(Amma, the Hugging Saint, doing her thing in Reston, VA, this week.) The good folks of Minnesota are dealing with their ninth day of the closure of their government this morning, as the last Shuttle mission orbits overhead, and Betty Ford checks out of her clinic and off the planet. Bless them all. The Golden […]

(Map of the trip Up North, with airports, major geographic features and important landmarks as annotated at the Willow Bar. Photo and map Socotra. Drink by Big Jim and consumed by Jon-with-no-H.) I flew in from Detroit- Man, my arms are tired- and went to the office to make a 1400 meeting. The re-boot on […]

(Classic Mackinaw Bridge-themed license plate found in Socotra Garage.) Alert Readers have asked if the famed Socotra work ethic has fallen off the cliff. The staff here at the Daily is eager to reaffirm their commitment to the daily blather; this has been a daunting trip to the Northland, and with each act here in […]

It was Popcorn Day at Potemkin Village, or that is what the sign said by the slow elevator in the lobby. There was also a wine and music event in the formal dining room, scheduled for two o’clock. I thought I might suggest that to Big Mama as an afternoon activity, since Raven just sleeps […]

(Raven and Dee at her house at Torch Lake. Photo Socotra.) Let’s be candid about the process: this is no fun. It is still filled with bright spots, though they can be spread out a little bit. I steeled myself to go to Potemkin Village before lunch, so I could go through the mail. I […]

(Legendary Detroit Broadcaster JP McCarthy of WJR.) I spent the afternoon in a brand spanking new Hertz Chevy Impala. It is supposed to be a flex-fuel vehicle, at least the plate on the trunk lid  says so, though I don’t know what that means. The hyper-vigilant cop from Ogemaw was on revenue patrol at the […]

(Vic in White, Sexton Emil in Black. Things are rarely that simple. Photo Todd Tear with Socotra smartphone). Uncle Jerry’s Blue Ribbon Panel on the conduct of the Intelligence Community didn’t fly- it looked like a whitewash and smelled like a whitewash and the House and Senate decided to take a cold look at the […]

It was a full on day on the Great Lakes. I was in Toronto, at St. George’s Cathedral to start, and then a variety of places in the St. Lawrence District of town: Mystic Muffin, George’s restaurant, the condo 21 floors above the skyline, overlooking the church where the union had been solemnified that morning […]

I love Canada. Toronto is a vibrant diverse city where, darn it, everyone is friendly and everything is nice. That is not to say that there are not misunderstandings. For example, I was talking to the Groom’s brother this morning in front of the Holiday Inn Express. Well, trying to, anyway. I could not hear […]

(Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. Photo UPI.) Willow has fine seafood, but no oysters. I asked last night, sitting next to Navy John and Marsha at the packed bar. There was plenty to talk about; I am headed for Toronto for a wedding in the morning; Marsha is retired now, like Navy John, and exploring the […]