old girl moan and whine about aches and pains from long days of standing, hammering, and framing plus mowing the jungle. River dog just ignores it: the beauty of whining to a dog is they don’t mind. Throw ‘em a treat now and then, and they’ll listen all the more. At night, I pull out the tube of capsaicin cream for aching finger joints—carefully applying it without getting it on fingertips. No matter how cautious I am with that stuff, I manage to get it in the eyes 95 percent of the time after a few hours, it must travel by osmosis to places you don’t want it. Feel the burn has new meaning. Saluda Tailgate Market is open Friday from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the city parking lot off Main Street. Restaurants and many shops are open later on Friday evenings. 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. The fun and fabulous Art Trek Tryon open studio event happens this weekend of June 28 – 29 with a preview party today June 27 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. at Upstairs Artspace, 49 South Trade St., Tryon, N.C. beside the Tryon Theater. Saturday morning starts with berry scones and other goodies from Open Road Coffee at 10 a.m. at the gallery. Participating artists all over Polk County and Landrum have work displayed at the Upstairs for a month long-exhibit and silent auction. All weekend, studios are open to the public. Saluda has several participating artists—Mark Gardner, Richard Baker, Jim Carson, Robin Kirby, and Bonnie Bardos. Please support local art, artists, and sponsoring businesses! In town, maps can be found at Heartwood Gallery, Green River BBQ and Purple Onion. ​Saluda Community Land Trust appreciates your volunteering or donations. “Walks in the Woods” have begun, as has highway trash pick-up and Twin Lakes rental: information is listed on the SCLT website at saludaclt.org or call 828-749-1560. The next Top of the Grade Concert will be at McCreery Park will be June 27 with One Leg Up band. Community potluck and bingo at Saluda Center, June 30, 6 p.m.; bring a favorite dish to share! Saluda’s 51st Coon Dog Day is right around the corner on July 5th. Saluda Tidbits: Did you know– that Saluda’s altitude ranges from 2096 to 2200 above sea level. In 1936, sixteen magneto crank telephones were in Saluda; Ed Leland bought the Appalachian State Telephone Company for $800 and installed a modern dial system in 1945, the first in Polk County. The Victorian-Gothic Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Saluda was finished and consecrated on Sept. 1, 1891. Happy June Birthday to Nancy Barnett, Verne Dawson, Peggy Ellwood, Anna Jackson, Charlie Jackson, Amy Violet Ford, Terry Arrington, Julie Arrington, Susie Welsh, Jeremy Edwards, and John Savage. Thank 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.