PROVINCETOWN — There were still 20 minutes left of the documentary, and Bruce Mason wanted to know if he could finish it before giving an interview. It was the day […]
Visual Stories
I SCREAM
The Annual Outer Cape Ice Cream Report
Independent writers dare to share on dairy
At the Independent, many things change every year: the headlines, the bylines, the deadlines, and, for a few, the hairlines. But some things never change. Independent writers are back in […]
THE SEASIDE GARDENER
The Bewildering Beauty of Foxgloves
Learn the ways of biennials to grow these lofty stars of the late June garden
Foxgloves have a sense of mystery about them — even their name is a subject of lore. They are, however, very easy to grow in a Cape Cod garden if […]
GOOD HUMOR
Eastham’s Ice Cream Lady
A jolly jingle electrifies the air in the parking lot at Thumpertown Beach in Eastham. Seconds later, Nicki Waite swings into view, driving her vintage ice cream truck: a 1973 […]
FOOD MEMORIES
In Search of a Fourth of July Wattamelon
A DIY adventure recreates the inner goodness of Friendly’s famous dessert roll
I lived out in Oregon for more than a decade before moving home to the Cape in 2022. My husband and I often planned trips here around the Fourth of […]
CONSTITUTIONAL
Healing the World, One Stitch at a Time
Diane Midura knits together her love for gardening, birds, and democracy
Diane Midura is still flying her knitted Ukrainian flag outside Ocean Purls, her Eastham yarn shop. “I started knitting it days after the Russian invasion,” she says. She didn’t think […]
ON THE BEACH
The Language of Fishing
Why fishermen’s back and forth is jovial even when they’re getting skunked
I wait all winter for the precious June afternoons when the wind and sun are at my back, and the tide is low and incoming. These are perfect conditions for […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
It’s Hide and Seek With Bass, but the Seals Are in Plain View
Boats work together to make Provincetown a good fishing port
The game of hide and seek we’re playing with our striped bass continues — they seem to be unwilling to settle into an area and stay put. It’s a daily […]
TRAP SHOOTING
At Home on the Range, With Clay Pigeons
78 years after its founding, a gun club gets its dedication
EASTHAM — The story among members of the Nauset Rod & Gun Club is that their first trap house — the shelter from which clay pigeons were thrown — was […]
FASHION FORWARD
Super Grover in Leather
It’s a warm Tuesday morning in Provincetown and artist Paul Rizzo is wearing knee-high athletic socks with garters, a royal blue vintage speedo, a black leather chest harness, and a […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, July 1 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
STRANGE BIRD
A Cardinal Squawks for Some
Others cover their ears when the Firebirds’ unofficial mascot yells
ORLEANS — George Hoskey has a low, gravelly voice that draws strength from his diaphragm. If he pulls it taut, he can release a piercing squawk. A friend once measured […]
NATURAL SELECTION
Ovals of Opuntia
There’s something kind of human about a mature patch of Opuntia humifusa, the Eastern prickly pear cactus. Maybe it’s the plant’s new growth and round fruits that attach along the […]
WEATHER
The Humidity Will Take the Holiday Off
One of the busiest times of the year on Cape Cod — the Fourth of July — is upon us, and the weather looks to cooperate quite nicely through the […]
FOUND AT THE FARMERS MARKET
Sunflowers Rising
June 28-29, 2025 Wellfleet and Truro If you’ve just missed the farmers market, try exploring some of the local farm stands. Sea and Soil Botanical Designs (Pole Dike Road, Wellfleet) […]
