President Lincoln’s 1862 call for 300,000 fresh volunteers to serve in the Union Army for three years was met with less enthusiasm than the original call for three months of service that JJ and so many other Connecticut men answered with enthusiasm.
What’s For Dinner? Oyster Fritters
Oysters—one of nature’s many gifts, and so many choices! Oyster lovers have their favorites, each with its own distinctive characteristics derived from its species and its environment
The Vessel and the Painting
On the afternoon of Essex’s Groundhog Day parade, figures walk through the misty streets, past clapboard houses and American flags, and gather in The Griswold Inn’s Wine Bar.
Estuary for Young Readers #14
My little cousin, Ben, broadcast the news as he left my side and ran into his house, “JJ’s home! JJ’s home!”
What’s For Dinner? Summertime, Summertime!
Nothing screams summer like a bowl full of tomatoes freshly picked from the garden.
New Community Park Coming to the Riverfront
Moments after we stepped out of our car and began to take in the 61 acres of open space sweeping down to the Connecticut River, we spied a coyote skirting the tree line.
Estuary for Young Readers #13
“So, how?” Lieutenant Dunbar said, arms folded, eyes squinted, staring out across the Rappahannock River. “The cavalry could just charge across the river at Kelly’s Ford, but they’d get blown out of the water by those three cannons.
Celebrating Microcultures
On a tributary a mile west of the Connecticut River, above an old milldam in Centerbrook, Connecticut, a small former auger bit factory breathes the 21st century air
What’s For Dinner? Spring Asparagus Two Ways
Welcome to spring! It’s such a delicious time of the year.
Estuary for Young Readers #12
At the same instant the tree limb went crashing to the ground, the hot-air balloon broke loose and shot up so fast that in seconds I found myself clinging for dear life to the safe end of the limb and looking up at the bottom of the basket.
A Story of Restoration: Of a Car, Not Fish
This is a love story. An unusual one, perhaps. Nonetheless a tale of steadfast devotion and affection that has endured through good times and
bad for many, many decades.
What’s for Dinner? Apple Cider Braised Chicken
Bone-chilling days call for bone-in chicken.
Ribs and Roots
Now we turn our attention to the colors and flavors below the ground—the roots—such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, celery root, sweet potatoes, turnips, and ginger, to name a few.
Estuary for Young Readers #11
My battalion of three-month Connecticut Union Army volunteers, along with a cavalry unit and a couple of drummer boys, sailed out of New Haven on board a double paddle-wheel ferry headed for Camp Glenwood, a mile or two north of Washington, DC.
Currents of Culture
Just at the southern bend of the Farmington River, high on a hill above Miss Porter’s School and the grave of William Gillette, poets are gathering.
Estuary for Young Readers #10
While Mum cleared the supper dishes from the table, Cap starts talking about me taking over responsibility of the ferry right away, saying nice things like I’m so much better at ferrying than he ever was when he was my age, and how I know so much more now because I’ve made a study of the river, the tides, the currents, and such, and how my whole approach to ferrying is more modern than his.
Lawn Care We Can Live With
Ah, spring. For the gardeners among us it is the long-awaited return to being outside, smelling the soil, welcoming the sun. And regardless of how you spent your winter month —planning or just anticipating—the gardening season is now upon us. And suddenly there’s oh so much to do.
Book Announcement- If Only Houses Could Talk
A bright side of COVID gave Portland, Connecticut, architect Alain Munkittrick time to produce his book depicting 160 restored and historic houses in the Connecticut River Valley, all of which have stories to tell.
The Spirit of The Kate
The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, affectionately and officially known as “The Kate,” is first and foremost a performance space.
Gardening for Good- Lawn Care We Can Live With
Ah, spring. For the gardeners among us it is the long-awaited return to being outside, smelling the soil, welcoming the sun. And regardless of how you spent your winter month —planning or just anticipating—the gardening season is now upon us. And suddenly there’s oh so much to do.