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A Life Well Lived – Dr. T.C. Dickerson, III (1936 – 2026)
My wonderful father-in-law T.C. passed away last night. He was 89 years old. The truth be told, I never expected my father-in-law to live to 89. He did not exercise regularly. He was not fond of vegetables. And early on, he was a smoker. When I started dating his daughter Elizabeth while in high school, I can remember that one of the things I loved about visiting the Dickerson’s home was the aroma of sweet tobacco coming from T.C.’s pipe. I was kind of sad when he gave up his pipe. He did so when grandchildren came, knowing that if he kept smoking, he might not see them graduate from…
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Storytelling and Film – The Odyssey 7.31.26
Luckily my three sons do not mind having me around from time to time. As a result, Carter and Davis invited me to see The Odyssey on opening weekend at the only IMAX theater in Richmond. Noted for its grand scale, cinematography, its use of new IMAX technology, its star-studded cast, and majestic sweep in storytelling, the film is being touted as a cultural moment in our society. On a budget of $250 million, it is expected to gross over $1 billion worldwide. It has already grossed over $600 million after the first two weekends. So, I am very happy that I was able to participate in this cultural event…
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Kidnappings and Constitutional Rights 7.24.26
This past July 4th marked the United States’s 250th birthday as marked by the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I spent our country’s 250th birthday in a country where personal liberties and free speech are in jeopardy. But like most people, I have mistakenly thought of our constitution as a document with “positive rights” – rights that the government actively provides to us. Instead, most of the rights contained in the Constitution are “negative rights” – rights to protect its citizens by keeping the government out of our lives. In fact, if you look at the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, known as The Bill of Rights, all…
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Thank You 7.20.26
If you are reading this, you are probably a follower of my blog. There are not many of you. At last count, there are 64 of you brave and supportive souls who are subscribed. So you know, I only mention my blog to people that I feel a connection to. I do not want the casual acquaintance to read this. I share too much and expose too much of myself to want most people to read this. Some day – when I actually write a book, people can read most of this. I am not one to look at the stats of my blog – I had to look that…
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Last Days of 2026 Georgian Trip – July 2026
On our 10th day in the Republic of Georgia, we left the ancient city of Mestia high in the Caucasus mountains with its medieval Svan Towers and wandering cows and travelled south along the long and powerful Enguri River until we reached the mighty Enguri Dam. We were fortunate to tour this engineering marvel, which captures the force of the Enguri River to produce an enormous amount of electricity. Construction began on the dam in 1961, and when it was completed in the 1970s it was the tallest hydro-electric dam in the world and remains one of the tallest in the world today. It was ingenious in the way it was…
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Days 8 and 9 in the Republic of Georgia
On Day 8 of our trip we hiked to the Chalaadi Glacier (approximately 3-hour hike). It was stunning – one of my favorite activities on the trip so far. I felt like I was in the Swiss Alps. After the hike, we walked into town and had a late lunch with a local family in their home. That meal was another extraordinary Supra. Afterwards, we visited the Museum of Svan National History. This was another small, but excellent museum. Again, I skipped dinner and watched soccer. The rest of the group had dinner at a local’s home with traditional Svan Singers. On Day 9, (July 2nd), I woke up to…
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A 4th of July Parade to Remember 7.4.26
Happy 250th anniversary to the United States of America from the Republic of Georgia! I am spending America’s 250th birthday almost halfway across the world in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. When the Cold War ended and Georgia obtained its INDEPENDENCE in 1991, the country went through a very difficult decade in the 1990’s. But they got through that period and formed a democracy that leaned heavily towards the west, trying to get to the point where it could get accepted into the European Union. Croatia (in) and Montenegro (out) are examples of two countries next to each other that I have visited where being “in” changes everything. However,…
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Day 7 in Georgia – Up the Mountain to Mestia
On Day 7 (June 30th) of our trip in Georgia we left Kutaisi and began our 6-hour journey North to the mountains of Svaneti and the city of Mestia, which sits fairly close to the Russian border. Because of the mountainous terrain, we had to first travel west to within 15 miles of the Black Sea and the port city of Poti. Located in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Poti is near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, from which it derives its name. As a major port city, it is also home to the primary naval base of the Georgian Navy. See map. Being so far…
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Days 5 and 6 of 2026 Republic of Georgia Trip
Days 5 and 6 in Georgia would be spent in and near the city of Kutaisi. On Day 5, we visited a church in central Georgia that had been built in the 11th century. Because it was a Sunday, there was a service and we were allowed to quietly enter. It was a honor to watch locals take the sacrament. Afterwards, we left central Georgia and headed to western Georgia. However, we made a pit stop in Gori for a bio-break. We decided to use the bathrooms at the Stalin Museum there. We ended up visiting the museum for a few minutes, including going inside his personal train car. He…
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Day 4 in Republic of Georgia 2026 Trip
On Day 4 in the Republic of Georgia (June 27th) we left West Georgia and travelled almost three hours east with our first stop being Mtskheta Village, east of Tbilisi. In Mtskheta we had lunch and a wine tasting with winemaker Lago Bitarishvili (the Wizard of the Chinuri grape). After lunch we received a special treat – a tasting of his wife’s cherry liqueur or Chacha. It sells out so fast they had no bottles to sell to us. And believe me, we wanted to take some home! After yet another amazing meal at Lago’s Winery we proceeded to the Kartli region of Central Georgia. Near the town of Ateni…