DUXBURY – When I hug my son after a day of fall bouldering, his hair smells of the sun-warmed rock we’ve been climbing over. It’s a distinctive odor, evocative of gray ledges and golden light returning after rain, and yet it’s not the rock I’m smelling, but tell-tale traces of[Read More…]
Columns
Final Garden Chores to Do Before Winter
CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Winter is fast upon us. The shortest days of the year are ahead, but gardening is done for most of us. That being said, I still have flowers in bloom outside: my witch-hazel trees are showing gorgeous, twisty-petaled yellow flowers, even after a light snow and[Read More…]
Little Rain, Fire Danger Remains High Through The Week
HARDWICK – It has been an interesting week weather-wise. We started last week off with a light accumulation of snow, to quickly have the pendulum swing toward record warmth. Montpelier’s high on Thursday was 75 degrees, which exceeded the previous record of 70 set back in 1956. Other stations around[Read More…]
Clearly, We’re Naifs in the Political World
EAST HARDWICK – On the penultimate weekend before the election, Bea showed up in the yard right around dark, having started from Nahant after her last Friday meeting. We were both ready for supper; so I fed Kiki, and we went out for Mexican and a beer. It was to[Read More…]
Cabot Residents Deliver Relief Supplies to N. Carolina
CABOT – We delivered all the donations given for Hurricane Helene relief to Western North Carolina. It turns out they caused our Toy Hauler to be overloaded, although it didn’t seem that way at first. The wheels on the trailer were straight and true. We had trouble with one of[Read More…]
Closing Time: How (Some) Turtles Shut Their Shells
COVENTRY, R.I. – In cartoons, when a turtle is spooked, it retreats into and closes up its shell. While used for comic effect, this imagery is based in fact, although not all turtles are capable of this protective feat. In the Northeast, there are three native turtle species that have[Read More…]
Wood Turtle at Risk in Vermont
VERMONT – While spiny softshell turtles are threatened in Vermont and spotted turtles are endangered, wood turtles could soon be threatened in the state due to land use change. That is why the state’s Fish & Wildlife Department is watching the species closely before more serious intervention is required. The wood turtle, a[Read More…]
Mudflat Wanderers
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION – Autumn bird migration in Vermont often brings to mind graceful flocks of Common Nighthawks and Canada Geese wheeling their way south, or perhaps the famously confusing fall warblers that move through the state in huge numbers. In this land-locked state, one would be forgiven for overlooking[Read More…]
Warmer Soon, Then Cold for Weekend
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon. High: 66. Low: 52Thursday: Partly Sunny, High: 73. Low: 55Friday: Showers likely, predawn hours in the morning. Possibility of snow flurry over night. High: 60, temperatures gradually falling through the day. Low: 33Saturday: Coldest day of the week, mostly sunny. High:[Read More…]
I Had the Leisure to Reflect
EAST MONTPELIER – Sometimes, when the stars align fortuitously, everything turns out fine: your car stops burning oil, your wife’s Raynaud’s quits bothering her, and your kid moves his drum set to the garage. Other times, when the alignment is bad, everything goes to smash. That was the case with[Read More…]
Gardening for Body and Soul
PANTON – Research shows that spending time in nature enhances our physical and mental well-being, so it’s no surprise that gardening offers similar benefits, including reducing stress, anxiety and negative thoughts. Gardening is an all-around wonderful activity for the body and soul. Gardening offers access to sunlight, nature, physical activity and[Read More…]
Citizen Science Key to Preserving Monarch Migration
PUTNEY – “The only way we know a lot of this stuff is because thousands of people have helped us collect data across the landscape,” one Vermont expert said. From August to November the members of Putney Mountain Hawkwatch stand on the summit of their namesake spotting and surveying migrating[Read More…]
