Plenty of backyard birdwatchers consider blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) the villains of the avian world. Mark Twain best summarized anti-blue jay sentiment when he compared the bird’s principles to that of an ex-congressman. In Native American lore, blue jays are portrayed as thieves and tricksters. Understandably, this songbird generates antipathy for its nest marauding, birdfeeder…

By Merisa Sherman Modern times call for faster cars and smoother roads, easing the methods of travel so we can get there quicker or go further. We are all trying to play keep-up by having the latest and the greatest, our noses glued to the blue light that comes out of our phones and rushing from…

By Cassandra Tyndall Among many things, astrology is the study of light. As planets traverse through the sky, they reveal different levels of light, depending on which part of the cycle they’re in. It’s no different to the way the Moon waxes into brightness, and then recedes into darkness. This week, the Sun and Jupiter…

By Dom Cioffi I joined Facebook early on – within a couple years of its launch. College kids were the early adopters, but after a year or two, savvy adults were starting to connect as well. I was cautiously curious when I first heard about Facebook. I’ve never been an early adopter of any media…

By Dr. Glen Molette Fall season officially begins Sept. 22 this year. For every season there is a change. Most of us like the seasons especially if we can have four of them. I like the fall as the weather seems more stable in our part of the country. For our neighbors in California they…

By Rachel Mirus The September before my daughter was born, my husband and I went for our last pre-baby hike around Camel’s Hump. We stopped for a snack on the ridgeline, and as we sat munching granola bars we were surprised to see a monarch butterfly flap past, battling the turbulence at this higher elevation.…

By Merisa Sherman As silly as it sounds, in my household the changing of the leaves brings thoughts of the first snow and conversations on when exactly that might potentially happen. Maybe it’s more thoughts of the first frost but it does still involve internal discussions of whether that frost could be potentially skiable in…

By Cassanda Tyndall One of the key features of 2020 is the extra-long tour of Mars in Aries. Instead of its usual journey of six weeks, Mars has been in Aries since late June, continuing until early 2021. As the red planet changes direction, you too may experience some kind of delay, setback or some…

By Merisa Sherman It all starts with a single leaf. There she would be, lying alone in the middle of a parking lot or a field. Without any of her friends around her and oftentimes no discernible origin. It’s usually a day with just a little breeze, a touch colder than normal but with enough…

We left off with the Chinese Gourmet holding a 1-0 lead over Rock Warriors in the best of three championship. Rock’s Chad Lonergan started the scoring in game two and his team added two to take a 3-0 lead after a half inning. CG turned a double-play on Kevin Duprey to end Rock’s at-bat. They…

by Dom Cioffi I’ve mentioned many times prior in this column that I’m a runner. I run every other day religiously, no matter what the weather or what state my physical health is in. I’ve done this for years and I’ll continue to do it as long as my body holds up. Some people can…

By Mary Ellen Shaw When the pandemic hit back in March I think we will all agree that it changed our lives in a “New York minute.” Fortunately for us, spring was right around the corner and we could focus on spending time in the garden. When you grow flowers or veggies you always have…

When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that today’s average 65-year-old woman will live to age 86½. Given these projections, it appears that a retirement of 20 years or longer might be in your…

By Declan McCabe Some of my favorite children’s books describe life cycles as heroic tales of persistence and redemption. From “The Ugly Duckling” to “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to “A Seed is Sleeping,” these stories have brought the miracles of growth and maturation to life for generations of readers. I can’t say, however, that I…

By Cassandra Tyndall When you’re in the midst of an emotive situation, it’s easy to become overwhelmed or consumed by it. Emotions can run high and before you know it, you’re not able to see the forest for the trees. Gaining perspective isn’t easy when you’re in the eye of the storm. This week, this…