Mill Brook Sugarhouse is boiling sap in a spring day around the corner from the Roaring Brook Trail, and Irish musicians are tuning up as I explore the Southern Berkshires.
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Clay from an outdoor fire-pit carries ‘Volumes’
Wood-firing ceramics in an open-face pit is a volatile craft — Karlene Kantner can spend 12 hours and more stoking the fire when she makes the clay vessels she has shown at Berkshire Botanical Garden.
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Curing cabin fever with bright color — #Berkshireweekend
I’ve walked into the Plant Connector on a winter night, whenNorth Adams is quiet, and Meg Bantle and Laura Tupper-Palches from Full Well Farm are teaching a workshop on how to make flower crowns.
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Cinnamon rolls and soul music — #Berkshireweekend
What does comfort look like this week? We may have some real cold coming, and some fires need fuel. Even a small thing can add tinder …
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Legends walk when the snow flies — #berkshireweekend
Medusa came into a conversation at Wild Soul River. Walking out of the snow at dusk, I found a group of friends and neighbors talking about stories. …
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A hot drink to keep out the sleet — #berkshireweekend
Today I walked out of the cold drizzle into Dottie’s Coffee Lounge and thought it must be about the warmest place in Pittsfield.
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Sourdough rises at Berkshire Mountain Bakery
Loaves of white bread are entering and leaving the oven on a long wooden paddle. Rounded boules cooling, rich with chunks of dark Belgian chocolate — and ciabatta, seven grain bread, potato and onion …
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Rare local flavors converge at Moon in the Pond Farm
Dominic Palumbo raises Highland cattle, Jersey geese and Dorset sheep, as he grows vegetables and forages for local flavors.
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Explorations — Great Barrington in holiday season
One day when I had a story interview in the Southern Berkshires, I came early to wander through downtown Great Barrington, looking for locally made gifts.
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Thankful for the mountains — #berkshireweekend
Windy Hill Orchard grows rows of winterberry bushes every year. You can walk into a sea of scarlet higher than your head, and they’re bright even on cold, cloudy afternoons.
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