Chestnuts roasting on an open fire conjures up all kinds of iconic images—warming fires, wintry scenes, and home-cooked holiday meals.
Context is Everything for Nautilus Architects
On a steep hill above the Connecticut River, Greystone shines in the morning sun. The texture of the natural stone contrasts with the clean modernist lines of wood and glass.
Nipmuc Mishoon
When Andre Strongbearheart Gaines-Roberson, Jr., came to the phone, he couldn’t help sounding a bit tired, having worked around the clock over the previous ten days, catching an hour or two of sleep in his tent at various times while supervising the “burn” of a mishoon, or canoe, hollowed out from a tree, in the Nipmuc tradition.
Estuary for Young Readers #20
Me and Ray are expert ferrymen, it’s true, but we’re experts with small ferries that shuttle people, animals, and the mail across the Connecticut River between Saybrook and Lyme.
Estuary for Young Readers #19
The Union camp and our ferry assignment—a steamboat on the Rappahannock River—was just a few hundred yards from where Ray and I jumped off the train.
What’s for Dinner: Veal and Mushroom Stew
Fall is the perfect time to forage for mushrooms in New England as many species thrive in the cooler, wetter weather. Forage if you must, but beware as many mushrooms are inedible or poisonous!
Art and Environmentalism Converge in the Art of John H. Sargent
Please meet one of the Connecticut River valley’s true (and mostly unsung) heroes: the artist John H. Sargent of Quaker Hill, Connecticut.
What’s for Dinner: Cherry Cobbler Completes the Meal
The slump, the dump, the Betty, the crisp, the crumble, or the cobbler! What’s the difference? These are all versions of a cooked fruit dessert with a crumble, biscuit, or pie crust on top and/or bottom, and baked in the oven or cooked on the stovetop.
Estuary for Young Readers #18
Saybrook station. The conductor pushed the car door aside and, leaning out of the train, looked up and down the length of the platform for passengers, then called out, “Board!”
Estuary for Young Readers #17
The Emancipation Proclamation became official January of this year, 1863.
What’s for Dinner: Duck Confit and Wild Rice
Ducks and wild rice are as comfortable together on your dinner plate as they are in the wild! The wild rice, a semi-aquatic grass, is mostly found along riverbanks where the water is shallow and the currents slow.
Estuary for Young Readers #16
Two months ago, I’d say early fall, a handyman named Wayne found a room in the local boarding house, and since then has pretty much settled into life here in Saybrook taking odd jobs for folks all over town.
What’s for Dinner?: Sautéed Salmon with Celeriac Puree and Red Wine Reduction
Salmon…a favorite among chefs and home cooks worldwide because it is delicious and versatile. Its ease of procurement, variety of choices, and endless possibilities for preparing are coveted.
Estuary for Young Readers #15
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.