You would think that after 50 years of obsessive globe-trotting in search of new and better places to fish, the last place I’d find would be a pond in my […]
Visual Stories
PASSOVER
Spring Greens and Bitter Herbs
Reflection and nourishment for the season of renewal
“April is the cruelest month,” a friend said to me recently, involuntarily quoting T.S. Eliot. I instantly understood all the ways they both meant it. The trees almost have buds, […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Look at Early Predictions for the 2024 Hurricane Season
Cold water for now, but a warmer ocean could mean a big year for tropical storms
Spring in winter and winter in spring. That’s what this crazy year has brought us so far, along with copious amounts of rain. The more unpredictable the weather seems, the […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Send in the Robots
Crewed space exploration is on our minds, but Earth should be our priority for now
Strangers see me standing next to my telescope on the street in New York or on First Encounter Beach in Eastham and think I might know the answers to any […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
How the Beach Draws Us Back
Over and over again, the chance to see something no one has ever seen before
Something about the beach felt different that morning. The feeling was quiet but persistent — a background sound humming below louder thoughts. I’d walked an eighth of a mile before […]
SWAMP THINGS
The Red Maple Helicopters In
On the Outer Cape, the swamp maple (Acer rubrum) can often be found with its feet wet, growing vigorously in low spots like the Atlantic white cedar swamp in Wellfleet. […]
RUNNING
Girls Are Off to the Races in Truro
A new after-school program unites Provincetown and Truro students
TRURO — The gymnasium at Truro Central School may not be vast, but until spring is in full swing, its perimeter is ample enough for 15 local elementary school girls […]
WARRIORS WATCH
Boys Lacrosse, Baseball Extend Winning Streaks
A weekly round-up of Nauset Regional High School sports
EASTHAM — After dropping its opening game, the boys lacrosse team (5-1) reeled off 5 straight wins with 3 victories last week. The Warriors beat Martha’s Vineyard, Groton-Dunstable, and Central […]
THE HERRING COUNTERS
On a Voyage with Captain Richard Bailey
A Wellfleet sailor travels the world by tall ship and is back in time for the herring count
WELLFLEET — Capt. Richard Bailey was fascinated as a child by two oil paintings that hung side by side in his great-aunt’s cabin on Chequessett Neck Road. On occasion, he […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, April 16 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
How to Navigate a Power Imbalance
Take your wins where you can. Or start a revolution.
Though the retrograde may have seemed rough at the start, it’s a best-case scenario, as these transits go. Mercury continues its retrograde into next week as it enjoys a little […]
CONGREGATIONS
Conservation Trust Is Ready to Make Offer on Chapel
For now, Pastor David Brown’s congregation is worshipping in Wellfleet
TRURO — At the instruction of property owners Bob and Kathy Valleau, Pastor David Brown and his parishioners moved out of the Chapel on the Pond before the month of […]
THE HERRING COUNTERS
On a Voyage with Captain Richard Bailey
A Wellfleet sailor travels the world by tall ship and is back in time for the herring count
WELLFLEET — Capt. Richard Bailey was fascinated as a child by two oil paintings that hung side by side in his great-aunt’s cabin on Chequessett Neck Road. On occasion, he […]
FERMENT
Getting Pickled With Garrett Smythe
A cook fills his pantry with pickles and kimchi
Pickles can be polarizing. There are those who favor the fresh crunch of half sours and others who hew to the notion that its sweet edge makes the bread-and-butter pickle […]
MORNING FLIGHT
The Sora on the Roof
And other rare birds that turn up when you least expect them
PROVINCETOWN — It’s hard to predict when you might find a rare bird. You might try after a hurricane, a good night of migration, or some other event that seems […]