It is easy to take certain things for granted. There’s the air we breathe, fresh water to drink, even food from the land and sea free for the taking if we are so inclined. If we are lucky enough to have decent employment, a warm and dry place to live, and a full cupboard, we can consider ourselves quite privileged. It’s amazingly easy to adjust to these things as if they are a given, deserved, a right, and not a ...

        In the midst of winter’s chill, the off season is switching on as The 204 in Harwich hosts a Winter Pop-Up art exhibit of Cross Rip Gallery artists through March 31.         The 204, a mixed-use building which provides work spaces for artists and creative people of all kinds, will also feature works in the show by artists with studios in the building. The artists whose work will be included are Ellen C....

If you’ve been out and about over the last few weeks you may have noticed there have been many robins out and about. On the warmest of days in this oddly warm January we have had so far there have actually been worms close to the surface of dirt and lawn areas. If you doubt this, go dig a hole for a bulb. I unearthed several in a matter of minutes while planting the last of my daffodil bulbs this week. The worms,...

        Wintry Saturdays are about to become a lot more colorful as Chatham Bars Inn’s Winter Art Series begins on Jan. 21.         Every Saturday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m. through March 25 the public is invited to a complimentary afternoon of wine, cheese and art in the inn’s south lounge. Each Saturday will showcase the work of a local Cape Cod artist or gallery, as well as artists from the greater Boston ar...

How will the new temperature regime we are living through affect our marine environment in the years to come? How has it affected it to date? These are two questions well worth considering. Whether you believe the climate is changing dramatically due to human interactions or is simply going through a natural adjustment, it is critical we take due notice. As a maritime community, the specter of sea level rise as p...

The first day of the year was a lovely one, warm and mostly sunny. We got out early to walk a favorite beach that has a long, open shoreline and then an expansive salt marsh on the other side of the parking lot. This particular configuration would never happen today for the beach is a fragile and changeable barrier beach with dunes to protect the marsh. This is a common setup for barrier beaches, and back in the ...

     New Year resolutions. We love to hate them. It’s said that over 80 percent of the best intentioned New Year resolutions fail, and of those over half fail before Feb. 1. Why is that? Perhaps it has something to do with the types of resolutions we make. Losing weight. Getting more organized. Spending less money. Quitting unsavory habits. It all sounds like a whole lot of no fun.      Why not put a positive...

As I write, the sun sits low in the sky as she has for several weeks. In the morning she beams in through the windows, nearly blinding me as I work in a room that has an eastern exposure. A few hours later she shows up on the other side of the house where I stand at the kitchen sink, dazzling me again with her golden glare as she sets in the western sky. Her visits are brief at this time of year, but with the win...

     CHATHAM – The Creative Arts Center (CAC) will ring in 2023 with its annual Faculty Exhibition from Jan. 8 through 27. A reception will be held on Sunday, Jan. 8 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the CAC gallery at 154 Crowell Rd.      The Faculty Exhibition will showcase the talent of CAC instructors in watercolor, oil, acrylic, ceramic, pastel, and sterling silver jewelry. The instructors whose work will be included...

December is full of reasons to celebrate the season. I’m not going to list them all but most of us celebrate at least one holiday this month. One that we can all enjoy is the Winter Solstice, which signals the first day of winter but also the shortest day of the year. Why celebrate this? Because it also means that every day after will have longer daylight hours, with sunrise earlier and sunset later each day. ...

     Winter doldrums got you down? Are you looking for a way to add some creative spark to the chilly months? Look no further than Cape Cod Theatre Company/Harwich Junior Theatre’s slate of winter classes for kids and adults.      CCTC/HJT offers classes in three different categories: theater, technical theater and dance. With classes for pre-K through age 97, including a free workshop for those in grades 9 to ...

“O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining” in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” What a joy to behold as director D. J. Kostka has brought 30 talented actors to the stage, many adorable children who thrive on storytelling, acting, singing while keeping true to Barbara Robinson’s 1971 Christmas classic. This is a cast where the children outnumber the adults. There are no small parts, just small actors. And in ...