WELLFLEET — Swells from the aftermath of Hurricane Ernesto and an eerie fog mixed with drifting smoke from Canada’s wildfires enveloped White Crest Beach on Aug. 18 as hundreds of […]
Visual Stories
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 3 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
A Time of Blessings in Disguise
Where there are challenges, momentum’s not a bad idea
Virgo season is full of blessings in disguise. Mercury transitions into its sign of Virgo midweek, bringing clarity and making goals slightly more attainable, so try to keep your eyes […]
SURFING
The Oldtimers Longboard Classic Turns 50 in the Fog
Surfers brave hurricane-powered waves for a day that’s more ‘goofy’ than competitive
WELLFLEET — Swells from the aftermath of Hurricane Ernesto and an eerie fog mixed with drifting smoke from Canada’s wildfires enveloped White Crest Beach on Aug. 18 as hundreds of […]
SEASIDE GARDENER
Kale by Any Other Name
The search for a seedling’s Portuguese culinary roots
I saw the dark green, somewhat spindly plantlets this past May at Bayberry Gardens in Truro. The hand-lettered sign contained a single word that I’d never seen before — “couves,” […]
MARKET REPORT
Brewster Wool Inspires a Procrastinator’s Return to the Loom
A would-be weaver follows an alpaca down a rabbit hole
A friend had a significant birthday recently, which is to say that one day she turned a decade older than she used to be. By “recently” I mean over two […]
STYLE NOTEBOOK
Michelle Silvi Puts Her Own Stamp on Block-Printed Textiles
A former fashion entrepreneur slows down for makers markets and finds happiness in the handmade
It was a vintage tunic that led Michelle Silva to found Amisha, the label she designs in Boston. It was beautifully colored in saturated hues of red and pink, block […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Eye to Eye With a Catbird
Seeing the soul of the natural world on a banding day at Wing Island
BREWSTER — I pulled into the parking lot of the Cape Cod Natural History Museum at 5:30 a.m. on a mid-August morning that was hot and humid even at that […]
PHILATELY
One Small Impression at a Time, a Big Picture of American History
Hugh Daugherty’s ‘chockablock full’ stamp collection
Hugh Daugherty lingers under the low doorjamb of his 19th-century house in Eastham on a sunlit afternoon before he turns and leads the way through his office — what used […]
LAVENDER & LACE
A Salt Lover’s Life
The intertidal zone around the circular 40-foot-deep Salt Pond in Eastham is divided into strata: the inner ring is composed of the tall saltmarsh cordgrass, which prefers the inundation of […]
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. 27 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Invasion of the Dogfish
Schools of small sharks are here, and they’re beating the bass and blues to the bait
As we roll from summer into fall, the fishing, regrettably, remains sporadic and most days just not very good. Bluefish are still hard to find, and the striped bass aren’t […]
CEPHALOPODA
The Kids Will Squid
A newcomer joins a summer night’s ritual on MacMillan Pier in Provincetown
PROVINCETOWN — It’s 7:30 p.m. and the sky is changing from navy blue to black. It’s squidding time. Squidding is a tradition passed down through generations, says Maxine Meads-Stojiljkovic, the […]
AQUACULTURE
Off the Tides, the Work Goes On for Oystermen
Culling, sorting, tumbling, tagging, and selling are unseen tasks of the trade
WELLFLEET — Jimmy Mulpeter stands under the shade of a patio umbrella on an August afternoon, holding oyster after oyster against a metal gauge before tossing them into one of […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
Enthusiasm Abounds. Can You Curb It a Little?
Beware the call to flights of fancy
Virgo season continues, with Mercury finally stationed directly in Leo, leading to a welcome energetic shift. The stars beg us this week to temper action with a healthy dose of […]