Category Archives: New England

THE EYE OF THE STORM by Peter Nolan Smith

In early September of 1960 Hurricane Donna struck New England as a category 2/3 storm. The radio station WBZ announced numerous school closing led by Beaver County Day School and closely followed by my primary school on the South Shore, Our Lady of the Foothills. My older brother and I were happy to stay home. […]

Steamers In New York

Yesterday I thought about treating myself to fried clams and bike down to Little Neck off the Gowanus Canal. I was thoroughly disappointed by their offering. Even the clam strips from the extinct HoJOs in Times Square were better than these measly clams. No bellies. Mostly Batter and fries. $22. Today I bought Steamers from […]

Rockport Quarries

In 1974 my college friends and I drove north from Boston to swim at the Rockport Quarries. The closest one was right off the road wrapping around Cape Ann. I led them to the highest point. A girl named Spooky was with us. She had long straight black hair and crooked teeth. I thought she […]

The Weirs Of Wychmere

Weir fishing has existed since time immemorial. In 1913 subway excavators discovered ancient wooden fishing weirs dating back 3500 years, although recent research suggests that the Back Bay site had existed almost 9,000 years ago and supported 30-50 families. The melting glaciers on the Laurentian Granite Shield changed the influx of tides and the native […]

The Snake Seduction of Eve

Quabbin Reservoir was created in the 1930s to provide the city and suburbs of Boston with clean water. Farms and towns were evacuated in the flood plain and the watershed has served as a park for visiting families and hikers, however in 2016 the Massachusetts Division of fisheries and Wildlife decided to set up a […]