March is usually snowstorms and mud, mud and snowstorms but this March has been warmth, thaw, and mud. I have not kept track but it seems we have had warm weather for the past three or so weeks, with a few high wind storms thrown in to keep us honest. In the beginning of this […]
I went off on a bit of a chase for spring on Friday, without really knowing that was what I was doing. I was to write about a woman who lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, outside of Portland, about three hours from here. I left early to be able to arrive at 11. The hills […]
“Please, tell us about the Gloucester, Massachusetts, guy who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean without any hands or feet.” That’s a typical request I receive in the mail (or e-mail) from time to time. But most people don’t have it quite straight. Yes, a Gloucester fisherman by the name of Howard Blackburn did row across […]
READ MORE: More Cape Cod articles MORE PHOTOS: Cape Cod Photos by Alison Shaw It’s a light that glows from within, like driving into an Edward Hopper painting. Bright, buttery, demanding, it glances off the water and sinks into the sand and sea-weathered shingles. Paint me, notice me, it whispers–I’m spring for your eyes and […]
At this time of year, when the ice is disappearing from the ponds and some fields are greening up, patches of snow or ice stay along the edges of shaded roads and in the north corners of fields. They’re a shock of white in a spring landscape. Sometimes, if it’s a warm day, I think […]
I spent a quick getaway at The Balsams in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, about six years ago and it was a lovely vacation, complete with outdoor adventure (ice skating, cross country skiing, and downhill skiing) and scrumptious food–two things I thoroughly enjoy. That’s why The Great North Woods 30K Classic cross country race, scheduled to […]
Farmer Jay has been clearing logs from around the edges of the big field to the southeast of my house. He’s gone back into the cordwood business, he tells me, after a brief hiatus. He did not say why but I assume the favorable price of cordwood might have something to do with it. Cordwood […]
At the very end of my book, Saturday Beans and Sunday Suppers: Kitchen Stories from Mary’s Farm, I make reference to a chicken pie that I like to make on cold winter evenings, such as it will be tonight. Ever since, I have been chastened by readers who lamented I did not include the recipe. […]
At first glance, Jill Hoy and Eric Hopkins: Elemental Rhythms seems an odd pairing, not because the artists have so little in common but because they have so much. The occasion of their joint exhibition at the Thos. Moser Cabinetmaker gallery in Freeport, Maine (January 28 to March 31) provides an opportunity to consider their […]
In search of affordable oceanfront New England properties, we’ve found eight for $300,000 or less in New England’s most beautiful coastal area. Read more about Maine: Down East Stories Can you imagine a county in New England more than twice the size of Rhode Island–with only two traffic lights? Well, the town of Lubec and […]
1. Lay your head on super-healthy organic pillows (standard size $55-$114; European $50-$132; shams and cases $30-$38). HEART OF VERMONT, Barre, VT . 800-639-4123; heartofvermont.com 2. Undyed, unbleached flannel sheets and pillowcases ($28-$58) are toasty on cold nights; a cashmere throw ($248) adds a layer of luxury. GARNET HILL, Franconia, NH. 800-870-3513; garnethill.com 3. This […]
Don DiMugno has a knack for displaying his collections. Friends pay the ultimate compliment when they tell him that “everything looks just as though it belongs.” Here are some of his best tips: Whenever possible, maintain your collections by category or theme. Mixing collections (different periods or subjects) can create a sense of chaos. Keeping […]
