By Bonnie J. Bardos 

 

A day that’s precociously warm,

with blue sky and a woodpecker

drilling into a tree

and the dog running free

as I slip the leash.

What a day!

 

~ Alice M. Gifford, excerpt from “Sailing For Home”

 

Lately, I’ve had the notion that it’s time to take a quilt out to the back yard, find a peaceful spot far away from the maddening crowd, and lie back to watch robin’s egg April sky overhead as lilacs perfume the air.

When I was a little girl (yes, dinosaurs were still roaming the earth back then), I would lie down on tender spring grass near my mother’s Southern magnolia tree with its leathery green leaves and saucer size flowers, her climbing “Blaze” rose twirling up a tall long-leaf pine nearby: a girl watching for robins and their eggs up in that Carolina-blue sky, occasional white puffs of clouds: a horse, an angel, a face, maybe cotton candy.

High above, distant planes floated by, jet trails stitching lines of an unknown map to far and beckoning worlds. Birds, yellow dandelions, humming bees, sun warming my face. It was a time of doing nothing: just being in the world and watching from a perspective looking up, feeling and listening to nature– grass soft and lush under curling toes. Do people do such things anymore?

Now a bit past the age of 8, I figure I’ll take along a quilt for my creaky-not-age-eight-anymore-bones to lie on, and to keep ants and other critters at bay. Maybe take along a treat for River, who will wonder what I’m thinking, but will join in the watching of things as dogs gladly do. Maybe take along a sandwich, diagonally cut, then neatly wrapped in waxed paper…something else that sticks in memory from childhood. One of those small tender things that you carry on deep in the heart, even long after childhood has drifted away, like those distant planes overhead.

Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday: dinner served from 5:30 -7 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church. All are welcome; donations accepted. Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) benefits from your donations or time as a volunteer for their many community projects. “Walks in the Woods” are on the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays each month. Contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit www.saludasclt.org

Donations to help support Saluda Historic Depot can be sent to P.O. Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773 or on the HistoricSaluda.org website. Saluda Train Tales are held on the third Friday each month April through October: Dean Campbell presents the next one on April 15 at 6:30 p.m.; the Depot is open Thursday through Sunday noon-4 p.m. with a current exhibit featuring beloved Saluda artist Bill Ryan’s work; this is a benefit to help raise funds for the Depot: a print of Saluda in different sizes is also available to order. Also at the Depot, on April 16 at 4 p.m., Corinne Gerwe will have a book signing for her latest book: “Murder in a Moonlit Mason Jar”.

Jerry’s Baddle Green River Race is April 16.

Saluda Garden Club will meet April 18, 10 a.m. at Saluda Library.

Saluda Center Potluck and Bingo is April 25, 6 p.m. Everyone welcome.

Art News: “Songs of the Earth” featuring paintings by Bonnie Bardos at Tryon Depot, 22 Depot Street continues until May 16. Also, Saluda Historic Depot will present Saluda Art Legends- Past & Present for a May exhibit (reception May 7, 6:30) at Saluda Depot. The Saluda Arts Festival is May 21.

Happy April Birthday to: Martha Ashley, Melody Gibson, Dave Prudhomme, Kaye Vazquez, Cindy Keeter, Betty Anna Brown, Hope Pace, Diane Pace, Ruth Anderson, Greaton Sellers, Clay Arrington, Bonnie Bardos, Luther Connor, Gary Pace, Dee Owen, Doug Honeycutt, Niece Lundgren, Julie Roy, Tommy Williamson, and Rhonda Corley. Please add your birthday to the list; no ages mentioned unless you’re under 2 or over 100!

Thank you dear readers, for reading this column; I love hearing from you! Whether you live here, or just wish you were here, 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 bonniebardosart.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.