(Palmyra’s Temple of Baal in better days. They hung the 80-year-old archeologist/curator of the site from one of the columns to the right). I was a small part of one of these deals before, and it is a little eerie. It was during the Gulf War. The first one, that is, or more precisely, the […]

I am back Up North after checking in on the equestrian trials at Rosmarie’s Summerduck Run Farm just up the road from Refuge Farm. The ten-year-old Russian Princess is jumping her chestnut gelding and there was a opportunity to view the newest resident of Culpeper County, and adorable baby girl who has joined the clan […]

It got sloppy out last night. We had to watch carefully as one of the regulars navigated across Fairfax Drive on the way out. He was fine once he actually found the crosswalk, though the start of the transit was a little sloppy. Or maybe that was the night before; it was going to be […]

Well, you know that is complete nonsense. But the sun appears to be coming up in the East this morning, and if our retirement funds are a couple dozen thousand dollars lighter this morning, oh well, easy come, easy go. It was easy enough to get sidetracked on the awful events down in Roanoke yesterday. […]

I am left speechless.   (Image courtesy of WDBJ7 Television, Roanoke, Virginia). They were broadcasting a story about local tourism. Have we collectively taken leave of our senses? Copyright 2015 Vic Socotra www.vicsocotra.com Twitter: @jayare303

Was it just six months ago I was sitting at the bar at Jameson’s By The Sea, in historic Haleiwa on the North Shore of O’ahu? The year has flown by since then, and it has caused an odd time warp, since the period between the times I was a regular visitor had preceded that […]

I have a project that is dizzying in complexity and daunting in scope. I have had a hard time getting my arms wrapped around it, and the weather has just been too darned nice to do anything except savor the end of summer. I have been delaying putting pen to paper- or digits to digital […]

There are not many Saturdays left in this curiously temperate summer. I think yesterday might very well have been the most beautiful days I can remember: perfect temperature, low humidity, high cirrus clouds to block the glare but provide plenty of light to warm the skin, water in the pool perfect refreshing temperature. I was […]

Sorry about yesterday- things have a way of getting away from me these days. I bought coal stocks the other day when I heard the George Soros was making a seemingly counter-intuitive move on the market, and what the hell, despite the fact that the market seems to be tanking along with the Chinese. I […]

I am both exhilarated and appalled at my latest adventure with my brother- the purchase of a 1959 Rambler Custom Cross Country Station Wagon, the lovely old gal in pale pink with white inserts on the fins. This bit of personal and clan history has been something I have been meaning to address for years. […]