TRURO — Santa Claus (though some said it was Mike Tarvers) stopped by the Community Center on Dec. 12 to encourage singing during lunch. So, 30 students from Truro Central […]
Visual Stories
CROSSWORD #58
Winter Wonderland
VIBES
Tuning In to Tranquility
A winter sound bath, because no flower stays in bloom year-round
You might think about a ringing bell and imagine the force that preceded the sound: there’s a clapper oscillating back and forth in response to the flick of an impatient […]
GROWING WILD
Nap Time for a Fancy Fern
The local ferns in the Dryopteris genus all have feather-like fronds, but they can be differentiated by their varying degrees of frilliness. The compound leaves of D. marginalis, the marginal […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Dec. 17 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
WARRIORS WATCH
Nauset Wrestling Welcomes Five Tech Students
This year’s team is up to 21 members but is still missing some weight classes
SANDWICH — Chaz Thomas walked onto the wrestling mat at the open meet at Sandwich Middle High School on Saturday, Dec. 14 and greeted his opponent. “He’s probably the strongest […]
RABBIT HOLES
A Rabbit Species That Once Was Lost Is Now Found
The rare New England cottontail persists, and maybe thrives, on the Outer Cape
WELLFLEET — For decades, the New England cottontail, a rare species of rabbit, appeared to be nearly wiped out here. But a new study has found evidence that these rabbits […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
With Winter Comes the Hunter
Look to the constellation Orion for bright stars and newly formed ones, too
If there is one constellation that most people can identify, it’s Orion — the hunter. He strides boldly across the night sky, a club in one hand, a shield in […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
You’ll Get There, If You’re as Stubborn as a Goat
Capricorn season requires a little extra effort from everyone
The Sun is making its transit from Sagittarius into Capricorn, and remember, these ambitious sea goats are notorious for getting what they want. That’s because they have the drive, resources, […]
RABBIT HOLES
A Rabbit Species That Once Was Lost Is Now Found
The rare New England cottontail persists, and maybe thrives, on the Outer Cape
WELLFLEET — For decades, the New England cottontail, a rare species of rabbit, appeared to be nearly wiped out here. But a new study has found evidence that these rabbits […]
COOKIE SWAP
In Praise of the Joe Frogger
The cookie for a town’s sailors and those who didn’t fit the Puritan ideal
The Joe Frogger deserves wider recognition, full stop. It’s a historical American cookie made with pantry staples and features a molasses base spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. It’s firm […]
MEET THE MAKERS
A Community for Craftspeople, Customers, and Friends
Holiday markets bring out artisans by the dozens and shoppers by the hundreds
The holiday markets here celebrate a long history of handicrafts made on the Outer Cape. Where there were once bayberry candle makers, rug hookers, net weavers, beach plum canners, and […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
With Winter Comes the Hunter
Look to the constellation Orion for bright stars and newly formed ones, too
If there is one constellation that most people can identify, it’s Orion — the hunter. He strides boldly across the night sky, a club in one hand, a shield in […]
D.I.Y.
A Good Woodpile Is a Curmudgeon’s Comfort
Ban the tarp, have a stacking strategy, think about your BTUs, and enjoy the ambience
It’s the season for stoking woodstoves and laying in firewood. But those are arts that, up to now, I’ve only been the beneficiary of. I like sitting by a glowing […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
A Piece of the Forest’s Winter Fabric
Emerging from the woven woods, a deer forces a pause
I was on my daily pilgrimage to the ocean, driving north along the bluff above the water in Wellfleet. It was the dimming end of a silver-skied November day, and […]