A whiter shade of pale by Dom Chioffi For the last 30 years, I have witnessed the effect that the word “sale” has on my wife. For as far back as I can remember, that four-letter noun as lured her into countless purchases that she never needed. Many times, she doesn’t even want the item…

By Kevin Theissen Most understand that waiting to claim Social Security benefits can result in higher monthly payments. However, many don’t know that there are other ways to maximize their benefits, some of which depend on their marital status. Understanding the strategies for maximizing your Social Security retirement income benefits should be prefaced with a…

By Sandra Mitchell Walking through the woods on a crisp December day, I spotted a flash of green amongst the rocks, snaking up through the snow. Greenery in a forest full of gray and white is a treat, and so I stooped to study the fern frond that was firmly attached to a rock. In…

by Merisa Sherman As the ski racing world arrives in Killington this week, we who ski and ride here look up and see our local ski hill transformed into an amazing scene. Flags from around the world line the grandstands and a huge VIP structure takes over the party scene at the Umbrella Bar. The crowds…

by Cal Garrison This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of a void-of-course Scorpio Moon that will remain in that state until it turns new and enters Sagittarius on Tuesday, Nov. 26. As you all know, we are barreling down on the Thanksgiving holiday. I find it interesting that Venus, also known as…

Tour de Force I drove my family into the Blue Ridge Mountains this past weekend for a little rest and relaxation before the holiday season officially kicks off. We stayed at a beautiful establishment called the Grove Park Inn, which has been around since 1913 and has hosted everyone from presidents to sports heroes to…

Each month you settle down to pay bills. You pay your mortgage lender. You pay the electric company. You pay the trash collector. But do you pay yourself? One of the most basic tenets of sound investing involves the simple habit of “paying yourself first,” in other words, making the first payment of each month…

By Dave Mance III The blast of a gunshot: a deep bass roar she feels in her chest, followed by a treble ringing in her ears. The buck drops. The hunter remains in her crouch, watching the animal’s last breaths through her scope. When he is still she rises, trembling from the cold and the…

One of the specifications included in late summer completion of the Cold River Road relocation project, thanks to engineer Mark Youngstrom, required the planting of trees where the original Cold River Road was. Otter Creek Engineering prepared the road project plan, M&M Construction did the road relocation, and Youngstrom with Tree Warden Gary Salmon got…

Well, it’s almost here…Thanksgiving time! For most of us it’s all about the food. Family recipes are used to prepare many of the dishes that will be served. In some cases these recipes are on index cards and are handwritten. Some cards have a line with the words: “From the kitchen of…” I particularly love…

Band on the run This past weekend while I was sitting in our living room watching a football game, my son came bouncing down the stairs and then flopped onto the couch. He glanced over at me and in an upbeat voice asked, “How’s it going, dad? How’s your day?” Now, as most parents know,…

Some of us share a common experience. You’re driving along when a police officer pulls up behind you with lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops. “Are you aware the registration on your car has expired?” You’ve experienced one of the costs of procrastination. Procrastination can cause missed deadlines,…

British soldier lichens are among the first wild things I remember being able to identify as a child. I loved spotting this lichen during forays into the woods – on a giant boulder or atop a decaying stump – its tiny, bright red caps seemed whimsical and somehow happy. I still love to find British…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Leo Moon. Over the last week I have done charts for four or five people, ranging in age from 19 to 65. Every time I do a reading I come out of it loaded with compassion…

I never had a tree house as a child and was not exposed to the view from a tree canopy until tree stands entered my life. The look of a forest is completely changed when one is actually in the forest canopy and to go from the land of the root flare and tree trunk…