Coronavirus: What is to be done?
By Richard Kessin By Richard Kessin We live in evolutionary competition with microbes—bacteria and viruses. There is no guarantee that we will be the survivors. The aphorism from Joshua Lederberg, a founder of molecular biology, is remarkable for its humility and for the challenge it defines. Before the germ theory of disease, which appeared in […]
Springtime Wild Edibles
By Marie-Christine Perry Before our kitchen gardens start brimming with the first fruits and vegetables, we can turn to foraging to have a few options for fresh greens, flowers and roots as we take walks through woods and meadows. Foraging for wild edibles is a great pleasure, but one must exercise caution. The first rule of foraging […]
Twilight Over Norfolk
By Matthew Johnson Twilight is the time when the celestial sphere is partially illuminated. This occurs only before sunrise and after sunset. There are three ranges of twilight, defined according to the sun’s position below the horizon. Civil twilight occurs when the sun’s upper limb is below the horizon and its center 6 degrees or […]
May, Down and Dirty Gardening
Through the Garden Gate Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins Have you ever wished you had a vegetable garden but didn’t have the time? Well, now’s your chance. It’s not too late to break ground. All you need is a spade, preferably one with a straight edge, a hoe, some muscle, a tarp and any […]
A Trip Around the World From Your Pantry
Notes from a French Kitchen By Marie-Christine Perry As our new way of life becomes a routine, we are faced with shopping much less often and more randomly, and with having to be creative with our pantry. If you, like me, are well stocked on the basics and find you are bored with the recipes […]
Going to School but Staying Home
By Wiley WoodPhoto by Ann DeCerbo When Virginia Coleman-Prisco told her school-age children that spring break was over, one of them piped up, “Does that mean we can go back to school?” The answer, of course, was no, school would still be online. Going to Botelle School these days means sitting down at an internet-connected […]
Another Warmer Than Normal Month
Norfolk’s March 2020 Weather By Russell Russ March was warmer than normal, just like January and February were. What happened to winter in this part of the world? For most of this winter there has been little snow, frequent days with above-average temperatures and no real cold temperatures. By late February many people had given […]
April, Foraging in Your Backyard
Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins Ever wonder what you would do if you ran out of food? Would you starve? There are accounts of people lost in the wilderness, famished in the midst of all sorts of edibles. We are surrounded by berries, fruits, herbs, mushrooms and greens. The trick is identification. Get yourself […]
The Moon at Perigee and Venus Shining
By Matthew Johnson April is a wonderful month for naked-eye viewing of the celestial sphere. April’s full moon, the pink moon, occurs April 7. The moon at this time is at perigee (closest to Earth in its orbit), thus this moon will be called a “super moon” by the media since it will appear larger […]
Invasion of the Aquatics
By Doug McDevitt No, it’s not a B-grade horror movie with actors strutting in cheesy costumes, but if we’re not careful it could be a horror. As spring approaches and many of us look forward to taking up water sports again, not least for the social distancing and healthy outdoor exercise they provide, we need […]
