So, here we are in a world at war. At least one in Europe, with the tangible thought that the Chinese may be studying the lessons of Ukraine with an eye to Taiwan, and some sort of incomprehensible accommodation to the Iranian Mullahs in a desperate effort that will shave a few pennies from the […]

Goodness, what a morning! Here in the Piedmont there is a slow-motion struggle that is snagged in events overseas. The issue at this point, here anyway, is construction of two modest rectangular buildings on an equestrian property off Rt 3, just a couple miles from The Farm. There is an information campaign in progress about […]

We could reprise some of the excitement at The Farm about book publication. It had its moments, and some challenges for the days to come, but will spare you the trivia of the joys of rural publishing. Coming alive again with sufficient caffeine, it was a strange ambivalent morning in the Piedmont. Unusually warm, nearly […]

(Cass Sunstein and wife Samantha Powers). The Refuge Farm Writer’s Section, contains a cadre of old militarist members of the Intelligence Community. They have been joined by former professors of Economics, and strong women who have been mothers, raised families and all the while successful in the world of commerce. They occasionally provide a burst […]

The Very Small Group- the one a little smaller than the entire Writer’s Section at The Farm- was talking about life and change this morning. Buck is the newest member of the group, and he is accustomed to the changing terms of reference in our common tongue. “Changing the Charter” was the subject of his […]

“We are going to be OK.” – President Joe Biden in his SOTU remarks last night. We had the morning production meeting early. Yesterday, we were concerned by the emergence of the term “Throw Weight.” It had an ominous tenor intended to keep the West at bay. We had read the text of the President’s […]

It was cold this morning and Splash was up early, hurling some logs toward the shy mass in the Fire Ring. He was clearly a couple cups of Chock Full o’ Nuts ahead of the rest of us. Our dawn’s early light brought the first conscious thoughts of the first morning of a bright and […]

We have adopted a new tradition in the Piedmont that is slowly coming alive after the howls of winter. We hold a Sunday Soiree at the Farm. It is a delightful amalgamation of traditions in this place that has been undifferentiated indigeonous territory, a British Colony, a founding member of a successful Republic, an occupied […]

(This image from Ukraine is what got Melissa going this morning. And the rest of us). Melissa led it off this morning. We naturally expected Splash to start the discussion on the fourth day of war. Mr. Putin has placed his nuclear forces on the highest alert, and that had him up early. This is, […]