“If we look at the path, we do not see the sky. We are earth people on a spiritual journey to the stars. Our quest, our earth walk, is to look within, to know who we are, to see that we are connected to all things, that there is no separation, only in the mind.”

~ Native American, source unknown

This week, I’ll climb into the Turtle and head over toward the hospital area in Hendersonville: I have an appointment with an orthopedic specialist.

Hopefully, Turtle will make it and the doctor won’t X-ray my bank account.

For a couple of months, I’ve felt like a one-armed bandit, wearing a special brace at night for my hand and wrist, eating Advil daily. Either carpal tunnel or De Quervain’s disease our Saluda doctor figured; and it’s her who is sending me on to the specialist.

It sure is good to have our own doctor up here again. I’d booked an appointment with Dr. Lisa Broyles when the wrist issues/pain started (that’ll teach me to haul rocks around the back yard!)

To put in a plug for our new doctor, I have to say I like her — and the fact she didn’t pack me off with a bucket-load of prescriptions. I learned the receptionist is named Rhonda, and the assistant is Mary — now that’s small-town friendly.

Plus, she lives here.

That’s a good feeling…for a little town to have a doctor again.

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

• Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday: dinner is served from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church.

• The final Top of the Grade concert at McCreery Park is Sound Investments, who will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday.

• The sixth annual Saluda Play Day will be at Saluda Elementary School from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. This free event is sponsored by Polk County Community Foundation.

• The Charlie Ward Memorial Pig-Out will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at McCreery Park. Charlie’s been gone for 10 years, but his spirit remains in generosity and community of this free event. This will be the last one according to Charlie’s widow, Judy Ward. To contribute, people may make a check payable to Saluda Pig Out and take it to Entegra Bank at 108 Main St., Saluda, or mail to Saluda Pig Out, P.O. Box 265, Saluda NC 28773. 

• Saluda Singles potluck dinner is at 5 p.m. Thursday at Saluda Center.

• Saluda Community Land Trust’s “Walks in the Woods” are on the first and third Sundays each month. The next walk will be Sept. 16 to Green River Cove, a moderate hike. Meet at Saluda Library’s parking lot at 2 p.m. You can reach SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visitsaludasclt.org. Contact Chuck Hearon for hike information at 828-817-0364 or chearon@skyrunner.net.

• The Saluda Historic Depot is located at 32 W. Main St.; museum hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Saluda Train Tales are held on the third Friday each month at 7 p.m. through October. Cindy Stephenson Tuttle, great-granddaughter of Otho Brownlow Garren (a photographer/building contractor during Saluda’s early days) will present the next train tales on Sept. 21.

• Saluda Sympathy goes to the family of Ralph Morgan.

• Happy September Birthday to Wayne Thompson, 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, Clark Thompson, Nicholas Edwards, Cindy Tuttle and Don Clapp. 

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.