If your Acer turns a dull yellow in the fall, it’s probably not a native tree; while the sugar maple can hit that end of the spectrum, it does so […]
Visual Stories
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Highlights from bird sightings on the Outer Cape over a little less than the usual one-week period. The Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary tally for us ended a day […]
TURKEY TROT
The Trot Must Go On
Truro’s first-ever ‘Gobble Hobble’ makes its rainy debut
TRURO — Saturday dawned, but only barely. The light was low, and the rain was heavy as I exited the car at Truro Vineyards and sloshed my way over the […]
THE BASICS
Liquid Gold
Cooked on Thanksgiving Day or made ahead, homemade gravy is like money in the bank
When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal, there is no such thing as too much gravy. It’s a saving grace for any bird that gets too dry, an indulgent complement […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Long Island Sound Lost Its Lobster Fishery. Is Cape Cod Bay Next?
With warmer water and a steeper thermocline, it’s hard to know where the lobsters will go
Cape Cod and lobster are as much a match as peanut butter and jelly. It’s hard to imagine a summer without lobster rolls or that quintessential Cape Cod food adventure, […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
No Thanks to Retrogrades This Thanksgiving
The stars are saying take it slow and steady
This week the Sun trines Mars, squares Saturn, and moves into opposition with Jupiter. Those influences may have you feeling like you’re juggling lead weights. Not only that, but the Sun is […]
LOCAL ROOTS
A Vegetable Heavyweight Has Its Day
Getting Eastham’s famous turnip to the festival created in its honor is no easy feat
Friends’ Marketplace sells a lot of Eastham turnips — more than you might imagine for a humble root vegetable. “They’re starting to go through over 200 pounds of our turnips […]
THE BASICS
Liquid Gold
Cooked on Thanksgiving Day or made ahead, homemade gravy is like money in the bank
When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal, there is no such thing as too much gravy. It’s a saving grace for any bird that gets too dry, an indulgent complement […]
EAT YOUR FEELINGS
This Year’s Pie Fest Bests the Rest
Spirits were high, and so was the bidding, at Provincetown’s third annual Pie Fest
Downstairs at the Commons, three celebrity judges and two hosts eyed 14 slices of pie. One slice was naught more than a sliver; another bulged precariously. One spilled meat and […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 19 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
HOLIDAY SIDES
A Dressing From Down South
In this herb-heavy cornbread version, stuffing the bird isn’t required — just add gravy
People tend to be extremely biased about their Thanksgiving stuffings. They may try an unusual side vegetable or add a new pie recipe beyond the usual pumpkin and pecan (for […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Long Island Sound Lost Its Lobster Fishery. Is Cape Cod Bay Next?
With warmer water and a steeper thermocline, it’s hard to know where the lobsters will go
Cape Cod and lobster are as much a match as peanut butter and jelly. It’s hard to imagine a summer without lobster rolls or that quintessential Cape Cod food adventure, […]
A SHRUB LAUREATE
Pretty in Evergreen
Sheep laurel, one of several broad-leaved evergreen shrubs in the local understory, is prone to wilting — a defense mechanism that helps it conserve water during droughts and cold weather. […]
CHARACTER STUDIES
Mary Beck Has Seen It All
A lifelong Provincetowner who raised a town at Veterans Memorial Elementary
Mary Beck is sitting on the couch in the living room of her corner house in the West End. She’s a little hidden behind her oversize rectangular sunglasses. Beck is […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
A Balance of Fire and Air
As you seek a better world, pay attention to people’s motivations
This week the Sun moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius, the sign of the archer. This welcome transition acknowledges the importance of visionaries and seers, those who have the ability to […]
