By Todd McLeish As an avid birdwatcher for more than 30 years, I’ve long been familiar with the big picture of songbird migration. Tiny blackpoll warblers, for instance, fly 1,500 miles from southern New England to the Caribbean in a single two- or three-day flight across open water with nowhere to land if they…

This week, Halloween week, my birthday week, was a grand week. I am up to 13 days of skiing this year, and I hiked straight up Double Dipper and skied every day. My inning schedule went out the window, but sneaker spiking up the mountain every day has me in pretty great shape, I am…

By Daris Howard While we were traveling through Peru, our university group spent many hours studying old churches, archeological digs, and ancient artifacts. But the thing I loved most was to see how common people lived, especially while traveling through Ollantaytambo in the sacred valley of the Inca. There I learned some very interesting traditions.…

It was nearly three years ago that the journalist Farhad Manjoo published the seminal Slate article “This Is the Greatest Hoodie Ever Made: How American Giant created the best sweatshirt known to man”—still surely the most influential and frequently cited work in the annals of hoodie journalism and the main catalyst for the popularity of…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week's Horoscopes are coming out under a Void-of-Course Cancer Moon, with aspects that include Mercury's entrance into the sign of the Scorpion, along with a conjunction between Venus and Mars at the 23rd and 24th Degrees of Virgo. As far as that goes, it's a sign…

Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. — LUDLOW — The Black River Academy Museum will be holding its annual pot luck members’ dinner and meeting on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Church of the Annunciation, 7 Depot Street, Ludlow. The speaker will present a slide show of Historic Ludlow houses/buildings/blocks. If guests have any old photographs,…

Courtesy of Paramount Theatre BUDDY GUY Friday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. — RUTLAND — Guitar great Buddy Guy makes a visit to Rutland, for a performance at the Paramount Theatre on Friday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. It’s rare to win a Grammy, and many consider it a great honor to even be nominated. Buddy Guy…

Courtesy of ArtisTree ArtisTree actors rehearse for “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” for an audience of one, at Damon Hall. Friday, Nov. 6 — HARTFORD — ArtisTree Theatre Company presents “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” a hilarious comedy with wit and drama, which opens Friday, Nov. 6 and runs Nov. 6-8 and 13-15 at Damon Hall in…

Courtesy of WRVP David Marmor as Mark in “The Philadelphia,” written by David Ives and directed by Jennie Marx. Nov. 6-8 — ROCHESTER — It’s just an ordinary day at the Crazy 8 Café…or is it? The White River Valley Players showcase eight short plays in this clever production, which uses the fictional “Crazy 8 Café” as…

Courtesy of Brandon Artists Guild “Icicles” is a watercolor by Jean Cannon, part of the all-member show at Brandon Artists Guild. Friday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. — BRANDON — The Brandon Artists Guild is proud to announce an all-member show, “Fine Art Gifts for Holiday Giving,” being held Nov. 4 to Dec. 29, with an opening…

Courtesy of Donald Saaf “Coffee House” by Donald Saaf is part of his “Town and Country” exhibit featured at Castleton Downtown Gallery through Nov. 28. Local artist presents “Town and Country” exhibit Friday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. — RUTLAND — The Castleton Downtown Gallery in Rutland will feature the works of local artist Donald Saaf running…

Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. — RUTLAND — Devil’s Bowl Speedway wants to hear from the region’s grassroots stock car racers. Management from the Vermont facility will host and moderate an open-discussion informational meeting at the Holiday Inn Rutland/Killington in Rutland on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Participants in all divisions of racing on both asphalt and…

Friday, Nov. 6 at 12 p.m. — BRANDON — “The Art of Giving: The Giving of Art” holiday show at the Compass Music and Arts Center provides art enthusiasts and holiday shoppers with a selection of handcrafted, one-of-a-kind artwork, jewelry and other gifts. The show opens on Nov. 6 and runs through Jan. 9, 2016. This year’s…

Friday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. — RUTLAND — Castleton University will celebrate the grand opening of the Castleton Downtown Gallery II located adjacent to Castleton Downtown in the Opera House on Merchants Row in Rutland. The grand opening will feature the permanent installation of “The Rutland: ‘Ideal City’ Drawing” by Art Professor Bill Ramage on Friday,…

Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. — RUTLAND — The Rutland Area VNA & Hospice (RAVNAH) presents its first annual Veterans’ Community Expo on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the American Legion Post 31 in Rutland. More than half of America’s veterans say they have little or no understanding of the benefits due them, and many are especially…