By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Among summer’s many sweet offerings are wild berries. And among these, blueberries are my favorite. Years ago, I took to carrying large, empty yogurt containers in my car – and smaller vessels in my backpack – so I would have something to fill should I pass a good berry patch. My…

By Dom Cioffi I hit the nostalgic trifecta this past weekend when my wife and I attended a concert featuring three retro acts from the late '70s and early '80s Months ago, I got an email promoting all the popular musical acts touring the country over the summer. I went through the list and picked…

By Gary Salmon The mortality figures are astonishing among the three tree species nearly eliminated from our eastern and Midwestern landscape by either chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica), Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi), and now emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). Four billion chestnut trees killed since blight introduction in 1904 (most between 1930s and ’50s and…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Many of us had pets growing up. Dogs and cats were the most common pets but goldfish, turtles and birds also had a place in many of our homes. On my street three of my closest friends had dogs and I had a cat. The dogs wanted to spend time with…

By Kevin Theissen The Federal Reserve has been dealing with the worst inflation in over four decades. Investors, consumers, and workers are also feeling the sting of higher prices. High inflation has forced the Fed to react by turning up interest rates at the fastest pace since the early 1980s, according to St. Louis Federal…

By Merisa Sherman The water was so calm, you could have heard the drops from the paddle as you glided along if we all weren’t talking and laughing so much. The sunset pinks were just coming up over the sky and the water was taking on the hues as well. We went from being surrounded…

By Gary Salmon This is the business end of a purple sticky trap. It is a three-sided affair which is suspended from a tree nearly 20 feet in the air. We have all seen these hanging from “trees of concern” to help determine the presence of Emerald Ash Borer. Even our roads in Shrewsbury had…

By Sandra Dee Owens Every summer, my skin was covered in ooze. My immune system’s response to the itchy rash of blisters caused by southern Vermont’s most prolific crop—poison parsnip. Minutes after mowing, weed trimming, or hiking, the skin on my hands, arms, chest, torso, and legs would become hot and itchy, a precursor to…

By Declan McCabe Earlier this summer, I joined graduate school friend and beetle biologist, Kristian Omland, in search of the elusive cobblestone tiger beetle (Cicindela marginipennis). We loaded a canoe with insect nets, jars, and binoculars to view beetles while minimizing handling. Absent from our kit: entomologist’s killing jars. Ours was a catch-and-release mission. The…

By Dom Cioffi As a lifelong sportsman, I’ve always had the opinion that, given enough time and effort, I could probably become adept at most any activity. I’m not saying that I’m a gifted athlete, but rather, I’m coordinated enough to be able to transfer those abilities to a myriad of disciplines. For example, I’ve…

By Dom Cioffi While I was traveling last week, I decided to pop into a bakery that I’ve frequented over the years. It’s one of those quaint little places that, as soon as you walk into, you know it’s good simply based on the smell. Filled with breads, pastries, pies, and fresh brewed coffee, I…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Several years ago, I was awakened nearly every day of late spring by a recurring – and very loud – bird sound. I say “sound,” rather than “song” because this particular noise was not so melodious as the cheery whistling of the robin or the musical trilling of the hermit thrush.…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann At this time of year, many people are heading to lakes, ponds, beaches, and pools, perhaps toting their mobile devices, and booting up a frothy beach read or two, or an intellectual nonfiction bestseller. If you’re one of them, either you’re doing everything you can to escape from work, or you’re…

By Kevin Theissen The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found in a recent study that one in five adults over age 50 knows a family member who has been victim to a scam. The Federal Trade Commission reported 96,000 victims over the age of 60 just in the first quarter of this year, along…

By Mary Ellen Shaw I realized that I am “stuck” in the '50s when Venetian blinds are still my choice for privacy and keeping out the sun. Apparently, the majority of consumers have moved on to more modern options! About a year ago my husband picked up a replacement blind for one of our living…