The winter remains of Queen Anne’s lace, Daucus carota, add dark structure to the meadow at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, the once-delicate umbels dried and contracted into shapes that, […]
Visual Stories
MORNING FLIGHT
How Birds Stay Warm
There’s fluffing up, cuddling, and countercurrent exchange; then, too, some birds seem to like the cold
Just about every conversation I’ve had over the last week has begun with some exchange of descriptors of this recent cold snap: it’s been chilly, windy, miserable. But while we […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
Look to Your Inner Circle
Invest in the bonds that hold friendships together
Now is a good time to strengthen your inner circle and the bonds that keep you together. With the Sun in Aquarius forming a trine with Jupiter in Gemini, this […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Gems of January
All things bright and beautiful in this month’s night sky
Celestial events often care little for our convenience. Meteor showers are best seen in the hour or two before dawn. (Did you catch the Geminids back in December at 4 […]
PRE-POP-UP
When the Canoodle Caucus Came to Dinner
Buttery onions and homemade pasta make for a luxurious lasagna
Back when political conspiracy theories seemed so absolutely bonkers (birtherism, for example) that they made us laugh out loud, a few of us decided to get into the zeitgeist and […]
RE-ROOTED
Not Carbon Neutral
PROVINCETOWN — Jay Critchley led the 42nd Re-Rooters Day ceremony on the beach in the East End, at a spot he says he chose for its embrace of the harbor […]
MORNING FLIGHT
How Birds Stay Warm
There’s fluffing up, cuddling, and countercurrent exchange; then, too, some birds seem to like the cold
Just about every conversation I’ve had over the last week has begun with some exchange of descriptors of this recent cold snap: it’s been chilly, windy, miserable. But while we […]
CROSSWORD #59
Point of Sale
WARRIORS WATCH
Nauset Boys Hockey Rolls Over the Hilltoppers
Ward and Poulin both notch hat tricks as Warriors remain unbeaten at 7-0-1
ORLEANS — The Nauset boys hockey team jumped out to a 4-0 first-period lead and coasted to a 9-0 victory over the Hopkinton Hilltoppers Monday night in front of a […]
NATURAL SELECTION
Shadow Dancing With the Pines
If you see a young pine growing in the dim understory, it’s not likely to be one of our iconic pitch pines — Pinus rigida, a pioneer species, is intolerant […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 14 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS
Aquarius Season Starts With Planning
What seeds will you plant come spring?
Happy birthday, Aquarius — your season is just about to begin. While last week’s advice still applies, and you won’t resolve all the issues in your life all at once, […]
RESOLUTIONS
Decluttering With Mom
A successful redistribution of stuff, with empathy for all that’s aspirational
In early December, I visited my mom at her house, a small cottage in Hyannis, where we had plans to set up her Christmas decorations. But when I arrived, she […]
THE WHOLE TABLE
Color Me Kitchari
The bright and flavorful secrets of a favorite feel-good one-pot meal
I have very strong opinions about food colors. My friends have already heard me out on this: I will not touch anything that has Red No. 3, Yellow No. 40, […]
MEET THE MAKER
When Glass Speaks
John Best’s sparkling boxes are made of movement, sound, and color
In his basement studio in Wellfleet, John Best is sweeping fragments of glass out of the way, searching for his early-1900s optician’s pliers. He finds them: the business end of […]
