Sandra Mansi’s photograph of something mysterious in Lake Champlain has led to a lifetime of questions.
trees
I have a longtime love of libraries, reaching back to when my mother would leave me off at our town library while she did errands elsewhere. I was there in that library by myself, which in itself gave me a sense of freedom, but, I also learned, the books that rested on those mahogany shelves […]
Gardens
Planting Buddies for Your Crops
Companion planting is a time-honored, if not always scientifically proven, technique for combining certain plants with others to protect them from pests or to otherwise enhance their growth. Garden lore includes an almost endless supply of “recipes” for supposedly beneficial plant combinations, and research by scientists and gardeners indicates that many companion planting arrangements really […]
Magazine
Diary of a Ski Patrolman: Week 10
Monday If you’ve never had bright orange and yellow tassels on your ski poles, you’re missing out big time. Not only do my newly acquired pole decorations add color to any overcast day, they instantly make me the coolest patroller on the mountain. Why else would every guest on Mountain Road turn to watch me […]
Magazine
Diary of a Ski Patrolman: Week 9
Monday It’s a good thing that I was dispatching today. You see, I had the bright idea to try snowboarding yesterday afternoon. I made it down without falling on two runs. For the other six I think I fell more frequently than I stood upright. I’ve never had so much fun falling over and over […]
Yankee
Below Zero, Not so Cold
A week or so ago, I woke up to remember that I had forgotten to buy milk on my way home the night before. Tea without milk is no way to start the day. I reluctantly emerged from my down comforter, opened the front door, and let the dogs out. WHOA! I took a look […]
Magazine
Diary of a Ski Patrolman: Week 7
Monday As of last Friday I’ve acquired yet another honorable nickname. At least, I think it’s honorable. It’s called the “Herb” award. Well, it’s a yellow name tag that I must wear proudly on my vest, just above the old one that says my actual name. Actually, I don’t know what my actual name is […]
Magazine
The Restorer
The water still calls to him. Nearly 40 years living in Down East Maine hasn’t changed that for Jon Wilson. He’s not on the ocean as much as he’d like–his work keeps him more tethered to the land than it used to, he’ll say–but the longtime sailor still gets out there when he can. He’s […]
Living off the grid means living with the rewards and the contradictions that come with that decision.
Ski — or snowshoe — Vermont’s Catamount Trail; then relax in style at country inns and bed & breakfasts.
When we first heard about Fetchstix, the initial question that came to mind was: “Is this an example of Yankee ingenuity or a sign of the apocalypse?” Wagatha’s, a small company in Manchester Center, Vermont, that produces organic dog biscuits, has started selling bundles of maple sticks as boutique dog toys for $12.95 a pop, […]
Magazine
2010 Fall Photo Contest Winner
This blog is a first for me in a couple of ways: I haven’t written for a blog before, and I’ve never entered a photo contest before. That’s mainly because there are so many great photographers out there, and I didn’t think I had any chance of being a finalist, let alone a winner! The […]