“One must have a mind of winter

To regard the frost and the boughs

Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time

To behold the junipers shagged with ice,

The spruces rough in the distant glitter…”

~ Wallace Stevens, excerpt from “The Snow Man”

Bundled in thick fleecy robe and LL Bean slippers, I scurry to finish a column before power goes out for who-knows-how-long.

Snow piles higher as ice scritch-scratches with sharp little claws against glass panes. Wind gusts flap up curtains of white over trees into pewter sky.

The weatherman was right. For once.

Up early — sleet and snow tapping on the porch metal roof — I worry-wart about losing power, hustling downstairs to punch the coffee pot’s “ON” button, just in case. Gotta have coffee, oh please, let there be coffee!

Poor River Dog mushed grudgingly out into 14-inch-plus drifts earlier, and, as he paddled back up snow-mounded steps, I told him that’s why Shar-Peis have big snowshoe paws for winter. He disagreed with that notion, eagerly awaiting underfoot for breakfast as coffee brewed, just in case I forgot that he needed a little something in the bowl. Pikachu’s bowl was filled too, but cats expect no less.

On the sofa, there’s a pile of library books, just in case. “The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock.” “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.” “My Reading Life.” “A Map of the World.” “The Sun’s Gonna Set Pretty Soon.”

I dig out that last book (Saluda reminiscences written by Charlie Hearon — donated to Saluda Library back in 2002) finding this succinct musing about winter: “A little sleet pecking on a window pane will get a boy up out of bed faster than the smell of breakfast cooking.”

A little sleet pecking gets old folks up out of bed fast too, I might add.

Ah, some things never change…although I’d like to find breakfast a’cookin’ just once.

Even in big snowstorms, the littlest things matter: a one-eyed dog’s happiness over a bit of breakfast in the bowl, and relief to have electricity for long enough to brew coffee.

Tree branches hang low, some breaking, trees going down. My car is a white hill.

Christmas lights still glow inside near the pile of books, and the crockpot is warming. Just in case.

• Saluda Welcome Table at Saluda United Methodist Church resumes in 2019.

• Saluda Community Land Trust can be reached at SCLT’s office at 828-749-1560 or saludasclt.org. Keep SLCT in mind when making those holiday donations!

• Historic Saluda Committee will meet at 2 p.m. Friday at Saluda Public Library in the upstairs meeting room. The public is invited to attend. Learn more at historicsaluda.org.

• Saluda’s annual Hometown Christmas is from 6-8 p.m. Friday, with an Ecumenical service at 8:15 p.m. at Saluda Presbyterian Church.

• The Children’s Christmas Workshop is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Saluda Fire Department; free for kids 5 and older.

• The Saluda Police Department/City Hall are accepting unwrapped toys/donations for Saluda children. Donations need to be turned in to city hall by Monday. For information, call Jessica at 828-749-2581.

• Saluda School will be taking a holiday break from Dec. 22-Jan. 2. Students return to school on Thursday, Jan. 3.

• Happy December birthday to Judy Ward, Holly Wilkes, Theresa Wilkes, Perry Ellwood, Donnie Hunter, Jeff Bradley, Preston Mintz, Carolyn Morgan, Susan Casey, Jeff Jenkins, Nikki Ammerman, Cas Haskell, Mary O. Ratcliffe, Laura Fields, Lord Blanton,  Beth Brand, Jim Carson and Tom DeKay. Add your birthday to the list — no ages mentioned unless you’re under 2 or over 100! Promise.

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.