“All day I have watched the purple vine leaves

Fall into the water.

And now in the moonlight they still fall,

But each leaf is fringed with silver.”

– Amy Lowell, Autumn (from Pictures of the Floating World, 1919)

Garden-fresh turnip greens arrive on a sleepy Monday afternoon at my front door, gathered by up-the-hill neighbor Wayne Thompson, who’d just picked them from his Holbert Cove garden.

The leaves are so fresh, they’re like stiff green lace around the edges: I promise to give them some good soaking in salted water to get rid of any lingering pests, and cook them long and well, like my mother would have. Smiling, I admitted to Wayne that I’d fried up the okra he’d given me last month in a big iron skillet: then ate every bit of it by myself for dinner, not sharing a bite with River dog!

There’s something to be said about veggies fresh from the garden. I’ve watched my tomato plant blossoming again, but know there’ll be no more tomatoes this year from it. As seasons change, the garden changes: I’m already missing the tomato sandwiches of summer, but know there’ll be a big bowl of turnip greens for dinner tonight…with cornbread made in the iron pan, of course.

Community: 

Saluda Tailgate Market continues on Fridays through October from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.; fall produce is coming in; and many Saluda businesses are open later on Friday. A good time to visit the tailgate market, shop and enjoy music.

Top of the Grade Concerts are Oct.  11 (with Sound Investment) and Oct. 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at McCreery Park; bring chairs, food available.

Help Saluda School: box top collection containers are located in at the library, post office, and school office.

Saluda 5k9, an event for dogs and their human companions on Oct. 12 to benefit Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT), which in turn works to preserve Saluda’s rural character by preserving farm and forest land in and around Saluda.

On Oct.  17, 6 p.m., join SCLT for a free chili dinner at Saluda Fire Department, a program about kudzu control and special guest speaker Saluda native Becky Shropshire who will talk about her search and rescue dogs.