Live Life Exuberantly

Over the years, Mom did many wonderful things for me, but one gesture stands out. Whenever Cath and I returned home to Ottawa from wherever we were living, we were welcomed home with unconditional love and my favorite meal ready for our first supper: potato salad and … (more…)

Last week, I read in the Wall Street Journal that Mr Trump increased his fortune by $1.4B due to crypto deals. His backers did not do as well. 85% of Trump token buyers are now underwater. Also, if you invested $1,000 on January 19, ‘25 in Trump meme coins your investment is now worth $22.61, a loss of 97.7 percent. (more…)

As our country’s 250th anniversary approaches, my mind keeps going back to our 200th anniversary in 1976. What would the current Max say to the 21 year old West Point Cadet who was in DC for July 4th that year?  As Bob Dylan sang, “I was so much older then. I’m younger than that now.” (more…)

Replacing the fountain pump was a half-hour job that I procrastinated on for over a year. There was no good reason; I just didn’t get around to it. But last week, a minor miracle on the porch finally brought the water back—and taught me a surprising lesson about peace. (more…)

The summer Solstice is today, June 21st. Actually, it was at 4:24AM this morning. Here in the DC area, this longest day of the year stretches almost fifteen hours between sunrise and sunset. While it marks the official start of summer, I always feel a touch of sadness as well. A wistful emotion that is silly, and yet…  (more…)

All – I don’t usually post from other bloggers, but made an exception in this case. My old friend Mark Dunavan has an ongoing blog about financial issues. He just penned this piece concerning IPOs. If you want to gain a bit more understanding about IPOs, especially given SpaceX and the other upcoming AI IPOs, you may want to give it a read. This piece isn’t political, but more nuts and bolts. I…

Our friend Colleen decamped to Panama last week. Not for a vacation, but to live there. While Colleen has long planned a move to Central America after retirement, events here in America accelerated the timeline. Unfortunately, Donald strikes again. We will miss her and her spirit. Continue reading Colleen

As we left Labuan Bajo, it was raining. It almost felt like our three days on The White Pearl were a pleasant, but fading dream in the mist.  Snorkeling, baby sharks, an early morning hike to see sunrise from a mountain top, thousands of bats, and Komodo Dragons were all a part of this chapter. Continue reading Here Be Dragons

Our hunting of the Pygmy Elephants in Borneo was more difficult than hunting African Elephants in Botswana or Zimbabwe. In fact, we almost didn’t see any. We were down to our sixth and final safari before we were lucky and magic struck. It was worth the wait and we had an amazing hour of viewing. Continue reading Pygmy Elephants

In February, I wrote a blog about Trump and racism. At the end I said, “I have written several blogs about racism here in America. I have to say, they don’t seem to do much good.” Afterwards, my friend, Andrea Codd, sent me wonderful words of encouragement I would like to share. They are a lesson for all of us. Continue reading Keep Speaking Out

There are no immaculate conceptions on farms, however, our friend Linda, who raises sheep, miraculously has six pregnant ewes. How did it happen? While shearing her sheep this spring, she learned one of her males had a “dangler” she missed when castrating him last year – Whoops! It’s quite a story. Continue reading The Dangler

What do visits with family, drinking beer with 2,000 friends, and seeing Orangutans, Pygmy Elephants, and Komodo Dragons have in common? They are all part of our next vacation! Cath and I are flying halfway around the world to visit New Zealand, Singapore, Borneo, and Indonesia. Continue reading Travelin’ 

Last week, I was walking to the barn to feed the horses. The morning was so beautiful, it felt like a stab to my heart and I suddenly knew Spring was my favorite season. This surprised me. For decades, Autumn was my choice. What had changed? Or, what had changed in me? Continue reading Springtime

My birthday is April 10th. Of historical interest, Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9th, 1865. On April 10th, he issued General Order No. 9, his farewell to the Army of Northern Virginia. In it, Lee stated he wished to “avoid useless sacrifice”, which has given rise to my birthday wish this year.  Continue reading Me and Lee