A tale from the Baltic Sea — The old woman walks the harbor on a crisp fall night, the Baltic sea sparkling in the moon shining bright. Tap tap tap goes her cane across the weir, alone she is with no other peer. She faces north by habit alone, guided by sound of sea against the stone…

We take a weekend visit to Warsaw where once again we are reminded of what war can do to a city. And, how it can be rebuilt and reborn. — A few weeks ago, my wife and I made a trip to Warsaw. She is from there and we were both looking to escape from the rural country village of Bydlino, our home for the last few years. Warsaw is a four and half hour train ride from the nearby…

Winter in Poland challenges me with murky days and long dark nights — Wintertime in northern Poland is not an inviting place. Late sunrise and early sunsets of northern latitudes shorten the window for photography. Strong winds accompanied by perpetually cloudy skies laden with rain don't help. It’s not ideal conditions for the photographer. All the above are good excuses to stay at…

They say she talks to horses — Ann McGinny was standing along the rail, between the quarter pole and finish line, when they fell in front of her. It was a terrible tumble of animal and rider crashing to the track. Sound of snapping bones was felt as much as heard and the impact shook the soggy…

The Pillars of Hercules create conditions that bring the action of kite surfing to the beaches of Tarifa, Spain — October 2022 — The Pillars of Hercules stand over the Straits of Gibraltar and their presence made for a wonderful afternoon in Spain. But not for the reasons one would think. Two major features stand as the pillars at the straits, the Rock of Gibraltar on the north side and…

Observing the Polish Traditions of All Saints’ Day. — This year on Halloween, I spent the afternoon and night walking through Polish cemeteries. Not looking for ghost or goblins or even a treat. Rather, I was out to observe and photograph the Polish traditions of All Saints’ Day. That day falls on November 1st. The night before, of course…

My time with the 1st Marine Division in Al Anbar in 2004. In early 2003, the 1st Marine Division lead the assault into Iraq with the mission to take Baghdad. It was a mission they accomplished with the usual United States Marine Corps flair. A straightforward charge up the middle…

A damaged factory is a symbol of the challenges facing the United States Marines and the Iraqi government in 2004 — April 2004 — The super phosphate plant sits in the desert like a mighty beached ship, rusting away in the pale noonday sun. It was once the symbol of progress and the crown jewel of Saddam’s state-owned industrial system and supplied fertilizer to the entire country. Now it is a…

War, an element of the human condition, has existed throughout time, and though the tools of warfare have changed, the strategic rules for a successful campaign have not. Mr. Putin has ignored those rules and is suffering the consequences. — It is now week three of the Russian invasion of Ukrainian. A war started by Mr. Putin has become a war that he is destined to lose. A thoughtful analysis of Mr. Putin’s goals leads one to conclude that he intended to flood Ukraine with overwhelming firepower, freeze the Ukrainian…