Discover More from This Category: Columns

Taking it all in

July 28, 2021
By Merisa Sherman It had been a crazy day, with whitecaps rolling across the reservoir at a speed we had never seen before. With the water so high, the waves were splashing up and over the waterside fire pit. The rocky beach, which normally has plenty of room to relax and enjoy, was almost completely…

On the lookout for digger wasps

July 28, 2021
By Rachel Sargent Mirus Last summer while working in the garden, I was startled when a fast-flying wasp dropped a plump pumpkin spider on the soil in front of me. The wasp landed, grabbed the spider, and wiggled backwards into a small hole I hadn’t noticed, quickly covering the entrance as if to say, “Nothing…

Featured Pets for July 28 – Aug. 3, 2021

July 28, 2021
2‐year‐old. Neutered male. Tan and white. Hound mix. I am hoping to find a home where we can have snuggle time and listen to some tunes. Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700 • Tues. – Sat. 12-5p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org If you love the great outdoors…

Did you get your new Child Tax credit?

July 28, 2021
By Kevin Theissen Nearly 40 million American households have children ages 18 or younger, and last week, they received their first Advance Child Tax credit payment. These families account for more than 30% of the U.S. population. The amount each of these households receives depends on the children’s ages and the parents’ income. Eligible households…

To dine in style: From presentation to the final bite

July 28, 2021
By Dom Cioffi I had a meal recently that absolutely blew me away. My wife made plans to dine at a small restaurant with a good reputation and eclectic fare, and while many of our friends had visited this establishment multiple times, we had yet to stop by. I was famished when our reservation time…

Chittenden Softball League: onto playoffs

July 28, 2021
Rock Landscaping vs. Dirty Mike & The Boys Rock Landscaping took on Dirty Mike & The Boys and it was a close game through the first few innings. Chauncey Germain started the scoring for DMTB with a solo shot in the top of the first. Three straight doubles by the first three batters for Rock…

Truths revealed surrounded by addiction in ‘Die Beste aller Welten’

July 22, 2021
By Bruce Bouchard ‘Die Beste aller Welten’ — ‘The Best of All Worlds’: feature, narrative fiction, Germany, 2017. For those of you who remember and had the nerve for the breakout indie drug-nightmare film, ‘Trainspotting,’ which launched the careers of director Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor, we are straight up in that world in this…

Featured Pets for July 21-28, 2021

July 22, 2021
8-year-old. Neutered male. Pit/Weimaraner. Grey/white. If you are looking for a companion that has basic manners, is house trained and just an absolute love, look no farther. Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700 • Tues. – Sat. 12-5p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org “I’m a 9-year-old spayed female.…

How flowers get their color

July 22, 2021
By Frank Kaczmarek Sunlight exposes a palette of colors To quote the French dramatist Jean Giradoux, “The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.” Flowering plants fill our summer fields and gardens, bring bright spots of color to our woods, and, since their arrival on the…

Living under the unfamiliar sun

July 22, 2021
By Merisa Sherman Almost every morning this summer, I have been awakened by the sound of the clouds dumping rain. From one up to five inches an hour, the rain creates an almost demeaning sound on my metal roof. The rain has dominated this summer. I can see hints of color in my garden, but…

RCHS “Hot Dogs and Cool Cats” online auction closes soon!

July 22, 2021
The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) Hot Dogs and Cool Cats online auction is well underway and will close for bidding on Friday, July 23 at 10 p.m. With more than 230 items available for bidding, you’re sure to find something for everyone! The proceeds will go to the homeless animals at the Rutland County…

Planning for the second act

July 21, 2021
By Dom Cioffi In last week’s column, I talked about the documentary “Some Kind of Heaven,” which examined the lives of several retirees living in The Villages community in Florida. I found the movie interesting not only because I knew little about The Villages and its specific catering to seniors, but also because (as the…

Weekly Horoscopes for July 21-27, 2021

July 21, 2021
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="194740" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=".vc_custom_1582852508329{margin-top: 40px !important;}"][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_raw_html]JTNDc3BhbiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyaWNvbmlmeSUyMiUyMGRhdGEtaWNvbiUzRCUyMm1kaS16b2RpYWMtYXJpZXMlMjIlMjBkYXRhLWlubGluZSUzRCUyMmZhbHNlJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc3BhbiUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text="Aries" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1568082984251{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"] March 21 - April 20 [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When we think of fortune, it’s easy to slip into the idea that it’s just about money. In the ancient world, one of the truest forms of fortune was a good friend. If you take a…

A full moon rises

July 21, 2021
B Cassandra Tyndall As we enter the final third of the month, the sky welcomes a very different energy than of the first two thirds. Until the end of the month, we’ll see all the visible planets except for Saturn change signs. Venus, the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars will bring forth their own unique…

Meet the one-woman mothing machine

July 14, 2021
Episode no. 2 of My Side of the Mountain — overlooked stories of everyday life here in the Green Mountain State. 7-minutes.   By Ethan Weinstein Every night, once the sun sets, JoAnne Russo switches on her porch lights. Then, she waits. As the moths emerge from the darkness, Russo is ready with camera in…