(Perched on the lush coastline of Ocho Rios, Jamaica—this glamorous all-inclusive resort seduces with sweeping water views, a wide sandy beach and its very own namesake island. Discover the delights of snorkeling among the reefs or windsurfing on the waves. Enjoy a game of tennis, a round of golf or a tranquil afternoon on a […]

(VADM Bob Kirksey, Mister Indian Ocean. Official Navy picture.) I remember an endless line period on the Good Ship Midway a long time ago, when the world was young and I was a sailor. We had been gone from our home port in Yokosuka for an endless time, and had no idea when we would […]

(USS Midway in the Indian Ocean. Steel Beach Picnic. Photo Socotra). The Bad Old Days are starting to look pretty good. I mentioned that I arrived in USS Midway three years almost to the day after Operation Frequent Wind. I was a junior partner (the junior-ist of JOs) in Medium Pursuit Squadron 151 (The World […]

USS Midway (CVB/CVA/CV-41) was the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned after the conclusion of World War II. Active in the Vietnam conflict, the Navy’s Overseas Family Residency Program (OFRP), the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Operation DESERT STORM, she is the only remaining non-Essex class aircraft carrier of the World War […]

07 April 1979   (USS Midway (CV-41) in dry dock at Yokosuka, Japan, 1979, in between Indian Ocean deployments. Photo by young Socotra.)   Yeah, you read the date correctly. And dammit, I am not lazy. I was going to go one way this morning, and then I thought I might as well set the […]

Ah, I feel something lurching toward us, and I do not mean the stupid election, or the stupid Tea Party or the resurgent strain of Marxism that is raising its hoary and discredited head across the pond. I have to click fast to stay ahead of the political ads that intrusively appear as side-bars to […]

(There is a clue here about what this depicts. Check it out. It might not be what you think. Image businessinsider.com) Let’s take a break, shall we? It is hot and muggy and I feel sluggish this morning. Plus, I am the Poster Boy for Cabin Fever. The Better and Better thing continues, blah blah, […]

(Classic, with Boop. Culpeper Car Show 2010. Photo Socotra.)   I listen to NPR streaming on the satellite broadband at Refuge Farm when I am not blasting The Loft on the satellite radio from the antenna that points North East toward the repeater in geosynchronous orbit. I actually listen to the local outlets in the […]

(The Great Hall at Refuge Farm. Respite for a Refugee. Photo Socotra.) I don’t call it Refuge Farm lightly. The little place nestled between the two creeks has pretty much what you would need to get by in a pinch, and a pinch is what we were in. I was horizontal, looking up, skin dewy […]

(Unhappy pick-up truck on George Mason Drive next to Big Pink on Friday night after the Derecho event. Photo Sara-1). It was hot. My back hurt and the leg ached dully. My skin was sticky. I wanted to be in the pool, but there are still raw openings in the incision and you know what […]