By Bonnie J. Bardos 

 

“The white butterflies dance by the thousands in the still sunshine. Suddenly, anything
could happen to you. Your soul pulls toward the canyon and then shines back through the white wings to be you again.”
~ William Stafford, excerpt from How to Regain Your Soul

 

Thinking back to the frozen bones of winter past, it’s difficult to hold back moaning about this week’s humidity/heat. How it was ever conceivable to have grown up with out air-conditioning is now a complete mystery. (My parents waited until their three fledglings flew away from the nest, then immediately put central heat and AC in. And hurriedly bought a new car to celebrate their misery and empty-nest syndrome.)

 

Last evening, in languid summer stillness of a long hot day simmering down, River dog and I trudged around the front yard with blue watering can, escorted by whining mosquitoes as we finished garden chores. Dripping sweat, I parked the can on the porch steps, wiping my face and swishing away skeeter patrol, catching the unmistakable sound of running flip-flops slapping against the sidewalk. Kids, I figured, looking back toward the sidewalk, as we stood at the front door ready to go in.

 

A small figure halted, standing transfixed in my front walkway, gazing in wondrous joy at the porch, my sweating self and River. Just a little guy, maybe three or four, innocent face lit up bright as the summer moon, smile wide and happy, watching us with such pure delight. I couldn’t resist waving at him—my own smile wide and happy in pure delight (sweat and grime forgotten), as he waved back, his mother and siblings bringing up the trail on their walk to town.

 

That magic moment stayed in my heart … and I thought how sometimes we don’t realize the wonder and delight right there in front of us, of how it takes a child to remind us of that now and then. Maybe the little fellow was entranced by a certain silly wrinkled dog, fireflies and orange solar lanterns glowing in emerald wisteria leaves festooning porch eaves. Whatever it was, it was a whisper of Saluda … that little bit of delight in flip-flops skipping along a sidewalk on a summer evening, that pause to look, to find joy right there in front of us.

 

​Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday, with dinner served from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church. All are welcome; donations are accepted.

Saluda Tailgate Market is open on Fridays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the city parking lot off Main Street. Offerings include local honey, produce, delicious baked goodies, plants, and more.
There will be a city-wide yard sale day in Saluda on June 27 from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saluda Center Potluck and Bingo is June 29 at 6 p.m.

Coon Dog Day is Saturday, July 11 with parade at 11 a.m. The 5K Race/Fun Walk starts at 8 a.m. from The Party Place & Event Center. Historian Dr. George Jones will be grand marshall.

Saluda Community Land Trust’s “Walks in the Woods” are 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; or contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit  www.saludasclt.org.

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, John Savage, Eleanor Morgan, Mary Lu Price and Sigi Hendrickson.
Saluda Sympathy goes out to families of Patricia Ann Recker and Eugene Anderson.

 

Thank you dear readers, for reading this column. It’s my goal to make you feel like you’re having a front porch visit, enjoying birds, flowers and life in a small 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.