(Country bandwidth issues precluded transfer of this USN shot from USS Midway’s (CV-41) CVIC in 1980. It is the Emergency Action Message Team who wore the lanyard and carried the pouch, 24 hours a day 365 days per year. It has been in a pouch of its own the last thirty years or so, carefully […]

Another exciting week in the world we share! OK, so we have the continuing NATO nuclear exercise- the one that started a couple weeks ago- and the Russian forces announcing their own version with an ICBM launch from a ballistic missile sub way up there where the waters are cold. The messaging is a little […]

The work crew showed up a little early this morning, so the flurry of downsizing activity continues at Refuge Farm. It is exciting activity just watching it go. So there was a debate in Pennsylvania late yesterday between former media personality Mehmet Oz and Hulking John Fetterman. The latter candidate has some medical controversy with […]

As you know, we are retired. As individuals, and as a group. We gave up the partisan side of things, since it doesn’t appear there is much we can contribute to the discussion. We were participants in some of the previous surprises, so we retain an interest apart from passion. Those operations were only relevant […]

We had a minor squabble this morning. Had we actually sent the weather report this week? Our stab at amateur meteorology is part of another parallel project. Some day that one may someday show our progress along the road to perdition. As citizens, we can take a fairly broad view of it. For the Navy […]

They say the best two days of your life are the ones in which you buy and sell your boat. The days in between those two normally are filled with unsuccessful attempts to fill the hole it makes in the ocean with money. The topic came up due to discussion of seasonal arrangements for boats […]

(Nilo Ha Tien: A Novel of Naval Intelligence in Cambodia (Unabridged) by H.L. Serra) This was one of those bright Fall mornings in Virginia’s Piedmont. A front of crisp brisk air rolled in. The dawn fought with the remaining cold night air to bring an odd sort of tension to the small group smoking out […]

The big cold front started to tickle the Piedmont yesterday afternoon. It is coming southeast from the great Midwest and causing things to happen. The down-filled coats came out for the first time. They were not really needed until this morning, but the flat-screen treated us to a view of Marquette, Michigan, with images of […]

(A USAF B-52 with ordnance. The Big Fat Ugly Fellow (BUFF) is leading the big NATO nuclear exercise through the end of October). The two words were borrowed by planners somewhere deep in the bowels of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They are intended to convey a sort of non-threatening military strength- the “steadfast” part […]

(Paddle and Bottle, one handmade, of an antique signaling system of uncertain purpose and value). The consolidation phase of things continues at Refuge Farm. We are edging into the “distribution” phase, the part when things have been placed in boxes and stacked to be carried away by helpful profit-takers. Something turned up from the top […]