“I went to sleep in the summer

I dreamed of rain

in the morning the fields were wet

and it was autumn”

~ Linda Pastan, excerpt
from “September”

After a long dry spell, a welcome late-September rain pattered down one early fall night, dancing through maple leaves onto the tin porch roof — drip, drip, dripping into the old blue watering can. You could smell it: the scent of rain soaking into thirsty Mother Earth.

After listening to the presidential fights, uh, debate, I just had to go outside for a reprieve, to clear the spinning mind, to find night and solace and stand peaceably with River Dog as we sniffed the night scents all moist and mysterious.

Delighted with raindrops, the King o’ the Fish Pond, Mr. Bullfrog, puffed up on his favorite mossy rock and belted out his thoughts loud and clear about the whole matter: KNEE-DEEP! KNEE-DEEP! Sometimes those critters outside in the dark know more about things than us humans do. KNEE-DEEP indeed!

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 is 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 Sundays each month. The next walk is Oct. 2 to Round Mountain; Oct. 16 will be to Waters of Camp Creek. Meet at Saluda library at 2 p.m. for car-pooling. The silent auction event has been changed to spring. Contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit saludaclt.org for more information.

Saluda Train Tales are held at Saluda Historic Depot (HistoricSaluda.org) on the third Friday each month through October. The Depot is open Thursday through Sunday noon-4 p.m.

M.A. Pace Store is having a BBQ, music, auction and cruise-in benefit Oct. 8 at Saluda Party & Event Center from 4-9 p.m. This fundraiser will help Saluda native Ralph Morgan, a self-employed builder, husband of Carolyn Morgan, father of Jessica. Funds will go toward bills, medical expenses, travel to doctor and radiation treatments and more. If you’d like to donate items for the silent auction, contact/drop-off items to Tangie (749-1514) or Leon Morgan, either at M.A. Pace Store or Somewhere in Time.

The Saluda Living in Place (SLIP) Committee is sponsoring a free (donations appreciated!) fish fry on Oct. 15, 5-7 p.m. with James Metcalf and the Colt Creek Band at Saluda Center. SLIP is a new concept aimed at helping seniors stay in their own homes. The SLIP organizing committee consists of Mary Ann Hester, Edie Campbell, Rob Parsons, Fred Baisden, Patty Martin, Rhonda Corley, and Lynn Cass. If you’d like to attend, please contact Donna at 749-9245 for a reservation by Oct. 5. 

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. Please add your birthday to the list!

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 dew sparkles in spider webs, fall butterflies and drifting leaves. 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.