It is the start of a long weekend. It is a bit odd as we settle into the post-career schedules, although we only pretend to work when it is useful. And the COVID precautions thing, since we are supposed to not pay attention to the mess in Afghanistan. But the House, Senate and the President […]

Got up yesterday morning a little later than usual and hobbled from bunkhouse to the Great Room at Refuge Farm. The phone was resting quietly by the powered chair, which was one of the devices that had called out for emergency back-up electrical power so I could extricate myself from its warm embrace in time […]

03 September 2021 Out With the Old I am working on a project that surfaced with the move out of Big Pink, and selling the last of the units I lived in or owned in that stately old place in Arlington. I lived there as long as we at war in Afghanistan, and for just […]

Dawn is cool, clear and dry. The Lady in Red on the flat screen told us the tropical depression that used to be a hurricane would pass us by in Virginia’s Piedmont, and usher itself out to the north and east. It will be replaced by cool, clear and dry air coming down from Canada […]

There are tipping points in the natural world and similar events in the world of humankind. With the change of the calendar date, we now find ourselves looking toward the end of this new month, and the impending arrival of Autumn. There are all sorts of changes contained on the calendar as we get through […]

(Dana Perino is one of the few media people we enjoy these days. She grew up in Wyoming, after all. Recently celebrating her 50th birthday, she also got a neat update to her on-screen look. The Writer’s Section at Socotra House wishes they could afford something that effective. But we share a feeling she expressed […]

According to the Commander of the United States CENTRAL COMMAND, the nation’s longest war ended at 1600, or rather 1559 EST. For those who follow ordinary clocks, that is 3:59. For people without power, like Refuge Farm was today, it is still this morning. But General McKenzie says 1559 local was the moment that the […]

Life is a wondrous thing, ain’t it? We rugged (or ragged) bunch bask in the country sounds. Passing thunderheads, sporadic gunfire, and that sharp hum of insect life that reminds us the land is alive. With the anniversary of 9/11 coming, up, it is interesting to look back on the start of the Global War […]

I was working on a piece about how things are working these days in The Swamp, an interesting topic I wanted to present to the group. That got shut down quickly. We got a note- not addressed specifically to the Writer’s Section- that warned speculation could impact the chain of command. It directed retired personnel […]