A boy told me 
if he roller-skated fast enough 
his loneliness couldn’t catch up to him, 

the best reason I ever heard 
for trying to be a champion. 

What I wonder tonight 
pedaling hard down King William Street 
is if it translates to bicycles. 

A victory! To leave your loneliness 
panting behind you on some street corner 
while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas, 
pink petals that have never felt loneliness, 
no matter how slowly they fell.

~ Naomi Shihab Nye,
“The Rider”

Pink petals bring to mind soft-pink mimosa flowers, soft feathery fans floating on summer breezes. Some people say mimosas are ‘trash’ trees, but I’ve always loved them: the pink fans amid lacy foliage. But then, I never did pick the normal things to love most; sometimes the most beautiful are not even easily noticed, nor beautiful in a mainstream way.
For whatever reason, I bought a box of non-mainstream hair color: a brand called “SPLAT”, that offers not-so-normal-vibrant blue, green, cherry, purple or white-blonde. This box sat in the bathroom closet for a few months, requiring a bit (or more like a lot) of consideration, mostly “Do you really want to do that? Really?” The more my hair fell out, the more I started thinking roll with it–make the most of what you’ve got left, have fun and quit worrying: it’s only hair, for goodness sake. If the results scare off the neighbors and make River howl, then the dollar store is right over the hill, you can get a box of $3 brown real quick, or you can buzz it all off and be done. Plus, you’ve got a large collection of bandannas. So….
I. Did. It. Now River dog and I are a matching pair, and no one has run yipping. Yet. The A/C guy came, didn’t blink an eye when I opened the door. Probably helps that I’ve known him for many years: we’ve seen each other through divorce, and in his case, a happy remarriage and owning his own business after working for someone else for years, ups and downs of life and old grumpy furnaces that should be dead by now, and art, which he never fails to marvel at while here. River didn’t blink his one eye either: just came up, had a sniff and figured I still smell like his favorite person. You can’t bamboozle a dog—they love you hairless, wild haired, perfectly coiffed: any way you are. So, a little change here, a little change there. If it makes you smile, why not? The lavender streak box is still in the bathroom closet, but it’s coming out. Soon.
Saluda Tailgate Market is Friday from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the city parking lot off Main St.
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.
Have a loved one’s name or any name you choose engraved on a brick paver at Pace Park. Pavers may be purchased at City Hall for $40 each. For information, contact Catherine Ross at (828)749-3534 or carnc@charter.net.
Saluda Community Land Trust has family swim afternoons at Twin Lakes (a conservation property of SCLT) in July. Next date is July 30.  On Sunday, July 20 you can enjoy a hike to Little Bradley Falls: a moderate to strenuous walk of two hours; meet at the library for carpooling at 2 p.m.  Donations to support SCLT are always appreciated. SCLT’s phone is 828-749-1560, (saludaclt.org).
“Top of the Grade Concerts” are the second and fourth Fridays through October, 6:30- 8:30 p.m. at McCreery Park at the new Ella Grace Mintz stage area.
Thank you to all the volunteers who made Coon Dog Day a huge success; plus to the weather.
Saluda get well wishes go to Patty Martin.

Happy July Birthday to Doris Marion, Debi Thomas, Rheta Foster, Nancy Weinhagen, Tosh Miller, Lisa Obermiller, Kathy Thompson, Bill Jameson, Emily Rose Ford, Jeremy Ford, Mike Cass, Emma Jean McGraw, Nathen Pack, Melissa Justus, Hunter Justus, Alyssa Justus, Tona Justus, and Lynn Savage.
Thank you, dear readers for reading this column. It’s always my goal to make you feel like you’re having a front porch visit with me, enjoying a cool glass of tea, birds, flowers and life in a small town called Saluda.
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 or find me on Facebook.