When I was a kid growing up in the central Pennsylvania land of hunters, my father and I would sometimes head off into the woods in search of elusive wild things to shoot at. Dad…

Paying close attention to the backyard continues to yield some bird surprises for many people, as evidenced by some interesting posts we’ve noticed lately on various social media platforms. Over…

I don't want to be governor, and I never, ever, never wanted to live in the White House. No way, Jose'.

I never wanted to be elected to anything. I always said the only thing I would run…

Last week’s storm decimated the trees in our yard, exposing raw tissue where limbs severed. Branches, graced by buds that will never open, lay scattered on the killing snow.

Taking in the…

There are 93 long-term care facilities in Maine, most of which are either nursing homes or assisted living facilities for seniors. About a dozen of these are in Lincoln County.

This past…

While we’ve been enjoying watching the season slowly unfold from our backyard and some nearby areas, we’ve also been doing our share of virtual birding. By that we mean that we check the constant…

On Sunday, my bride took a lovely Easter lily to the neighbor across the street. They chatted for a while, maintaining a safe distance, and she came back home with an armload of gifts, including a…

I checked in with West Boothbay Harbor artist Hilary Bartlett last week to see what she’s been up to while sheltering in place. And I can tell you this: She’s been…

For anyone who reads this column you shouldn’t be surprised by my inability to stay on task for very long. I do have a tendency to wander. Well, this week’s adventure will confirm…

I have been reluctant to share today’s ditty for a variety of reasons, many of which I ignore because it’s not in my nature to follow instructions. I think this may be the result…

Yesterday morning as we stepped into the kitchen we were captivated by the sweet, penetrating “Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody” song of a white-throated sparrow. It had arrived in our backyard…

This week, Christians turn to the Good Book for a tale of how Christ returned to Jerusalem, was betrayed, arrested and crucified.

Three days later, as the story goes, he rose from the dead…

Long ago, epidemics, that is to say widespread but localized illnesses, often struck one community or region, miraculously sparing another. Such was the case in the spring of 1814 when Wiscasset…

Isolation is nothing new for patients suffering from Lyme and tick-borne disease. With a compromised immune system and severe symptoms during treatment, what many are experiencing with COVID-19 is…

I’m hoping everyone is breathing OK. It’s been hard on many. I’m not going to lie; I’ve had a couple of really lazy weeks and I made up my mind last night I’m done with that. LOL. Back to being a…

We opened the squeaky door of a closet this morning and could have sworn it was the high-pitched, twittering call of a bald eagle. Amazing what a little social isolation and slowing down will do…

“We’re all in this together.”

No, apparently we’re not. Some of us seem to be entitled to more than others. More toilet paper, more hand sanitizer, more – you name it. For some people,…

This photograph makes me smile. Interestingly, because it reminds me of Captain Morton's son, Ernie, who I used to bump into frequently when he worked at Hawke Motors with Richard Latter. Man,…

On March 11, some Mainers felt special when we learned that Maine had no cases of the Covid-19 virus. The next day, we learned of the first case, and we came back to Earth.

On Sunday (…

UNO!

Yahtzee!

It was Col. Mustard in the library with the wrench.

Given the crazy, nerve-wracking, uncertain world we find ourselves in, we need positive distractions more…

Since Maine’s first case of COVID-19 was announced on March 12, individuals across our state have sprung into action. People in our community have quickly adapted to protect public health, from…

Under extraordinary circumstances, leaders of the Maine State Legislature came together working tirelessly throughout the March 14-15 weekend and reached agreement on a package of new laws to…

I’m hoping everyone is surviving their solitude. I personally had forgotten how much I enjoy being alone; it hasn’t happened a lot in the last 30 years. It’s been an awesome time to reflect and…

Our column two weeks ago was about nature-based activities any of us can do from the backyard, as Maine…

What's the first thing you notice about this photograph? Is it the power lines? Ugh. I know. I would have tried to eliminate them with some fancy Photoshop magic, but I don't know how and figure…

Boothbay, like the rest of the nation, is on hold as we pause our lives doing our civic duty to stay home and self-quarantine. We are watching Facebook posts of cute cat videos, photos of our…

Let’s count our blessings. We’re very fortunate to live in a beautiful area abundant with many preserves and land trusts free to explore and enjoy. Being outdoors under a blue sky in the fresh air…

The clear, whistled “fee-bee” song of the black-capped chickadee gives many of us hope for the return of spring. Especially if we begin hearing it on sunny days in late January and February when,…

I made this week’s photo of Danielle Ames last summer by accident while photographing from the East Side. You never know what you might find when not looking.

Danielle has quite a story, I…

The other evening, my bride and I sat down and turned on the TV. We saw a reporter interview a physician, who is an expert on the nation's public health.

Using proper and clinical terms,…

“A lie is a lie even if everyone believes it. The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it.” –David Stevens

So many Lyme and tick-borne disease patients find themselves caught in the…

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather. It’s been wonderful. Not sure if it’s too early for raking or not, LOL.

I want everyone to know my little basketball travel team held…

Like seemingly everyone else, we find ourselves thinking about the implications of staying closer to home out of concerns about the coronavirus. We’ve heard stories of people being quarantined in…

Why do you spend the winter in Boothbay/Wiscasset/Damariscotta when you could drive down to the southland and be warm?

Do you get that question every year?

I do, and, as I pull on…

Every now and then I get the urge to blast off from the island and adventure out. So late Saturday morning I wound up the Jetta and headed up to Wiscasset to annoy my old pal Erika…

Since the 15th century the first morning meal has been known as breakfast, or break fast, the fast the body had while sleeping. Cereals for breakfast came along four centuries later. The first…

St. Philip’s Help Yourself Shelf Food Pantry (HYS), 12 Hodge St. in Wiscasset, is open to all who are suffering from food insecurity. With sign-up from 4 p.m. and choice time at 5 p.m., the Help…

As we watch the news about coronavirus, it seems like a good time to find out how to keep everyone’s exposure down. The coronavirus is primarily spread by droplets in the air so it’s important to…

Prehistoric man hunted and gathered food, modern man hunts and gathers information.

Because we can’t get the information we want or think we need fast enough, we’re constantly looking for…

What a busy, busy weekend, lots of basketball for my grades 3 and 4 girls travel team. After three seasons, we did it, we won a game. These girls started in second grade and always…

The first pulses of the flow of bird migration have already began coursing across the hemisphere. Purple martins left their Amazonian wintering grounds in January to begin arriving along the Gulf…

As you read this missive, the results of the Super Tuesday primary elections will be fodder for the yakkers on radio and the talking heads on TV. Learned columnists, academic experts and political…

This past weekend some New York City area friends visited.

Tom, a retired Wall Streeter, and Dwight, a retired Navy Seal and current real estate consultant. Both old salts of sorts. Tom a…

The hardest thing for a patient to endure is a chronic illness that has no name. I say this because if you don’t know what it is, then it stands to reason that the treatment will…

While it’s true it’s kinda quiet around these parts this time of year – as far as things to do over the weekend go – there’s still good times to be had for those nights you want to take a break…

First I want to thank our awesome and wonderful girls and boys Seahawks for a wonderful season. Well done.

I’ve been asked by a wonderful YMCA volunteer Pat for a new soup recipe and this…

Jack Sherman grew up on Southport. He spent lots of time in his youth climbing rocks on Pratt’s Island and riding bikes around Southport, and fishing. His family has great ties to…

In case you missed it, the world’s communication system is changing at a speed that would make Jean-Luc Picard jealous.

We are in the midst of a major media revolution, much of it…