By Bonnie J. Bardos

“I go among trees and sit still. All my stirring becomes quiet around me like circles on water.” 

~ Wendell Berry

For those who read last week’s column, I want you to know that yes, life goes on around this Peaceable Kingdom, that the bluebird parents have been busy all week. Therefore, the surmise is that we will have bluebirds. Even if there’s only one left, I’m naming the little one “Hope.” From the activity I can spy, there’s a chance that all five made it after last week’s trauma.

This past weekend I had a big yard sale instead of hoofing it to Steeplechase. I missed out on mint juleps, fancy hats, fine horses and fine dining on the tailgate. I did.

Instead I spent days cleaning and hauling part of my pack rat collection to porch and yard, then pricing it. You know those stickers that come in a package of 500? Well, they disappeared before I knew it, and I still had more stuff to price.

Oak mantel clock, Victrola, antique gong, books, teapots, and Elvis. (Elvis hoped someone would bring doughnuts, but left under someone’s arm instead. He was Moody Blue about it.) Someone did bring Wildflour cookies!

The good news is the house sure looks a little cleaner. And I made close-to-enough to bail the car out of the repair shop where it’s been on vacation for two weeks.

The bad news is there were some leftovers to haul back in—so I might be at it again this coming Saturday if I can get up enough steam. And I decided things looked so good around here, I might be tempted to pull that for sale sign down off the house.

Poor River dog, banished to the back deck for the good part of the weekend, wheezed a sigh of great relief that his porch had not been sold off yet, that his toys and treats were still on hand.

All weekend long, people came. Such is life in a small town — you don’t have to pay to advertise. Stick up a notice on the post office bulletin board, signs, tell a few friends, spread the word on Facebook, and sit back for the herds to stampede. Neighbors both known, unknown, old and new, from up the street, around the bend, and folks from all around came. They chatted, looked, and hopefully enjoyed themselves.

“I like you being here,” said one. “We want you to stay,” said another. “Oh, I love your gardens and fishpond!” “Where’s River?”
But there’s always one bad apple in the bunch.

“Will you give me (no kidding) that Victrola and a load of antique goodies for peanuts?” said the sharp-toothed lawyer from Florida (with apologies to those lawyers who I know and like). Motion denied, lawyer, I said as he pulled out a roll of bills thicker than my wrist, trying valiantly to resist his haggling down to the bare penny. A woman overhearing him piped up, “Support our artist! She needs all the money she can get—we need to keep her around here.”

Now where can you get that sort of defense except in a small town, where folks carry around big hearts, and probably some really cool treasures from yard sales. The dust was free.

 

​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 are welcome; donations are accepted.

 

Saluda Tailgate Market is open for the season on Fridays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the city parking lot off Main Street. Many Saluda businesses will stay open later on Friday, so you can stop by after tailgate marketing!

Saluda Community Land Trust’s board members include Nancy Barnett-President, Nora Parks Anderson, Betsy Burdett, Don Clapp, Cindy Hemenway, Will Nelson, David Prudhomme, Elena Robson, John Savage, Mary Jo Wannamaker and Chris Young. Thank you to such a hard-working board!

SCLT’s “Walks in the Woods” continue through November on the first and third Sundays of the month. Meet at Saluda Library at 2 p.m. to carpool. contact Chuck Hearon at 828-749-9886 or 828-817-0364 for information. Contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit www.saludasclt.org.

 

A tour of Saluda homes and silent auction to help raise funds for the Saluda Depot will be on June 6. If you’d like to help preserve the historic Saluda Depot, you can send donations or pledges (tax deductible!) to Saluda Historic Depot, PO Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773 or email savesaludadepot@gmail.com.

 

Art notes: The Saluda Arts Festival is May 16 with lots of live music, art, and fun!

 

Saluda Sympathy goes to the family of Dr. Mike Dennis who kept a smile on his face and happiness in his heart despite all he’d gone through health-wise these past years. I ran into him not too long ago, and had a good laugh with him. His sparkle and joie de vivre will always remain.

 

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, Lynn Cass and Thelma Jones.

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, call 749-1153, visit   bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.