What would you do if you found your dog outside fighting with a raccoon? Or if you found your inside-only cat playing with a dying bat inside your home? You might think that these are uncommon occurrences, but these scenarios do happen and could have a deadly outcome. Rabies remains a major concern worldwide, killing…

Among the most fascinating men I have met are two athletes, both well into their 80s. Both, when we met, appeared remarkably healthy, strong and robust. The odd thing is that what I learned most from each was not about fitness, but about aging. We will call the triathlete “Pete”. Pete competed in triathlons around…

You’ve discovered a tiny evergreen forest of what looks like diminutive hemlock or cedar trees, barely taller than a chipmunk. They’re spread across the cool shade cast by a canopy of hardwood or coniferous trees. This Lilliputian forest is actually a clump of clubmosses. Clubmosses are among the oldest plants on Earth, having evolved over…

What do you get when you combine a chemist, a farmer, and a wine salesman? Quite possibly one of the healthier alcohol choices and perhaps the tastiest! Hard apple cider has made its way into the alcoholic beverage market with clout, as substantiated by the number of cider enthusiasts in attendance at the first ever…

There are a lot of similarities between me and Chris Bohjalian. We both grew up in the New York City metropolitan area. We both write fiction. We both additionally serve as columnists for Vermont newspapers: he writes weekly for the Burlington Free Press, I fortnightly for The Mountain Times. There are also a fair number…

What affects leaf color? New England, and Vermont in particular, is known for its vibrant displays of fall foliage colors. While, in one sense, it seems odd that we get such joy from the annual death of leaves off deciduous trees, in another, it show appreciation for natural cyles of change. But  why do leaves…

Fall is the time most fruits on woody plants, not just on fruit trees, mature and become most colorful. These come in various forms, types, and colors, with names such as berries, pomes, and drupes. In addition, there are other attractive fruiting or seed structures on some landscape plants and vines. The following and more…

By Dom Cioffi Autumn is upon us and with it comes a host of seasonal activities – one of the most popular being the annual trek to the apple orchard. When I was a child apple picking meant picking apples. It meant driving to a hillside orchard, pulling your car directly into the aisles, climbing…

Saturday marks the long awaited return of the Kenny Mehler Band to Rutland. Kenny Mehler is no stranger to the area, as he’s been playing it since 2001 and he’s been a regular in the Killington scene in the winter. Now, you get a fall bonus: a first time appearance at The Local on Merchant’s…

By Dom Cioffi Several years ago I took a solo trip to Paris (a major checkmark on my personal bucket list). I had been there with a small group a decade prior, but due to the short timeframe and the distraction of appeasing multiple personalities, I always felt that I didn’t get to really appreciate…

By Debbie Boyce Three years ago Tropical Storm Irene presented many Vermonters with a challenge not many had ever experienced. Irene and other damaging storms show us the importance of being ready for anything. Vermont is susceptible to a number of disasters: floods, blizzards, chemical spills, cyber-attack, pandemic, and other events. The best way to…

by Cindy Phillips I remember life before the internet. It was those days of yesteryear, before Al Gore invented it. Research was done at the library. Communication was on a rotary telephone or via handwritten notes. You needed a stamp to send a letter and you had to walk to the corner to put it…

By Carolyn Lorié This has always been my perception of bird migration in the fall: the days grow short and cool and then, one day, I notice a v-shaped caravan of Canada geese flying southward. Then another and another. Within a few weeks of that first sighting, I hear their melancholy call one final time…

Putting my son to bed at night has been a test of my patience since the day he was born. When he was  an infant, I would change and swaddle him and then place him in his crib, careful that he couldn’t slide though any bars or injury himself in any way. When I was…

By Brett Yates As I write this, the Phoenix Mercury are going head-to-head with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA Finals, which seems as good a time as any to reflect upon the tendency of the Women’s National Basketball Association and other relatively new pro sports leagues to employ singular nouns as team names, instead…