Pig Roast

CUTTYHUNK -- The Elizabeth Islands stretch from Woods Hole to New Bedford, but only the last of the chain welcomes the public. Cuttyhunk Island 's few square miles seem forgotten, and that's how many people like it. Activities here range from fishing and beach going to strolling the hilly streets and dirt tracks. Nearly half the island is open space . As islanders say: "If you can't relax here, you can't relax. " There are no proper restaurants or bars, but food carts by the dinghy dock sell made-to-order egg-and-cheese sandwiches on Portuguese muffins.

On Sunday, Jay Nungesser and 19 of his closest friends piled into Posto, an Italian restaurant in Somerville known for its wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. They were celebrating his housemate’s birthday, but they were not there for the pies. They had come to eat a whole hog. “A good portion of us you would call foodies,’’ says Nungesser, a graphic designer, who lives near the restaurant. “An experience like this is something we’ve never done before. So many friends of mine were interested.’’ Chef Joe Cassinelli prepares the whole pigs for parties of 10 or more.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Republicans may be the dominant party in Washington, D.C., but Governor Mike Huckabee said he's a member of an endangered species in his heavily Democratic state of Arkansas. Huckabee, a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2008, was in New Hampshire yesterday -- his first visit to the earliest primary state. Speaking at a breakfast gathering, Huckabee had harsh words for the political climate in the nation's capital. "Washington is paralyzed. They're not getting anything done," he said.

Hectic days speed past. It snows constantly. Mondays are crummy. You work late and get up early. Your boss is Michael Scott. The “check engine’’ light is on, the dog barfed on the rug, you need milk, your taxes are due. No no no. Life should feel like a wonderful party in slow motion, at least some of the time. It should feel like the moment when the flakes start to fall, before shoveling crosses your mind, when the world is muffled and beautiful; like driving through the oven of a summer afternoon with the windows down and the AC blasting; like the crackle of vinyl when you drop the...

Hectic days speed past. It snows constantly. Mondays are crummy. You work late and get up early. Your boss is Michael Scott. The “check engine’’ light is on, the dog barfed on the rug, you need milk, your taxes are due. No no no. Life should feel like a wonderful party in slow motion, at least some of the time. It should feel like the moment when the flakes start to fall, before shoveling crosses your mind, when the world is muffled and beautiful; like driving through the oven of a summer afternoon with the windows down and the AC blasting; like the crackle of vinyl when you drop the...

MARCH 12-14 CHANDLER, ARIZ. Ostrich Festival: Are there real ostriches here? Yes. Do they race one another with human jockeys on their backs? Yes. Does the festival serve ostrich burgers? Yes. Is it weird to eat ostrich while you are watching ostriches run around? Yes. But weird is the norm at this three-day event in suburban Phoenix. The weekend of ostrich-themed events is family-friendly with fun houses and petting zoos, but it’s also well equipped for grown-ups traveling alone, thanks to a lineup of live music (including a Journey tribute band)

On Sunday, Jay Nungesser and 19 of his closest friends piled into Posto, an Italian restaurant in Somerville known for its wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. They were celebrating his housemate’s birthday, but they were not there for the pies. They had come to eat a whole hog. “A good portion of us you would call foodies,’’ says Nungesser, a graphic designer, who lives near the restaurant. “An experience like this is something we’ve never done before. So many friends of mine were interested.’’ Chef Joe Cassinelli prepares the whole pigs for...

What to do 13th Annual Island Pig Roast Cuttyhunk Island July 29, 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by Cuttyhunk Rod & Gun Club and Dale's Pickin. Tickets $30, 12 and under $20. Call Cuttyhunk Ferry Co.,508-992-0200; or Avalon Club, 508-997-8388 . Cuttyhunk is a dry island; you must BYOB. Both B&Bs are sold out and there is no camping. How to get there Boaters First-come-first-serve moorings ($40 per night) are claimed by Friday morning. Anchorage outside the pond.

ANCHORAGE - Documents filed in federal court directly link US Representative Don Young to a wide-ranging investigation of corruption in Alaska for the first time. The state’s only representative in the House is identified as “United States Representative A’’ in the documents filed in connection with the sentencing next week of Bill Allen, a key figure in the corruption probes of state lawmakers and former US senator Ted Stevens. The filing late Wednesday alleges Young, a 19-term Republican, illegally received gifts totaling up to nearly $200,000 over...

On the eve of his interview, Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux withdrew his name from consideration to become the next manager of the Red Sox. Maddux informed general manager Ben Cherington yesterday that family reasons caused him to reconsider his candidacy. "It is humbling to know an organization with so much baseball history is interested in my services," Maddux said in a statement released by the Rangers. "I could give more reasons why an opportunity like this should be taken rather than not, but the reason for withdrawing my name from consideration comes...

MARCH 12-14 CHANDLER, ARIZ. Ostrich Festival: Are there real ostriches here? Yes. Do they race one another with human jockeys on their backs? Yes. Does the festival serve ostrich burgers? Yes. Is it weird to eat ostrich while you are watching ostriches run around? Yes. But weird is the norm at this three-day event in suburban Phoenix. The weekend of ostrich-themed events is family-friendly with fun houses and petting zoos, but it’s also well equipped for grown-ups traveling alone, thanks to a lineup of live music (including a Journey tribute band)

CUTTYHUNK -- The Elizabeth Islands stretch from Woods Hole to New Bedford, but only the last of the chain welcomes the public. Cuttyhunk Island 's few square miles seem forgotten, and that's how many people like it. Activities here range from fishing and beach going to strolling the hilly streets and dirt tracks. Nearly half the island is open space . As islanders say: "If you can't relax here, you can't relax. " There are no proper restaurants or bars, but food carts by the dinghy dock sell made-to-order egg-and-cheese sandwiches on Portuguese muffins.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Republicans may be the dominant party in Washington, D.C., but Governor Mike Huckabee said he's a member of an endangered species in his heavily Democratic state of Arkansas. Huckabee, a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2008, was in New Hampshire yesterday -- his first visit to the earliest primary state. Speaking at a breakfast gathering, Huckabee had harsh words for the political climate in the nation's capital. "Washington is paralyzed. They're not getting anything done," he said.

On a sweltering July day, a group of chefs and young culinary students in T-shirts and shorts trails after Jim Ward, co-owner with brother Bob of Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon. He leads them through his fields, showing off burgeoning rows of beets, greens, tomatoes, potatoes, and more. They pause to eat spicy radishes yanked straight from the ground. They shake their heads at how much work it takes to grow corn. “One ear per stalk,’’ a tall, skinny kid marvels. “Isn’t it crazy?

The Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts has mounted “Drawings That Work: 21st Drawing Show’’; the first such show was staged in 1979. I’ve seen many of them, and most have faded from memory, although former Mills Gallery director Laura Donaldson put up a crackerjack exhibit of wall drawings in 2005. “Drawings That Work’’ may prove memorable, too. It’s intriguing, but too often frustrating. Juror Andrew Stein Raftery, an associate professor of printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design, asked artists to submit preparatory drawings.