When my next-door neighbor left a bag of local corn and tomatoes on my doorstep, it was like Christmas in July. I am polyamorous when it comes to corn and […]
Visual Stories
READING ROOM
When the Big Bad Wolf Walks in the Door
A children’s book about domestic abuse might be best read in a supportive setting
The book was handed to me by my daughter’s friend with a request to read it aloud. We were at the Wellfleet Public Library, and as I started reading, I realized […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Limit Reached, Commercial Season for Stripers Closes
The case for revising catch limits to decrease losses of ‘shorts’
Commercial striped bass fishing closed for the season on Aug. 3 and will not reopen until next June. The 735,240-pound quota was filled, and that’s all she wrote. It was […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 9 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
CAPE COD BASEBALL
Orleans Swept by Yarmouth-Dennis in Playoffs
Firebirds finish with 18-22-4 record overall
ORLEANS — The number-three seeded Orleans Firebirds were swept out of the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs by the number-two Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, ending the Firebirds’ 2022 campaign. Orleans finished […]
BUGGIES & BIRDS
On ‘the Outer,’ Piping Plover Protection Is Working
From Nauset Beach to Race Point, shorebird programs balance over-sand vehicle access
ORLEANS — From the sandy bank of Pochet Creek emerge two small piping plover chicks. Their fuzzy plumage serves as camouflage against the sand, making it nearly impossible to spot […]
CROSSWORD #34
Monster Mash-Up
Happy Carnival to all!
NAVIGATING BY THE STARS
Maybe Your Horoscope Is a Reflection in a Cosmic Mirror
Looking up at a looking-glass sky, a way to reframe your narrative
It’s okay if you read this astrology column with a big grain of salt. I write it with one. There’s only so much stock we can put into the intangible, […]
D.I.Y.
At Homemade Flower Stalls, Gardeners Show Their Colors
The season’s most ephemeral businesses are in full bloom
A big white poster catches my eye as I drive along Herring Brook Road in Eastham. It is adorned with images of butterflies, sunshine, and pink flowers, with lettering that […]
FUN & GAMES
Daubers, Hourglasses, Lucky Charms, and Bingo!
Tuesday night regulars at the Elks have their rituals, but beginners are welcome, too
EASTHAM — I used to think that bingo was simple. Listen to the numbers as they’re called. Mark them if you see them. Five in a row means you’re a […]
COOK’S KITCHEN
A Gift of Preserved Lemons Awakens a Mussel Memory
Chatham mussels meld deliciously with North African flavors
Mussels will always seem glamorous to me. The first time I had them, they were presented so artfully: a small woman carrying a steaming, oversized stainless-steel pot walked into the […]
BACK TO THE GARDEN
When Dirt Is Your Canvas, Start With a Big Idea
Rules that lay the groundwork for designing the space you seek
Late summer and early fall are good times to plant. Which means now is a good time to start thinking about that garden bed expansion or adding the new plantings […]
MOVEMENT
Making a Comeback, the Careful Way
Lessons from an athlete’s slow and steady recovery from Lyme disease
My friend Andy has always been a good athlete. He loves running, skiing, and tennis — and he does them all well. He was also extremely lucky, rarely getting injured. […]
FORMER HUB
The French Cable Museum Offers a Snapshot of History
It’s one of just three such cable station museums in the world
ORLEANS — Inside a small white colonial house in Orleans is a telegraph cable station that once made this spot an international communications hub. Now it’s the French Cable Station […]
SAVED SPACE
A Crowdsourcing Campaign to Preserve a Book Store
The owner of Womencrafts is raising money to purchase the shop’s building
PROVINCETOWN — Soon after Michelle Axelson got the bad news — the building that houses Womencrafts, her business at 376 Commercial St., was to be put on the market — […]
