By Susan Shea A walk in the woods during fall is likely to reveal an array of forest fungi. Ranging from delicate, tan mini-umbrellas to fleshy, white softballs to foot-long, orange-yellow shelves growing out of rotten logs, they come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Fungi are critical to the health of the…

By Merisa Sherman It starts the night before, as people start noticing the slight changes in the weather. Perhaps someone close to them has mentioned the forecast they have been following. You watch as your neighbor reaches for an old canvas to cover their most precious plants. Arriving restaurant guests remark on the bitter cold…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Halloween will certainly not be the same this year. The much anticipated parade will not wind its way through downtown Rutland. The crowd that the parade draws is not safe with social distancing guidelines. Sometimes we just have to accept that people who know more than we do have made the…

By Dom Cioffi My son started his first job about six weeks ago. He works at a local grocery store collecting carts from the parking lot, bagging groceries, and emptying trash barrels. He makes just under $10 an hour and couldn’t be happier. He generally works on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays so for the first…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Vibrant, energetic and uplifting: Words used to describe Grace Church’s new intentional interim pastor, Rev. Dr. Alberta Wallace. Blessed is the word to describe what the congregation should be feeling now that she’s here. The church is in the process of searching for a new settled minister. Until that happens, they…

By Kevin Theissen As the U.S. presidential election draws near, expect to see more and more headlines that propose, “What will happen next if this person is elected?” or, “What policy changes to prepare for in the next four years?” In reality, however, it isn’t easy to anticipate what may happen with the financial markets…

Last October, a young student in one of my nature journaling workshops pointed out a fuzzy yellow caterpillar with long black tufts. “Those kind sting!” he declared. He was the third student that month to point out the same kind of caterpillar as stinging. I remembered being warned away from hairy caterpillars as a kid,…

By Cassanda Tyndall What’s fair in love and war is likely to be highlighted this week. As the planet of love, Venus, makes a series of alignments to other planets, you might begin to question just how far you’re willing to go in order to find equilibrium. A sense of helplessness, powerlessness or lack of…

By Gary Salmon So who put the rock underneath this yellow birch tree? No one, but it is somewhat a characteristic of birches to occasionally get away with seeds landing and germinating on mossy logs, uprooted trees, rotten tree stumps, or even rocks or boulders. The common thread here is that the seed must land…

It began as a hike like any other. We met at the trailhead and slung our backpacks on our shoulders and pulled our sunglasses down to block the blinding autumn sun, while relishing the warmth. We started one way, and then abruptly changed our minds; we would walk straight up the big ascent first: a…

By Dom Cioffi I was flipping through the tv channels this weekend when I caught an image of Kim Jong-un, the maniacal dictator of North Korea. I settled on the station for a moment and watched as an American filmmaker interviewed a family from Pyongyang, the country’s capital. The family being interviewed was obviously on…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Drive-ins are no longer just for movies. In this Covid world, it’s a great way to see live music while social distancing. This Sunday in Brandon, don’t miss the album release party of Phil Henry and the News Feed at Jack McKernon Drive-in at Estabrook Field at 2 p.m. There is…

By Declan McCabe As I waded in Lake Champlain one summer, a fellow bather explained that just a little farther out, refreshing spring water would cool my feet. I have heard that old wives’ tale repeated at Lake Arrowhead in the Pennsylvania Poconos, and in Lough Ree in the Irish midlands. The explanation of colder,…

As Mercury applies the brakes and heads in reverse for the next three weeks, be prepared for topics involving communication, logistics and finance to experience delays, snafus or setbacks. In the sign of Scorpio, Mercury invites you to take a deeper look into a particular issue. This might mean having to feel things you’d normally…

To hear the pitter-patter of rain on the roof of the tent or that faint trickle of water running down the fly and outward from your head can be wonderful. The soothing sounds of raindrops carry you off to sleep, like a baby being rocked by its mother. Snuggling deeper into your sleeping bag to…