Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

“Be what they do not want: 

Be thoughtful. 

Be skilled at loving. 

Be of good heart.

Be of the world tribe.” 

~ Alice Walker 

 

Sunshine lilies peep out from behind a blue garden bench on an early summery June morning, and I’ve had the prerequisite coffee in a sweet new mug. The coffee tasted better: the soft-hued mug was a present from a friend who’d bought it from a potter we are fans of up in Floyd, Virginia. Ah, nothing like breaking a new cup in (maybe I better NOT say break!). 

Making outdoor rounds before humid heat presses down, I take compost out, mix it up in the pile with the old pitchfork my dad gave me 40 years ago. That fork served me well all these years and has suffered much abuse and use. Over time, the metal fork loosened, and I could never find the right handle for it, especially these days. After searching fruitlessly, I took the whole thing apart, cleaned off the old duct tape, wire, and glue from the previous patch job, mixed tubes of J-B Weld, added thin wood shims, and got ‘er patched again. I think Dad would have appreciated my thriftiness. It keeps him close to my heart every time I use that well-worn fork.

On I putter, snipping a few blooms to take in, pruning this and that. It’s peaceful; the fish and pond frog still quiet, they’ll be busier by afternoon. Up at the street garden, I go along, deadheading here and there, pulling weeds, checking what’s coming up, sometimes stopping for chats with passersby. 

“Please Clean Up After Your Dog!” is on a little sign by the sidewalk: most folks hustle their dogs along or carry small bags to pick up after the crime has been committed. Whether you’re the gardener who tries to make things more beautiful for others, or someone out walking along, it’s a rude awakening to happen upon dog piles on or by the sidewalk, beside your flowers, or underfoot on your shoes. 

As more people live closer together in our community, it becomes more thoughtful to pick up what your dog leaves behind. Don’t just stand there as if it wasn’t your dog that dun-nit; or look around and bail! We really can’t blame your dog. And it’s a shame to have to put up more signs asking people to clean up after pets. We should know better.

• At Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street, there will be a Community Table on June 24 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and a potluck/ bingo on June 30 at 6 p.m.
• Enjoy a family concert with Big Bang Boom on June 26, 2 p.m. at McCreery Park’s Pavilion. This rockin’ three-piece power pop band plays parent-friendly children’s music.
• The next Top of the Grade Concert will be on July 11 (Coon Dog Day Eve) with Saluda’s own Michael Flynn under the creative alias, Slow Runner at 7 p.m., at McCreery Park. Mark your calendar for Coon Dog Day on July 12!
• Saluda Tailgate Market is each Friday near the tennis courts at Saluda School from 4-6 p.m. 

Happy June Birthday to Nancy Barnett, Bubba Dawson, Peggy Ellwood, Anna Jackson, Charlie Jackson, Amy Violet Ford, Terry Arrington, Julie Arrington, Susie Welsh Hearn, Jeremy Edwards, Eleanor Morgan, Mary Lu Price, Edna McKee, Lucinda Pittman, Lisa Duck, Kasey Watkins, Elena Robson, Karen McGee, Jane Mann, Chambli Dawn Stuber, and Elan Bush. Add your birthday to the list! 

Thank YOU, dear readers—I love hearing from you: on the street, letters, notes, phone messages, email, text, smoke signals. A big thanks goes to Wendy from Landrum. Knowing you’re out there is a warm hug—a reminder we’re in this together.  

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