On The Run with John Stifler: Eminem or Saint-Saëns? The playlist that powers your run

Three weeks before this year’s Boston Marathon, the Boston Globe’s “Weekend” section featured a piece titled “A playlist for your long run this weekend.” Three weeks prior to race day is when marathoners typically do a long training run, perhaps 18 or 20 miles. The idea of the Globe piece was that such a long run can be mentally as well as physically challenging. Are you really up for spending that much time putting one foot in front of the other? Would some music help you get going?

Aldi grocery store opens in Greenfield

GREENFIELD — More than 150 eager customers formed a line outside the city’s new Aldi grocery store in the moments before it opened Thursday morning.

Speaking of Nature: The most beautiful local butterfly? The Question Mark is a species of forests and forest edges

As we begin the month of July, we find ourselves in an interesting moment in the year. Most of the birds have already had their first round of chicks and some species may try for another round of breeding. Other species of birds have made their one and only attempt at reproduction and, successful or not, they will not try again. It is something that you can actually hear across the landscape in the early morning. Some species are still singing, while others are now quiet.