“When you possess light within, you see it externally.”
– Anaïs Nin

Mid-August brings dragonflies flitting through sun-drenched afternoons, lacy spider webs sparkling in early-morning diamonds, changes to skies as feathery pink-rose Joe Pye weed whispers of fall coming along two-lane roads.

As you know, the trials, travails and treasures that come along the path get shared in this column: whether river journeys, loss of a beloved dog, Pooh Garden stories, ice storms, strange noises under the car, the fact that coffee on a porch swing makes things alright in the world, and so on.

These little vignettes vary from month to month; and I like to think you enjoy assorted meanderings and tales that give personal feeling to a world that’s become too impersonal.

Spring and summer, I kept promising myself daily to make an appointment for an eye exam, putting it off until I had extra money in the piggy bank. These days, whatever you need most costs double, so it took a while. My prescription reading glasses hadn’t done the trick with fine print: it runs together in a haze. Forget tiny print on packages (why is it that manufacturers make the directions for anything unreadable?)

Reminding myself that once 5-0 knocked on my door eyesight (and just about everything can change) I’d mutter “old age” while struggling to focus on undecipherable lettering or wondering if it was a bug or olive in my salad, trying to make a joke out of the changes.

The exam showed a fast-growing cataract that effects people even in their 20s: not age-related kind. Making a long story short, I was handed phone numbers for an ophthalmology clinic, along with N.C. Services For the Blind, which helps people that don’t have health insurance or large sums of money for eye surgery. The word ‘blind’ struck fear in my heart.

I hope my story will encourage others to not put off that eye exam like I did. If you feel something may be wrong, get it checked out.

Trying to keep sense of humor intact and not resort to a pity party, I wondered if this could be considered an excuse for ignoring dust bunnies or my latest art work shows a more impressionistic feel.

Good eyesight is often taken for granted; so with morning coffee, I watched birds, colorful flowers and morning sparkles even more closely. Suddenly it all seemed very, very precious.

Community: There’ll be a reunion of all former Saluda School students at Saluda Mountain Jamboree, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. Call Peggy Johnson for information, 828-692-6357. Thanks to Bill Russell for passing this on!
Saluda Center: Charlene Pace presents ‘Memories of Saluda Past’ Aug. 24, 1 p.m. On Aug. 31, Martha Ashley hosts a bus tour of Saluda Inns, 10 a.m.

Saluda School will have meet-your-teacher night in the auditorium on Aug. 23, 6 p.m.; school starts Aug. 25.

Saluda Garden Club meets third Monday of the month at Saluda Presbyterian Church.

Saluda Community Land Trust meets at 3 p.m. first and third Wednesday at the Pavilion at McCreery Park.

The Saluda Tailgate Market is on Fridays from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Happy August birthday to B.J. Kent, Linda Kaye Haynes, Cindi Miller, Paul Stoney, Jen Pace, Zack Pace, Don Mintz, John Earl Rhodes, Caroline Tindal, Nora Ward, Samantha Ward, Reeda Ward, Natalie Aaybe and Peter Eisenbrown.

Thank you, dear readers for reading this column! Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com; or 828-749-1153. You may also visit my website at bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on facebook.