There is a certain rhythm to September around Socotra House that we are only beginning to understand.

Yesterday, we were wrapping the Autumn Olive tenderloins in enough bacon to alarm the Finance Section, while Rocket appeared unusually willing to assist Holly’s visiting Ciocia Ala with anything requiring close supervision.
Today the pork is mostly memory, the Galley has been squared away, and Splash has reminded us that there are other proteins in the world.

Chicken, for example.

That is useful because this morning marks another little turn in what we have begun calling our Holiday Season of Holiday Seasons.

Oktoberfest is starting to roll across Northern Virginia. The beer taps are changing. Pretzels and brats are appearing. Blue-and-white Bavarian decorations are coming out of storage. And some members of the Boomer contingent have already begun discussing whether lunch is an appropriate time to begin reconnaissance.

Miles pointed out that calling it reconnaissance does not materially change what they are planning to do.
Northside Social in Falls Church is one of the opening objectives. From there, the possibilities spread across our little Arlington-Fairfax operating area and outward toward the breweries—including 2 Silos, whose logo somehow wandered into this morning’s Production Meeting.

Meanwhile, the Galley still has a Watch to feed.

So Splash gets chicken.

That is one of the useful things about Cooking for the Crowd. The calendar can be doing cartwheels outside while the kitchen remains pleasantly practical. Chicken can be seasoned, roasted, smoked, pulled or grilled. Put something substantial beside it, roll the cart out, and people who were discussing geopolitics ten minutes earlier suddenly become intensely interested in lunch.
The smokers in the photograph are a reminder that there is more than one way to solve the problem.

Rocket understands fire.

Splash understands chicken.

Holly understands that somebody has to keep an eye on both of them.
And Deirdre understands the most important operational principle of all:

Have the food ready before the beer arrives.

Then the Other Clock Started

There is another bit of September motion this morning.

Early voting begins in Virginia today, September 18. Election Day is November 3.

That means the pumpkin that has been following us through this increasingly peculiar season has clicked forward again..

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So the morning contains several clocks running simultaneously: the Galley clock, the Oktoberfest clock, the election clock and, somewhere in the background, the approaching Halloween clock.

Which seems about right for Socotra House.

Eat the chicken.

Enjoy the weekend.

And keep an eye on the pumpkins!

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com