Author Archives: John M

Joy

Posted on March 22, 2013 by John M

Now and again during our troubled journey through life we reach little oases of almost perfect happiness, set jewel-like here and there in the thorny wilderness of time. Sometimes these are hours of mere animal content. In others they are … Continue reading →

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Burke Lake

Posted on March 17, 2013 by John M

Bleak morning at Burke Lake, blue herons watchful waiting for snow to fall. A 5-mile walk at Burke Lake, VA, map here.

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The Big Rock

Posted on March 12, 2013 by John M

Last Sunday’s walk was a visit to “The Big Rock,” a little-known landmark along Pohick Creek in Springfield, Virginia. Little-known perhaps in a broad sense and a little hard to find, but knowing how kids like to explore, I imagine the rock, … Continue reading →

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Curiouser and curiouser

Posted on March 9, 2013 by John M

Here’s an interesting tidbit about curious happenings in the gold and silver markets, from a recent interview of investment analyst Eric Sprott by Toronto’s The Gold Report: Eric Sprott: This will sound like a conspiracy theory, but unusual things are happening … Continue reading →

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I’ve seen some things, man, and some stuff…

Posted on March 9, 2013 by John M

The stereotype of the disturbed war veteran, originally created by opponents of the Vietnam War and handily resurrected by opponents of the Iraq War, is clearly the image Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has in mind when she thinks of our veterans. Feinstein’s … Continue reading →

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Potomac Heritage Trail Hike

Posted on March 3, 2013 by John M

Sunday’s hike  was a loop along the Potomac Heritage Trail in Arlington, Virginia. It was a little chilly when we started, but there’s nothing like 4.5 miles of stream crossings, climbs, and scrambling over boulders to warm you up! The route … Continue reading →

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Crisis du jour

Posted on February 23, 2013 by John M

“When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout” – Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny A pretty good description of almost everything you hear out of  Washington DC, but we get more than one crisis du jour these … Continue reading →

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W&OD Railroad Regional Park

Posted on February 17, 2013 by John M

Quite a few folks turned out this morning for a sunny 6.5 mile walk along the W&OD Trail in Vienna, Virginia. The freezing temperature, 30 mph wind gusts and occasional snow flurry made the outbound half a little daunting, but also made … Continue reading →

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Biding Time

Posted on February 12, 2013 by John M

Ugh, it’s been over a month since I posted anything about walks. Not that I haven’t been out on the trail now and then; it just isn’t very much fun due to an injury I incurred late last December. Since … Continue reading →

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In business down in the tropics

Posted on January 28, 2013 by John M

Last week I saw an article in MineWeb, “The end of gold cash costs as we know them?”, which noted recent calls for an “all-in sustaining cash cost” measure that “…more fully defines the total costs associated with producing gold. … Continue reading →

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