Monthly Archives: July 2016

Dog Days — Sirius Rises, Fishing Falls

When Orion’s dog, Sirius, rises at dawn, we all begin panting. Homer — not Simpson but the ancient Greek poet — beautifully described the phenomenon in the Iliad: Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky On summer nights, star of stars, Orion’s Dog they call it, brightest Of all, but an evil portent, bringing […]

The Rise of Dams, The Fall Of Salmon On The Androscoggin

Nearly two hundred years flowed by between sightings of Atlantic salmon, salmo salar, in the Androscoggin River. A lone salmon was noted in 1816, then for a long time there were only scattered sightings, a fish here and a fish there. The King of Fish was defeated by dams and discouraged by toxic pollution and […]