By Lee Emmons I first became acquainted with my neighborhood red-bellied woodpecker (​Melanerpes carolinus) when it visited my bird feeders last winter. Sporting a black-and-white-striped back with a red nape, this medium-sized woodpecker certainly made a visual impression. Its call was also memorable, a loud ​kwirr ​that sounded nothing like the other birds in my…

Remember the month of February, when the enthusiasm of a New Year and a new decade propelled you forward with excitement about your goals and dreams? It’s hard to believe February was just six short months ago. This week, the subtle influence of Jupiter and Neptune aligning may remind you of February and the person…

By Dom Cioffi Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire fought 12 separate wars. These wars make up one of the longest series of military conflicts in European history. Overall, these conflicts ended disastrously for the Ottoman Empire, which was stagnating as a world power. Conversely, the wars highlighted how Russia…

By Mary Ellen Shaw At this time of year your garden can be pretty full and sometimes you have too much of a good thing! What can you do to get the most out of your crops? The easiest solution is to freeze the items. That may involve a little work before they go in…

By Kevin Theissen We hear over and over again how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But being healthy for its own sake isn’t easy — especially when you’re facing down temptation or battling procrastination. For some, the monetary benefits of a healthy lifestyle may offer helpful incentive. Being healthy not only makes…

By Susan Shea There was a sucking sound as my rubber boot sank into the deep black muck. Naturalist Jon Binhammer and I were standing in the middle of a hardwood swamp in central Vermont. Above us, dainty red flowers clung to the still-bare branches of red maple trees and fat black buds encircled the…

Every few years, the old chestnut of the 13th signs gets re-opened, leading everyone to think their star sign has changed. It hasn’t. While sharing the same name, the constellations and the Zodiac are not the same thing. Around the time that ancient sky priests were observing correlations between earthly matters and celestial events, the…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg It was an exciting week of softball. One team stayed undefeated with the most thrilling win in league history and another stayed winless by choking away what could have been a thrilling victory. Both of the losers in those two games blew big leads. The first loser at least rebounded with…

By Dom Cioffi I’m officially over Covid-19. In fact, I’m over the year 2020 in general. Admittedly, when this whole quarantine thing started back in March, I experienced a bit of mild excitement mixed with cautious trepidation. Most of the excitement came from the thought of working from home. I have long grumbled about my…

By Merisa Sherman There’s a place I go to hide. It’s just a few paces off the beaten trail but somehow no one ever seems to be there. I maneuver past whichever old — but not quite rusted — pickup truck seems to be blocking my secret path that day and duck my head underneath…

The Outside Story By Rachel Mirus As you swat away blackflies this summer, look closely; it may be that not all those flies are flies. Some of them might be tiny sweat bees, members of the Halictidae family, which gets its common name because some species will lick sweat from human skin. Sweat bees are…

Killington Softball League game recaps By Dj Dave Hoffenberg The defending champions, Defend Title Fantastically (DTF), finally got in the win column, but it was not easy. They started the game going down 1-2-3 and First Stop Board Barn (FSBB) practically hit through their order, scoring five runs. Tall Tom Gilligan got DTF on the…

It all begins with a sacred quest. To begin, one must have a vision of perfection that will undoubtably not be met but must be strived for in any case. One might journey deep into the forest, a solo mission filled with dedication to a high standard. A lone branch, peeping out from underneath a…

By Mary Ellen Shaw If you planted a veggie garden in late May you are looking forward right about now to picking the “fruits of your labor.” At our house we have been enjoying radishes and lettuce for a few weeks. The beet greens are plentiful enough that we have cut them back and steamed…

By Dom Cioffi Anyone who is into music will undoubtedly remember their first live concert. Mine was a doozy, setting the excitement bar for what would be a lifelong love of live entertainment experiences. My friends and I had just graduated from high school and were reveling in a summer of fun before we headed…