It has been written that upon approaching our shores shipmen of old would take great pleasure in the sweet perfume of Clethra alnifolia that traveled over the waves to welcome […]
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, August 6 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
Let Mercury Give You a Cosmic Do-Over
Own your flaws; don’t let them own you
Retrograde season is in full swing with Mercury joining the ranks of Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. This time around, things should start off fairly smoothly, as Mercury retrogrades in its […]
WEST END DISPATCH
Secret Plots of Lilies and Foxgloves
A writer joins PAAM’s 25th annual annual garden tour
PROVINCETOWN — Realizing there might be a limit to what can be done and learned in this world, I have taken to asking, when getting to know someone, “What are […]
FROM THE LARDER
Low and Slow Is the Way to Go With a Bumper Crop of Beans
Sweet and luscious green beans, braised the way a Louisiana grandmother made them
I had a lot of things for the first time in college. Sex, for example — that was a keeper. And bagels. We didn’t have bagels where I grew up. […]
FORAGING
Where the Wild Things Grow
Sarah Naciri carefully ‘wildcrafts’ a way into the local economy
Across much of the Outer Cape, along wooded trails, the sides of roads, the edges of marshes, and the mouths of rivers, those who pay close attention to the land […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Windless Week Makes for Good Fishing
What’s to worry about? Depredation and invasive species.
It’s been another good week for catching striped bass and some bluefish. Provincetown charter and party boats all reported excellent catches, and we’re very grateful we’ve had a windless week […]
CAMPCRAFT
How to Build a Beach Fire
Permits, kindling, and other rules for safeguarding the beauty of a summer ritual
Building a campfire is a rite of passage. The first one I built on my own was one that kept me warm on a cool night in Vermont. It seemed […]
RUSH HOUR
Walking Wags the Dog in Truro
A report from Corn Hill Beach
TRURO — It’s eight o’clock in the morning, and the traffic at Corn Hill Beach is heavy. This strip of sand on the bay side is a downtown of sorts […]
TRANSITIONS
In Fancy Frocks of Red
The native Lobelia cardinalis was named for its intense cardinal color, which in turn was derived from those certain Catholic clerics (who for centuries have fancied frocks of the brightest […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Birdbaths and Other Ways Birds Stay Cool in Hot Weather
As heat waves worsen, some species might not stick around here for summer
The beginning of August is just about the hottest point of the year on Cape Cod. This year has already proved to be a warm one: a mid-June heat dome […]
CAPE BASEBALL
Rain Causes Calendar Crunch for the Firebirds
There are more games than days left in the Cape Cod League regular season
ORLEANS — The Firebirds will have to slog through a tough schedule of back-to-back games to secure a playoff spot in the final days of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s […]
ENVIRONMENT
Cape Cod’s Coral Gardens (Yes, We Have Corals Here) Are in Trouble
NOAA expands its research into deeper waters from Maine to North Carolina
If you were to picture coral right now, your mind’s eye would surely see tropical reefs with crystal-clear turquoise water. But that image is incomplete: the temperate seas around the […]
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 30 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
Bada Bing, Bada Boom
When Jupiter joins the party, it’s time to give things your all
Last week we talked about avoiding blowups. This week we’re seeking them out. The precarious placement of the Sun sextile Mars is changed when Jupiter joins the party. Jupiter, the […]
