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“What wondrous life is this I lead!
Ripe apples drop about my head;
The luscious clusters of the vine
Upon my mouth do crush their wine;
The nectarine and curious peach
Into my hands themselves do reach;
Stumbling on melons, as I pass,
Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass.” 

 

~ Andrew Marvell, Thoughts in a Garden

 

Used to be, I’d settle down in the porch swing with morning newspaper(s), steaming coffee, birds singing, a wrinkled pooch nearby. As time passed, reading glasses of ever-increasing strengths were added to that equation. Finally, increasingly smaller and smaller print got to me, as did larger and larger subscription rates. Ouch! (Editor’s note: the TDB is only $7 per month!)

 

I seem to say OUCH frequently these days–things are expensive. My favorite coffee doubled in price this year. As the famous Dionne Warwick song goes, “Just walk on by,” so I do.

 

I walk on by the meat counter, eyeing $50 beef while king crab claws wave from the seafood case. Those prices result in a lot of pinched-looking faces, I notice heading toward the 10-item-or-less check-out lane. No meat and no crab–other than me. 

 

It’s a good thing for us humans to cut back on meat, and have natural gardens rather than a sea of perfectly green grass. Wildflowers and perennials, ferns, and other plants help the earth rather than waste energy on maintenance. We should compost everything we can, and re-purpose things instead of tossing them out. Small changes are something any of us can do. 

 

“Pinching back” is an old saying. The pinch is real! But that king crab sure looked good.  

 

Saluda Tailgate Market is every Friday at the west city parking lot located off Main Street, 4:30-6 p.m. 

 

Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) keeps busy with land conservation, trails, projects, and more: visit saludaclt.org or call 828-749-1560 for information. Support SCLT with donations, volunteering, and Amazon Smile. Contact “Trail Boss” Chuck Hearon at chearon1942@gmail.com about hike info, leading a hike, or helping clear trails. The next ‘Walk in the Woods’ is August 14 to the Missing 40, a moderate hike that’s kid/pet-friendly. Water shoes are recommended. Brian Lilburn gave 38 folks free swimming lessons at Twin Lakes thanks to the Saluda Fund at Polk County Community Foundation which paid Brian to offer this service to our community. Good news all around!

 

Mountain Page Theater, located at 1303 Mountain Page Road, will have a classic Alfred Hitchcock radio drama along with musical/comedy performances presented by the Mountain Page Players and the Young Acting Krew (YAK) on August 12-13, at 7 p.m.  For info, visit https://mountainpage.theater/.

 

The Historic Saluda Committee meets on August 12, at 2 p.m. at Saluda Library in the upstairs meeting room.  

 

At the Saluda Historic Depot and Museum, Train Tales will be on August 17, at 7 p.m. and will feature Alexia Jones Helsey–historian, archivist, author, and daughter of Saluda’s Dr. George A. Jones. She is a senior instructor in history and university archivist at USC-Aiken.

 

Saluda Community Table will have dinners on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at McCreery Park’s pavilion; bring your own plate, cup, and cutlery. The next one is on August 24, at 6 p.m.

 

Saluda Center’s (64 Greenville Street) potluck/bingo night is August 29, 6 p.m. Bring a side dish or dessert to share; the main dish is provided. 

Saluda Elementary School opens on August 29.

For those of you who enjoy weaving, stop by Saluda Library to see Saluda weaver Holly Wilkes’ fiber art on display this month! 

 

Happy August Birthday to B.J. Kent, Paul Stoney, Jen Pace, Zack Pace, Don Mintz, Caroline Tindal, Nora Ward, Samantha Ward, Reeda Ward, Natalie  Aabye, Verlie Murphy, Peter Eisenbrown, Coleman Bradley, Ryan Bradley, Libby Archer, Rodney Thompson, Cathy Jackson, Bill Jameson, Tayloe Francisco, Troy McAfee, Patricia Carmichael, Syman Thomas, Jade Burdett, Ron Bennett, and Rob Schloss. Add your birthday to the list! 

 

Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, (828) 817-6765, P.O. Box 331, Saluda, NC 28773, Facebook, or visit bonniebardos.com