Socotra House starts chipping the sidewalk.

We were set to roll out the new header format this morning, now that we’re coming back online. That’s on hold—for the same reason most things are.

Groundhog Day ceremonies kicked off at 8:30 across the river at Dupont Circle. Clear as a bell. Rocket and Melissa took an Uber down to see whether Washington had earned six more weeks of Snowcrete.

Early reports: yes.

Last night’s moonrise—the fiery orb in the lower right above—was one of the most brilliant we’ve seen in this recent run of celestial calm. Serene, luminous, indifferent to conditions on the ground. By morning, it paired cleanly with bright sun, phase intact.

That’s why this piece sits second in the stack today. Timing matters.
T
There are large forces in motion out there. Four familiar faces continue to stand behind some of them. The old Persian world is restless, and there was a real question last night about whether we’d wake up to something far hotter than ice.
Instead, we woke up frozen.

Morning in Snowcrete.
The groundhog’s verdict: See you in mid-March.
The ice is adamant. Federal employees are instructed to report in, conditions permitting. A brief rise above freezing this afternoon may soften the surface—but more likely it will harden the cap: ice over a half-foot of compacted sleet.

That reality overtook most conversation this morning. A strange paralysis, paired with a flawless sky.

Meanwhile, downtown business continues in narrow channels. A special election has tightened the GOP majority to a single seat, with some members still physically stranded. The fight over a procedural rule dominates the day, as the budget inches forward through paths that have actually been shoveled.

We’d hoped to explain the new logo today. Maybe even float the idea of an early spring.

That’s not happening.

And if something hot breaks overseas, it’s going to need staying power to thaw anything here.

© 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com

Vic Socotra – Purveyor of glib words to the world