I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer.&bsp; My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music. It is a fire that solitude presses against my lips. ~Violette Leduc, Mad in Pursuit

Welcome to mid-August Saluda notes and notations! Summer days continue to whisper into fall changes…and spider webs sparkle in early morning diamonds. Bright school buses will soon start the early morning rounds and a new pattern begins….blue shadows grow longer in the evening across quiet lakes.

The Saluda Center at 64 Greenville St. has Saluda artist Dale McEntires ICC art students showing their work this month. Stop in and take a peek at the work! Some of these students have worked with Dale for several years, and hes one of the best art teachers around: kind and always encouraging.

Saluda Community Land Trust meets the third Wednesday of the month at 3 at McCreery Park pavilion.

The Saluda tailgate market with fresh local produce and other goodies is on Fridays at the city parking lot off Main Street (follow the signs) from 4:30 to 6:30.

Plans are underway for the annual barbecue originally started years ago by Charlie Ward; its scheduled for Sept. 11, 2010. Of course, donations and volunteers are needed, so if youre interested in being part of the planning or want to contribute, please contact Judy Ward at 828-749-1349. This is always one of the most popular community get-together events in town!

Saluda School Notes: August 23- meet your teacher night at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium;

August 25 is the first day of school. Saluda School and the school playground has benefited from generous donations from Autumn Care, The Wine Cellar at Saluda Inn, Thompsons Store/Wards Grill, and others. Thank you for supporting our wonderful small-town school, which is a treasure.

Garden Notes: Dont forget to deadhead summer flowers to encourage re-bloom. Hummingbirds still will be visiting, and will keep looking for nectar treats. My feeders have been busy all summer with those iridescent little guys! One of my fish pond frogs is the same gorgeous shade of iridescent green a color I greatly admire. Hes gotten so used to Pooh and myself walking up to him, that he just sits there patiently on the mossy rocks…until Poohs snout gets too close for comfort then its time for a quick dip.

Happy August Birthdays to Robert Pace, 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, and Reeda Ward. Dont forget to send those birthdays in! Also, I cant resist wishing Randy Grobe a belated happy birthday many animals have benefited from his good and kind heart.

Please continue to keep Oscar Harbin, Charles Wolff, and Jim Freeman in your thoughts. Recently, I sent Jim a love letter and told him what hed meant to me: I think we should do such things throughout our lives… let others know what they mean to us. Jim passed away this past Sunday, and will be well remembered.

Talk about shopping local, one Saturday I shopped (and mostly talked!) along 176 all the way from Saluda, Tryon, Landrum, and then back again…and enjoyed every stop I made. When I spotted Randy Grobe outside the Frog and Swan, I turned the steering wheel fast to the right, pulled into the parking lot, and collected a big hug!

Did you know Randy has a dog park for four-footed friends in back? It was really nice, too a shaded peaceful spot that two-legged folks could envy. Along the way, I found John Wayne in Landrum, of all places! It just goes to show that right here in our own back yard, so to speak, is a plethora of fun things to do in a day.

Book Notes: Whats on your reading table this summer? On mine, always a pile of books and magazines…including The Mourners Bench, Huge, Deception, and The Lacuna…plus the ever-present books of contemporary poetry I enjoy picking up and perusing now and then.

Thank you&bsp; for your much appreciated thoughts and continuing feedback about this column! As ever, the goal is to make you, dear reader, feel like youre enjoying a front porch visit with me porch swing, birds, and a glass of sweet tea in hand. Keep in mind if you have something of note, feel free to e-mail me at bbardos@gmail.com; or call me at 749-1153.&bsp; You may also visit my website at bonniebardos.com