From the Editor

Missing my Chickens

I miss my chickens. This is something I never thought I would find myself saying. But there it is. I miss my chickens. But maybe I should start at the beginning.

I have a friend, Kathy, who more or less rents a couple of chickens every summer and lets them roam around her yard and flower gardens, eating bugs. She found an antique coop where the chickens spend the night, secure from the various predators—foxes, coyotes, raccoons—that are common in Vermont and always hungry. When I pull into Kathy’s driveway, the chickens are generally out in the yard, looking around for a Japanese beetle to eat. And they are strikingly decorative. They just do something for the scene. One has a kind of salt and pepper coloring and the other is a very dark, almost mahogany, brown. And, finally, they do lay eggs, which Kathy likes to make into omelets—or a nice quiche—for lunch. After a few visits, I began to envy her those chickens.

When I mentioned this to my daughter, one day, she said, “No problem, take mine.” » read more

Ideas Along the Road

From time to time, a friend of the magazine will ask me,  "Where do you get your story ideas?"

"I don't know," I'll usually say.  "I just look around."

Not much of an answer, I suppose.  But it is true. » read more

Confessions of a Knit-aholic

I read in The New York Times Sunday Style Section not long ago that knitting is cool. Cooler, the article said, than needlepointing or quilting or any of the other handcrafts. And that trendy yarn shops are opening up in Manhattan to cater to the young and the hip who follow the fashionable inclinations that constantly waft through the city. » read more

Goodbye to a Friend

John Merwin and I began working for Stratton Magazine at about the same time -- which goes back further than either of us would like to think about. The magazine had another editor then. He became ill and, eventually, died at a tragically young age. I was named editor and was understandably apprehensive. I wanted the job, of course. Who wouldn't? But I wasn't sure I was up to it and in need of reassurance. I found a lot of that in John. » read more

A Season of Optimism

Summer 2006Summer 2006This time of year, it seems that just about everything in Vermont is hopeful. The sky is blue, the birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming robustly. The furnace has quit running non-stop. The garden is abundant with possibilities and you feel like your golf game is going to come together like never before, though you’ve yet to tee up a single ball. It is truly a Season of Optimism.

In this issue of Stratton Magazine, we cover a few of the many activities and charms of the region. We have a feature on the art of beekeeping. Also a look at the surprisingly rich history of local marble quarries. Daylilies brighten the summer scene around here and we have a story about these ubiquitous and hardy plants. Also, something on kayaking. A profile of a man who has made a life out of volunteering for just about every job that needs doing, from school board to selectman. » read more

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