New England’s autumn progression is in a bit of a holding pattern this week as we wait for the tropical air associated with Isaac’s remnants to pass. It’s not at all unusual to have a warm week or two in September, and tropical remnants work through New England with regularity as well, so I don’t […]
winter
Adorned with portraits of American heroes and depicting important battle scenes and scenic views, antique Historical Staffordshire is a popular collectible.
New England
Apple Orchards | 7 Wonders of Fall
‘Ashmead’s Kernel’, ‘Roxbury Russet’, ‘Belle de Boskoop’, ‘Pink Pearl’, ‘Winter Banana’ … The names of antique and rare apple varieties are part poetry, part history lesson. Many go back centuries, some as far as the Renaissance. The tiny ‘Lady’ apple, also known as the ‘Pomme d’Api’, was first recorded under that name in 1628, but […]
New England
The Encyclopedia of Fall: H is for Hunter’s Moon
We harvested more potatoes today, on a warm, clear October afternoon, geese threading south high above. With the first killing frost a few days ago, we now light a fire at night, but steadfastly refuse to turn on the heat during the day. Here in central Vermont, the temperature went down to 58 in the […]
Winter squash may be stored for as long as three to six months, depending on the variety, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune to rot. Look for squash that feels firm and heavy for its size, with no soft spots or areas of visible decay. The rind should be hard and dull, not glossy. For […]
We call it “winter” squash, but that’s a misnomer. Like most vegetables, the butternuts, acorns, Hubbards, and delicatas piled on shelves at this time of year are planted and picked during the warm growing season we just eat them in the winter. They’re close cousins of the zucchini and pattypans overwhelming your garden in July […]
New England
New England Fall Foliage Outlook For 2012
Perhaps you haven’t noticed yet, but there are signs of fall beginning to show up all around us. The sun is setting a little earlier, and rising a little later. The birdsongs of spring and summer have quieted now as the birds molt before migrating. The last of the wildflowers: the goldenrod, the JoePye weed, […]
Magazine
Oh, Canada, Their New and Native Art
Oh, Canada (not to be confused with the Canadian national anthem O Canada) is a survey of contemporary art from Canada at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in the far western Mass. Art mecca of North Adams (through April 1, 2013). I am indebted to my colleague Greg Cook of the Boston […]
Connecticut
Coventry Farmers’ Market in Coventry, CT
No matter where I travel around New England from May through October, I am always thinking about which Farmers’ Market I can visit as part of my trip, and I know I’m not alone. The popularity of community markets has grown so much over the past few years that it seems most towns set aside […]
A garden just isn’t quite the same without a few birdbaths dotting the landscape. Well maintained birdbaths placed in inviting locations for wildlife entice a plethora of native birds and other thirsty woodland creatures to garden areas, providing endless hours of quiet entertainment and enjoyment. Birdbaths also create plenty of photo opportunities and observations worthy […]
New Hampshire
Canterbury Shaker Village
Summer vacations have always been a quiet affair for me. I live in southern New Hamsphire, in a rural community that endures six months of winter by envisioning the dazzling months of June, July, and August that always await us. There are other seasons to travel, but summer, for me, has been a chance to […]
Eric Aho gets around. Born and educated in Massachusetts, raised in New Hampshire, he lives in Vermont, summers in Maine, and currently has a solo exhibition in New Hampshire. Transcending Nature: Paintings by Eric Aho at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester NH (through September 9) features 30 paintings that display the range of […]