Working Waterfront

Wood heat welcome as an old friend

It's nearly impossible to disagree about anything of consequence when settled comfortably near a companionable wood fire. We live in a big three-story house right in the village. It was built around 1850 as a Greek Revival—but without the pilasters. Not long after, a two-story kitchen wing was added on… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The stories that Bertha’s spoon can tell

When Bertha was a mere teenager, she started working with Dr. North's family in Montclair, N.J., mostly to help take care of the Norths' five children. She stayed for the rest of her working life, taking on the work of cooking and serving. Married to Chester Turpin, she came to… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A dead whale washes ashore on an island: what to do?

Christmas Day in the Cranberry Isles arrived with winds high enough to cause ferry cancelations, though the air temperature was unseasonably mild. Fortunately for us, our family had arrived two days earlier. In a rare event that might occur once in five years, both of our sons came home to… SEE MORE