It’s cold and I can feel the wind nipping at my exposed cheeks right above my mask. Based on the snow swirling at my feet, I cannot tell if the wind is straight smacking me in the face or swirling around me but I don’t care. The air is so clear and so crisp. Above…

By Declan McCabe Large fishing spiders walking on water can be fascinating – or terrifyingly unnerving. The latter reaction is common among Saint Michael’s College students as we sample Vermont’s streams and ponds. On one occasion, a normally macho student screamed, dropped his net, and leaped from the stream to avoid a particularly large specimen.…

By Cassandra Tyndall A matter you’ve been either avoiding or walking on egg shells about, may come to a head this week. We all eventually get to the proverbial line in the sand when the only way forward on an issue is to confront it. While potentially upsetting, once you’ve sliced and diced the matter,…

By Mary Ellen Shaw You may have more free time these days and if you are seeking lighthearted entertainment look no farther than your yard! It’s too nice this time of year to be indoors so pull up an outdoor chair and take a break from your gardening chores. In my younger days I never…

By Gary Salmon The problem with this article occurred earlier when my mind went searching for a photo of an ornamental hemlock tree growing in someone’s yard. I have a large collection of tree photos filed away in both my mind and computer available for a wide range of needs which requires that I only…

By Merisa Sherman It was the responsibility of the fifth grade and we took it very seriously. Instead of participating in the chaos of homeroom each morning, the designated group would get the flag from its place of honor in our classroom and slowly descend the main stairs. We would be the only ones in…

By Dom Cioffi My son and I have reached an interesting crossroads: we both wear the exact same size in our clothing, shoes, and headwear. I imagine this happens to many parents, but I wasn’t prepared for the repercussions of this convergence. It started with the shoes. About six months ago we wandered into a…

By Susie Spikol Each fall, thousands of broad-winged hawks soar across the New England sky in flocks known as kettles, on their way to wintering grounds in South and Central America. The sky swirls with hawks bubbling up on thermals of hot air and then streaming southward. It is enough to take your breath away…

By Cassandra Tyndall In order to fully let something go, it’s normal to have one final long gaze at it. Like those times you break up with a lover, knowing it won’t develop into anything more. Or those times you move, taking one last look at the house that stands before you. As you close…

By Merisa Sherman It’s so dry, that even underneath the protective straw, I can see cracks in the asparagus bed soil. The pansies on the western side of the garden are making their final push before their foregone surrender while the grass is a prickly brown that cuts your feet. The wildflowers are shirking their…

By Dom Cioffi I just did something crazy. Well, initially I thought it was crazy, but then I changed my mind. I just flew on an airplane. Given the last few months of Covid and quarantine, flying seems like the absolute last thing that any rational human being would want to do. But life dictated…

By Kevin Theissen As coronavirus restrictions ease and businesses reopen, the American economy should gain steam. Data released in May and June, including employment, payroll, and manufacturing numbers, suggested the economy may have hit bottom in April. The stock market, which reflects what investors think will happen in the future, appears confident the economy will…

By Michael J. Caduto There’s a story about an early tourist from New York City who stopped his horse and buggy to watch a farmer harvesting a spring crop of rocks from his land. The farmer was loading rocks onto a sledge drawn by oxen. The stranger called him over and asked, “Where did all…

By Cassandra Tyndall Days on the other side of the solstice often feel different, the skies are very quiet this week. That said, you might notice a shift in the quality of relationships as cosmic lovers, Venus and Mars change expression. Firstly, Venus ends her 44-day reversal through the sign of Gemini, an event that…

Summer weather is here and many more people seem to have an interest in gardening this year. Some people want to plant flowers and others want to grow their own food. One beneficial effect that has arisen from the pandemic we are living through is the connection to nature that is happening for many people.…