“All contemplative acts, silences, poems, honor the world this way. Brought together by the eye of love, a milkweed pod, a twig, allow us to see how things have been all along. A feast of being.”

~ Mary Rose O’Reilley

Last night, after most of the world had gone to bed (but, of course, yours truly was up, sleepless in Saluda) I found myself endlessly tossing and turning to no avail.

Up and down like a jack-in-the-box, I headed downstairs to take River Dog out for a yard check/watering session. Pikachu swirled and wound her way nearby, expecting a late-night snack added to the bowl.

Night sounds have changed from mid-summer concerts to the hymns of fall: crickets, a little screech owl carrying on off in the distant woods, a leaf crisp underfoot. Looking up, the Little Dipper overhead: tiny diamonds pinned against lush dark velvet.

Nearby, the Big Dipper held court, but the little fellow seemed star of the show. Thinking how lovely to watch wee-hour October skies (even when sleepless in Saluda) I climbed back in bed to toss and turn some more, the window lace slow-dancing with night breeze.

No tossing and turning for River, whose soft snores soon drifted throughout the house. Envious, I turned this way, that, for a couple more hours: the solace being dog snores, owl and a spangle of stars. 

• 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. All are welcome; donations accepted.

• Saluda Community Land Trust’s next Walk in the Woods will be Sunday to Old Cove Road; meet at Saluda Library parking lot at 2 p.m. for carpool. Contact “Trail Boss” Chuck Hearon for hike information at 828-817-0364 or chearon@skyrunner.net. You can reach SCLT at 828-749-1560 or saludasclt.org.

• Saluda Singles monthly potluck dinner is at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at Saluda Center.

• Saluda Living in Place will offer the AARP Safe Driving Class from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Saluda Fire Department on Greenville Street. There’s a small fee, and you must pre-register before Monday. Email diannearbour@rsnet.org to register or call the SLIP office at 828-490-1040. SLIP will have an open house/annual meeting on from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, at the new office at 1347 Ozone Drive, Suite 3. Transportation can be arranged, just call. Office hours are 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Saluda Historic Depot is located at 32 W. Main St. Saluda Train Tales are held at 7 p.m. on the third Friday each month through October; the next one is Oct. 19 with Laura Fields, who will present a program about minerals of North Carolina — one of the reasons the railroads were built to western part of the state.

• Don’t forget to save specially marked hot-pink box tops for Saluda School. Each one is worth 10 cents; money raised is used to purchase books for the Books Are Really Fun program. Every student gets to choose and keep three to five free books each year! 

• Happy October Birthday to Cissy Thompson, Riley Thompson, Patricia Case, Gary Corn, Aaron Bradley, Amanda  Anderson, Lisa Orr, Marilyn Prudhomme, Bubba Dawson, Kirby Jackson, Mary Ann Asbill, Sheila Billeter, Carol Thompson, Mildred Hipp, Dean Bradley, Susan Wheeler and Brenda Craig. Add your birthday to the list!

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.