“Happiness is strange; it comes when you are not seeking it. When you are not making an effort to be happy, then unexpectedly, mysteriously, happiness is there, born of purity, of a loveliness of being.”

~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

There are those times when you reach down to rub soft dog ears and you realize you have the world in your hands — that unexpected happiness knowing you have this sweetest moment.

Spring and her moments bring us out of winter doldrums with drifting cherry petals, pond frogs courting, morning bird songs lifting through shimmering light.

I pick branches of pink magnolia blossoms to bring inside and rub those River dog ears.

Last Sunday afternoon, a friend took me on a motorcycle ride on the back roads I like best, winding along sparkling trout streams, waterfalls showering over mossy rocks, trilliums dancing.

Rushing by in a car, I would have missed much of this.

It had been back when dinosaurs were still roaming when I’d last ridden on a motorcycle, so at first it was hang on for dear life: then after a while, I relaxed, leaned back and felt the loveliness of being, the sun on my face, tender green overhead and Mother Earth singing all around.

• Saluda Welcome Table at Saluda Methodist Church is every Tuesday from 5:30-6:45 p.m.

• Learn about Saluda Community Land Trust by visiting saludaclt.org or calling 828-749-1560. SCLT’s 11th annual meeting is April 25, 6 p.m. at Saluda Center. The next “Walk in the Woods” is April 15 to explore a portion of the Poinsett Passage of the Palmetto Trail. Meet at Saluda Library parking lot, 2 p.m. Sunday to carpool. For more information on joining walks, contact Chuck Hearon at 828-817-0364 or chearon@skyrunner.net.

• Saluda’s Historic Depot is open Tuesday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. The next Saluda Train Tales feature Larry Morton, April 20, 6 p.m. Donations can be sent to Saluda Historic Depot, P.O. Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773 or SaludaHistoricDepot.com.

• Saluda Singles potluck is April 12, 5 p.m. Men and women of all ages are welcome. For information, contact Anita Moore at anitaomoore@gmail.com or 828-749-3335.

• Garden Tips: Spring is a good time to learn to compost if you haven’t yet started. Earth Day can be every day I save coffee grounds, paper napkins, egg shells, banana peels, and all organic matter from the kitchen. I’ve done it all my life, starting as a kid. We kids groaned about having to haul the compost bucket out to the back yard bin, but these days there’s great delight in seeing dark rich soil and earthworms: it’s free, good for the planet, and good for the spirit to make a difference.

• Art Notes: April 6 from 5-8 p.m., Saluda artist Bonnie Bardos and area artists Toby Wolter, B.J. Precourt, and David Cedrone will have a reception with live music and food at Whimsical World Gallery, 116 Jones St., Landrum, SC. The gallery, located in a historic former church, will be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. for this “flash” exhibit. Also, don’t forget to mark your calendar for the 15th annual Saluda Arts Festival, May 19.

• 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, Doug Honeycutt, Niece Lundgren, Julie Roy, Tommy Williamson, Rhonda Corley, and Taylor Staggs.

Thank you for reading this column; as ever, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying small town life in a friendly mountain town called Saluda.  Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, 828-749-1153, or visit bonniebardosart.com.