The doodlebug waits. It is patient. It is silent. And it is hidden under a fine layer of dry, loose, sandy soil at the bottom of a small conical pit. Soon, a wandering ant will slip down the side of the pit, where the sickle-shaped mandibles of the doodlebug will rise from the bottom…

  I used to dismiss this tweeny season. The weeks of muted, russet yellows, browns and purples, that comes between the green of summer and fiery colors of fall.  I used to lament the passing of summer, and pine for fall, and the winter ahead. And in that wishing and waiting, I overlooked this beautiful,…

They blaze across the sky, Leaving a stream of wonder behind, A stream in the sky, Wanting to be heard, They dive through space, Their stream full of stars, Trying to tell stories, Stories of whooshing through space, With a great ball of fire, Leading it all, But the secret to its beauty, Is all…

  The more things change, the more they stay the same. And while things may have had a stable or stagnant quality to them, believe me, they are indeed changing. When we think about change, we tend to look for the big events. Strange though, isn’t it? So few of us actually enjoy being on…

The Vermont Film Festival has been busy setting the stage for filmmakers, actors, producers, and industry professionals to share their work on the big screen while enjoying Vermont’s beauty during the latter days of summer. Taking place in the Woodstock area, Aug. 23 -27, the inaugural festival aims to unite filmmakers from around the country…

Through August and September, Vermont’s volunteer hunter education instructors are currently offering a limited number of courses throughout the state. These courses are a prerequisite for purchasing a hunting license, making them essential for anyone new to hunting. Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s hunter education coordinator, Nicole Meier, emphasizes the significance of these courses. She explains,…

  Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.—RUTLAND—Jake Owen, who is a multiple chart-topping singer/songwriter whose new single “Made For You” is rapidly climbing the Billboard Country Airplay charts, will be playing the Vermont State Fair this weekend on Saturday at 7 p.m.  With eight No. 1 songs to his name, Owen will be one of…

    Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.—RUTLAND—Friday night at the Vermont State Fair, 8084, will dazzle the Diamonds and More Grandstand audience with their live performance. When it comes to iconic rock bands, few can match the longevity and talent of 8084. Formed in November of 1982, this Vermont-based band quickly rose to fame…

  Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m.—RUTLAND—This Thursday, multi-platinum star Gabby Barrett, who has been making waves in the country music scene, will play at the Vermont State Fair. With over 2.5 billion career streams worldwide, Barrett’s debut album, Goldmine, has garnered critical acclaim and features the Top 5, Platinum single “Pick Me Up.” Her…

  By Curt Peterson  For two years, JuanCarlos Gonzalez, who lives in Plymouth, visited farms in Vermont, taking pictures of women owning and/or managing their enterprises. Billings Farm in Woodstock will be exhibiting 45 of his images in their historic barn from Aug. 19 through Oct. 31. Gonzalez has gathered the best of his photos…

  By Jeffrey Reel Editor’s note: Jeffrey Reel is a resident of Hartland. Critical thinking has been described as an ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason and reflect; to make informed judgments and decisions; and to clarify, articulate and justify positions … thinking carefully about a subject or idea, without allowing feelings or opinions, exclusively, to affect us.…

  Dear Editor,  August is Itchy Pet Awareness Month. Itching is a very common problem in pets and  can drastically affect their quality of life. Itchy pets are one of the top reasons that people  seek medical care for their beloved furry family member.   There are a myriad of reasons that a pet can…

    Dear Editor, Blue Cross’s Vermont Health Connect premiums have risen by over 90 percent during the last nine years.  This year Blue Cross and MVP are asking for double digit increases.  Is this sustainable? In reviewing a book calling for a total overhaul of the U.S. health insurance system, MIT’s Peter Dizikes noted…

  By Tom Rogers Editors note: Tom Rogers, of Stowe, works for The Nature Conservancy in Vermont.  Vermont’s increasingly destructive flooding disasters are happening because our rivers are doing exactly what we have spent more than 200 years intentionally designing them to do — rush water off the land as quickly as possible.  As the…

  The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) issued decisions requiring Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Plan, Inc. (MVP) to modify the premiums they wanted to charge individuals and small businesses for health insurance plans in 2024.  In 2023, these plans covered just over 68,000 Vermonters.   The premium increases requested by BCBSVT and MVP…