“On longer evenings,
Light, chill and yellow,
Bathes the serene
Foreheads of houses.
A thrush sings,
Laurel-surrounded
In the deep bare garden,
Its fresh-peeled voice
Astonishing the brickwork.
It will be spring soon,
It will be spring soon…”

~ Philip Larkin, excerpt from “Coming”

This too shall pass, I remind myself over months of winter. Ice, snow, heavy rain—we get it all. Mother Nature has to remind us of who’s really in charge. Hopefully by the time you, dear reader, read this column, sunshine will be warming our winter-weary spirits. Ice and skating rinks on the roads and sidewalks will have melted, and we’ll get a reprieve from long underwear until the next round.

The good news is despite dripping ice this morning, I was finally able to convince poor River dog, who was curled up tight wearing his red sweater, smack in the middle of my bed, that the sun was shining and he could venture forth, that possibly he could leave winter hibernation just a little bit!

Some folks say dogs don’t understand much, but when I called upstairs to him, “River! You can go out on the front porch. The ice is melting!” that boy was Johnny-on-the-spot and at the front door in a flash.

I couldn’t blame him, so we picked our way along the slushy walkway and headed out for a walk, a wrinkly pooch in a red sweater, a wrinkly me in a wool coat — two wrinkly beings grateful at being freed! Brightening the way were tiny blue star flowers sprinkled along the sidewalk. It will be spring soon, it will be spring soon!

Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday. Dinner is served from 5:30 -7 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church. All are welcome; donations accepted.

Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) will benefit from your donations for this year ahead, or your time as a volunteer for their many community projects. Mark your calendar for the annual meeting with speaker naturalist Doug Elliot scheduled on April 13. Contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit www.saludasclt.org. The popular “Walks in the Woods” will return in March.

Enjoy Saluda Train Tales with Ray Rapp, “How the West Was Won: Trains and Transformation of Western NC” at Saluda Historic Depot, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m. Donations to help support Saluda Historic Depot can be sent to P.O. Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773 or on the HistoricSaluda.org website.

At Saluda School, today is Boxtop Collection Day! Just keep in mind you can collect boxtops and save them for drop-off anytime at specially marked containers at Saluda School’s office or Saluda Library.

Saluda’s Tree City USA meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Saluda Library.

Saluda Center Potluck and Bingo is Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome; bring along something delicious to share.

Happy February birthday to: Wylie Rauschenbach, Wesley Pace, Biddie Dawson, Amy Beeson, Ginny Jones, Jenna Igoe, Suzanne Igoe, Pam Thompson, Catherine Raymond, Eva McCray, Ellen Rogers, Margaret Miller, Paul London, Ward Sandahl, Bill Klippel, Pat Bares, Dwight Smith, Ingrid Sandahl, Fred Baisden, Duane Bateman, and Ragan Thompson. Happy 135^th Birthday to the City of Saluda! Please add your name to the list!

Saluda Sympathy goes to the family of Dr. George Alexander Jones, who at 95 was the oldest living native of Saluda and a founder of the Henderson County Genealogical and Historical Society. Saluda Sympathy goes to Corinne Gerwe, whose mother Dorothy Corinne Helton passed away last week.

Thank you for reading this column, dear readers. As ever, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying small town life in a friendly little mountain town called Saluda. Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com or 749-1153. I always love hearing from you! Or visit bonniebardosart.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.