I had already been working as an astrologer for 20 years when I got invited to write this weekly column. It started out as a radio broadcast on WEBK, in Killington, Vermont. It morphed into a newspaper piece when the radio show folded and people wrote in asking if maybe the Mountain Times would run…

BYO newspaper By Kyle Finneron The grass is green, the nights are warming up, and if you’re anything like us you’re getting a little cabin fever. While the order has been extended and gyms are not able to open we know that everyone is getting a little stir crazy. Being active is essential for all…

By Dom Cioffi The last couple months of lockdown have certainly had an effect on society. For many, the loss of employment and underlying fear of sickness has been a constant source of stress and anxiety. I recently read a long-form magazine article, written by a distressed restaurant owner, that broke my heart. The author…

Aging in Place by Scott Funk Until Covid-19 turned our world upside down, we defined heroes in terms of the military or first responders. Quickly, the definition was broadened to include hospital, nursing home, and even essential service personnel, like grocery store check-out workers. After the tragic outbreak of the virus at a meat-packing plant,…

By Laurie D. Morrissey Once, when I was little, I was so thrilled to come across a gorgeous, dark-red trillium that I picked it and placed it in a vase in the house. I was disappointed when it quickly wilted. Not only that, but it smelled bad. Such is the dual nature of this spring…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Cancer Moon. In the last week or so, all my readings have been filled with questions about true love. It amazes me how all of us keep that flame burning no matter how many times life…

By Merisa Sherman It is an absolutely gorgeous Saturday morning in May. The daffodils, pansies and just mowed lawn are now covered with 4-6 inches of dense marshmallow snow and the sky is a stunningly bright blue. There atop the never-before-skied headwall, stands extreme skier and Pittsfield resident, Mark Bragg, prepping for one of the…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Flowers give pleasure not only to the one who plants them but also to those who view them. I learned that firsthand recently on a couple of occasions. A young local artist, Carrie Pill, asked if she could paint one of my gardens. It is near the city sidewalk making it…

As the lockdown continues for most Americans, my son is growing increasingly irritated by his inability to socialize with friends. Most parents understand the need for social distancing, but the kids are having a much harder time since they live their lives believing they are bullet-proof from sickness. As I noted in past columns, I’ve…

By Kevin Theissen Life as we know it has changed dramatically during 2020. As the coronavirus spread across the United States, cities and states issued shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent healthcare facilities from being overwhelmed by critically ill patients. In May, when states started to reopen, Americans began to…

The Outside Story By Olivia Box As spring arrives, so do… bats. Like many other naturalists, I spend lots of time during this season looking for migrating salamanders and blossoming bloodroot. I’ve never thought much about what bats are doing this time of year. It turns out these flying mammals, who retreated into hibernation back…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of an Aries Moon, on the eve of the Sun’s entrance into Gemini. By the time Wednesday rolls around, the light and airy energy that permeates the matrix when the Sun’s in the sign of the Twins will…

The Movie Diary by Dom Cioffi The backyard of my property is framed in a thick cluster of trees that blocks almost any hint of other homes. I can hear voices and lawnmowers in a number of directions, but my visual range sees only greenery. Obviously, this is the case during the spring and summer…

By Merisa Sherman Tarentaise. Ascutney Mountain. Grafton Maple Smoked Cheddar. Vermont Smoke & Cure Summer and Fortuna’s Cacciatorini Sausages paired with some fresh made six-grain bread and all washed down with some Mac & Maple Cider. It’s amazing to think of all the wonderful foods we have in Vermont just at the tip of our…

By Laurie D Morrisey One of the first spring wildflowers you’ll see – perhaps even before the last shaded patches of snow disappear – is the violet. This common flower, which blooms from April through June, is widely known and easily identified. There is more than one violet, however. The genus Viola contains some 500…