Ashfield Fall Festival: A Great Sunday in the Valley
There are many Pioneer Valley traditions that I’ve never observed. The Big E, for instance, for some people is a ‘not miss’ but I’ve only been a few times over the past ten years. Other events I always seem to end up hearing about after they’ve over, like the Garlic […]
In Ashfield, a Tower Might Rise…and Then Again, Might Not
Spending time up in the village of Wendell offers a new perspective on life in the Valley. As soon as you traverse Rte 63 on the way up North Leverett Road, the phone begins to weaken and then for the rest of the way, it’s no bars at all. I’ve […]
A Tradition of Storytelling and the Question: What Night Is Tonight?
When I was very young, every Friday there was a familiar and comforting ritual. My dad would come home from work, wearing his tie, carrying his briefcase, and as he crossed the threshold of our New Jersey house he’d ask: “What night is tonight?” We kids would all answer in […]
Entrepreneurs in Journalism Give their Elevator Pitches
The class is called Entrepreneurs in Journalism. The requirement of the class at UMass is that everyone in the room has to have a dream. An idea that they want to turn into something big. They meet on the 7th floor of the big UMass library at an early hour. […]
Crossing Into Egypt from Sudan; Dan Morrison Studies the Contrast
Dan Morrison’s The Black Nile tells the story of a man who takes an epic journey. He begins in Uganda and follows the route of the mighty Nile river all the way up, through Sudan and finally to its end, in Alexandria Egypt. The book delves into the politics that […]
The Whately Diner Burns and In the 978 Area Code, I Didn’t Even Know
I’ve spent a wonderful weekend in the 978 area code, a land called Wendell where cell phones do not function and so, I’m detached from the details of the people in my life. I casually emailed my son, asking him if he’d like to join me at the gym, a […]
How Many Cloves of Raw Garlic Can You Eat?
Twelve hardy souls began the contest, but after only four cloves, most dropped to the side. That left only the hardest of the hard-core garlic eaters left in the annual contest at the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival in rainy Orange today. Eyes tearing, up, they chomped down clove […]
Daniel Butler, Mushroom Man, and Bon Vivant
Driving along a country road near a large shimmering reservoir, Daniel Butler suddenly slows down. He jumps out of the driver’s seat and whips out a special knife. In seconds he’s dug up a beautiful specimen, a four-inch cepe. He’s a mushroom forager, par excellence, and yesterday he took us […]