“Hope grows, and there, under the distant,

Barely perceptible fire of all the stars,

To feel yourself wake into change, as if your change

Were immense and figured into the heavens’ longing.

And yet all you want is to rise out of the shade

Of yourself into the cooling blaze of a summer night

When the moon shines and the earth itself

Is covered and silent in the stoniness of its sleep.”

~ Mark Strand, excerpt from “VII” 

Labor Day weekend came and went; Saluda was packed. Not far away, the Apple Festival was in full swing—traffic backed up on the interstate, a grand finale to a busy, noisy summer. It dawned on me when hunting a sittin’ n’ thinkin’ spot that it’s almost impossible to find night sky and natural quiet anywhere, any more. Cars thump-thump bass that shakes windows, motorcycles roar by blaring country songs full blast (what happened to earplugs?), dirt bikes whine, phones ring, sirens screech, construction equipment, mowers, weed eaters—add to the cacophonous stew, live music filters through the air, people holler and party ‘til two in the morning, car alarms go bananas.

One evening, I came back inside and told River Dog that you just can’t escape 24/7 noise anywhere you go, you’re surrounded. Sometimes a body just longs for stars and moon overhead without intruding light and too much noise, just the symphony of drifting tides of night sounds, crickets, breeze, and a little whisper of peace. Is that lost?

Saluda Tailgate Market is open on Fridays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the city parking lot off Main Street.

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 first and third Sunday each month. September 18 will be a walk at Fork Creek, carpool from Saluda Library at 2 p.m. For more information, contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit www.saludasclt.org.

Saluda Train Tales are held at Saluda Historic Depot (HistoricSaluda.org) on the third Friday each month through October. The next one will be September 23 with Rodger Stroup from the South Carolina State Museum at 7 p.m. The Depot is open Thursday through Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

The annual Charlie Ward Memorial Pig Out is September 10, 5-7 p.m. at McCreery Park. Bring a dessert and enjoy barbecue, music, and remembering Charlie.

Ward’s Grill will have a free breakfast for all veterans, September 22 from 8-11 a.m.

Art Notes: the annual Art Trek open studio tour is September 24-25 with a gallery show of all participating artists, preview party/reception 5-7 p.m. on September 23 at Upstairs Artspace, 49 S. Trade Street, Tryon. Saluda artists are Doc Welty and Bonnie Bardos.

The fifth annual Ella Grace Race to End PKD 2016 Color Run/5K Walk (registration 7-8:45 a.m.) is September 24, starting at 9 a.m. at Saluda Party Place & Event Center.

Support Saluda School by donating box tops at collection boxes located at the library, post office or school office.

Happy September birthday to Wayne Thompson, Connie Woodruff, Courtney Hoots, Merci Weitzen, Dale McEntire, Joni Rauschenbach, Sonya Monts, Linda Kaye Hayes, Carol Kenfield, Debbie Fisher, Leslie Jespersen, Linda Mintz, Sheila Billeter, Cary Pace, Ross Arrington, Hop Foster, Chuck Hearon, Alexia Timberlake, Jason Justus, Beth Carson, and Clark Thompson.

Thank you, dear readers for reading this column. It’s my goal to make you feel as if you were enjoying a ‘Saluda Time’ visit on the front porch swing watching sparkling spider webs drift in morning sun. Please feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com or 749-1153. You may also visit bonniebardosart.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.