By Kevin Theissen As we face increased uncertainty about our lives, work and the markets, it can be easy to become anxious and fearful. We may face more surprises as we learn to live with the pandemic and figure out how to manage the economy through this. The best way to prepare ourselves and combat…

Last July, Rich Kelley posted a most unusual photograph to the Vermont Birding Facebook group with the caption, “Someone bit off more than he could chew.” The photo, taken in the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, showed a belted kingfisher weighted down by a mussel clamped firmly onto its beak. They were locked in an embrace…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg The defending champs have never finished with a losing record so they had to win both their games last week. They were also battling Karrtel for playoff seeding. First up was First Stop Board Barn and they didn’t want to be the first victim. Defend Title Fantastically (DTF) started out hot…

By Merisa Sherman About three months ago, I was cocky and came into the Kent Pond parking lot a little too hot on my mountain bike. I felt my rear tire skid out as I hit the loose gravel but I was able to keep my bike upright ... until my front tire decided to turn…

  By Dom Cioffi Many memorable events occurred in the year 1986 – both good and bad – whose effects continue to resonate today. During the late morning of Jan. 28, 1986, I was heading to the school cafeteria to grab an early lunch. I was standing in line making conversation with some friends when…

By Cassandra Tyndall There’s an electric feeling in the air this week as one of the farther-flung planets, Uranus, grinds to a halt and heads in reverse, or retrograde, from our perspective. For some, this may hallmark exciting events, sudden new developments or the plot twist of new possibilities you’ve been waiting for. For others,…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg A good way to sum up your winless season is getting caught in a double pickle. A pickle is when a runner is caught between two bases. One is rare but two at the same time? Not good for First Stop Board Barn who is fighting for their first win. Their…

It’s an age-old quandary by Merisa Sherman It’s an age-old personal and preferential question on which I have been spending time this week in deep thought. Maybe I even meditated a little on this topic, just to see if anything would pop into my brain while it was completely at rest. Nothing happened, but it’s still one…

By Susan Shea Recently I saw a beautiful orange butterfly speckled with black – a great spangled fritillary –feeding on orange hawkweed in a meadow. I observed it through binoculars, so as not to scare it off, then slowly crept closer. I watched as the butterfly unfurled its proboscis, a tube that functions like a…

By Dom Cioffi I have owned trucks for most of my adult life. They have all been run-of-the-mill, fundamentally sound trucks. My wife has driven SUV’s for most of her adult life. They have all been run-of-the-mill, fundamentally sound SUV’s. None of the vehicles my wife and I have owned would ever be considered luxurious…

By Cassandra Tyndall They say that to be stuck in the past can keep you in a state of depression, while being too future-focused can be a cause of anxiety. Therefore, happiness is a state of presence in the here and now, that is why it is called the present. A full moon in Aquarius…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg After a brief hiatus, the league is back and playing in Chittenden at the beautiful field behind Barstow School. The three nights of games last week produced six blowout victories with the closest deficit being eight runs. The Chinese Gourmet remain undefeated and secured the No. 1 seed for the upcoming…

By Gary Salmon Two very interesting tree questions emerged in July and a visit to an orchard further created enough work to keep one busy with trees. Locally monitoring what appeared to be a much shorter white pine needle blight season kept June and July much greener as well. The drier spring resulted in less…

By Dom Cioffi I remember having numerous conversations after 9/11 that highlighted the fact that no one could have ever predicted the events of that fateful day. Sure, maybe some military experts or terrorism specialists could have foreseen a few suicidal maniacs flying commercial airliners into skyscrapers, but it never entered the mind of the…

By Merissa Sherman You can see the glow starting to grow between the trees and you know the summit must be soon and I quicken my pace to get to the opening. My right arm reaches around a tree and a swing my feet around to land on a rock just below. A few quick little…