It was cold this morning and Splash was up early, hurling some logs toward the shy mass in the Fire Ring. He was clearly a couple cups of Chock Full o’ Nuts ahead of the rest of us. Our dawn’s early light brought the first conscious thoughts of the first morning of a bright and […]

We have adopted a new tradition in the Piedmont that is slowly coming alive after the howls of winter. We hold a Sunday Soiree at the Farm. It is a delightful amalgamation of traditions in this place that has been undifferentiated indigeonous territory, a British Colony, a founding member of a successful Republic, an occupied […]

(This image from Ukraine is what got Melissa going this morning. And the rest of us). Melissa led it off this morning. We naturally expected Splash to start the discussion on the fourth day of war. Mr. Putin has placed his nuclear forces on the highest alert, and that had him up early. This is, […]

The whole situation is surreal in changing weather. It is strange enough to make the stones by the Fire Ring look comfortable. The War is underway, third day, and there is stiff resistance by Ukrainian units and people. They have a foe with a history. Our panel of former experts remembers individual Soviet units of […]

The Russians are still going at it in Ukraine today. It is interesting of course, but it is being played out in levels ranging from abrupt and brutal violence through several levels of expertise and interpretation. That naturally depends on the volume of the crowd closest to your hearing. We are jarred at the news […]

(Entrance to the National Conference Center, Leesburg, Virginia. Soon to host an interesting conference sponsored by our Department of Homeland Security). As you might imagine, several of the key nodes of communication at Refuge Farm include military planners and veterans of other conflicts. Ukraine has their attention this morning, as it does ours. But we […]

We were working on the “Weather Report” chart we use weekly to keep track of what is going on around us. It is deliberately intended to be non-partisan to avoid rhetorical attacks on people who seem to intentionally be doing many of the things that pass without comment. As a point of order, we try […]

Lot of “number 2s” in the news this morning. They even rhyme, in a crude sort of way. Which is interesting, since we have been counting the number of flash points in today’s world in the number “3.” We have been muttering about that for months, and readers have only complained moderately. Rocket was unusually […]

(A Retrospective viewed from 21 February 2022) I am leaving the original copyright date on this one, a two-part evolution I was not sure we would get to this morning. There has been a vigorous discussion between old Cold Warriors whose service lingered into the age of the Sole Remaining Superpower. You may remember that. […]

It is a brilliant morning at The Farm. The waning moon- waning but still bright enough to cast shadows in the darkness- rules in the western sky as the new bright sun floods the fields with life to the east. It was bright enough to cause sleep to be light and filled with illumination and […]