Alder and Willow Flycatchers: sibling species By Steven D. Faccio By mid-May each year I begin to look forward to the return of the alder flycatchers that nest in the willows along the stream near our house. Usually the last migrant to arrive on our property, this small, drab gray bird with its sneeze-like song,…

Like all serious literary artists, I exist within a near-constant state of writer’s block and often have to consult other people for ideas. When I ask my girlfriend Quinn what I should write about for my column, she always has the same answer: “Me.” I ask what I should write about her. She tells me…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Pisces Moon, with aspects that include the movement of the planet Mars, into the sign of the Twins. Whenever Mars enters Gemini the Male Principle splits in two and gives us a chance to approach things…

Flowering trees are beginning to bud and perennial flowers are starting to poke their heads through the dirt. These brave souls endured a really frigid winter and will soon wow us with their tenacity. Many of the annual blossoms in our yard have a meaningful connection to people in my life. I welcome the memories…

A gangly nerd avenges his past with extreme forays into athletics I was born a sickly child. Asthma, pneumonia, and scarlet fever frequented my childhood home. Moving to Vermont at the end of my seventh year, I grew up a wheezing nerd (a moniker I wear proudly). I grew up believing that I would never…

Go figure: how tree burls grow By Joe Rankin I’ve had my eye on this maple in my woods for some time. Not because it’s a beautiful timber tree. It’s only about eight inches in diameter, after all. But it has an interesting burl about 14 feet up the trunk. As a woodturner, I love…

Where does Tom Brady rank within the annals of sports cheaters? On May 6, the NFL’s 243-page “Wells Report” implicated Brady in January’s “Deflategate” scandal, wherein the Indianapolis Colts accused the New England Patriots of using underinflated footballs—in violation of the league’s p.s.i. requirements—during their AFC Championship victory. Now, the official word is that, yes,…

By Dom Cioffi During the recess after my freshman year of college, several of my friends and I decided to head to Cape Cod to work for the summer. The idea was to rent a beach house for three months, get mundane jobs that catered to the tourist crowd and party as much as possible.…

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON By Dom Cioffi Sitting directly on the border between North and South Carolina is an amusement park called Carowinds. It has all the usual trappings of a modern-day theme park with fun activities, incredibly over-priced food, and a host of rides for every level of thrill seeker.  Up until this…

Submitted James Lee Stanley I had never met James Lee Stanley nor seen him perform prior to interviewing him, but the conversation was like talking to an old friend. He is a very personable man with quick wit and vast musical knowledge. These traits will certainly translate into a great show at the Norman Williams…

I took a field trip last week to the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston to see the famed Samuel Adams brewery. I was in the city anyway, and it felt like an important beer-lover’s pilgrimage that I ought to make once in my life, in order to pay tribute to New England craft brewing’s wellspring:…

Vernal pools: Hatch, grow and get out By Barbara Mackay Three things happened this week: bluebirds and tree swallows returned, my road was graded, and the red maple buds popped. It’s time to search for vernal pools. Vernal pools are small areas of wetland that form in the spring and dry up during the summer.…

Fish go with the flow By Tim Traver There are times when fish appear telepathic. Consider the uncanny way a school of bait fish moves as one to avoid a predator, or the way goldfish in their lighted bowl turn towards the glass when someone walks into the dark room. Researchers often describe this ability…

Before you head to the multiplex to witness what many expect to be the summer’s biggest blockbuster—“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which comes out on May 1—you may want to ask yourself one question: what, exactly, are Marvel’s “Avengers” avenging? The answer: nothing. They’re not avenging anything or anyone. Nothing about the Avengers’ formation or behavior…

Are you thinking that the ski season is ending and you don’t want to leave Vermont? Then don’t, if there is a way around it! For some people life in Vermont compared to a big city just can’t be overlooked. Since my husband, Peter Shaw, was recently reflecting on the path his life took when…