Max Hall

He Does It Best As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I was thinking about family dinners and how they have been affected by our President. The President does something better than anyone else in the world. He …

As we approach Thanksgiving, I was thinking about family dinners. The President does something better than anyone else in the world. He screws up our personal relationships with each other - with our family, friends, and neighbors […] Continue here (Click on Picture): maxnhall.com/2025/11/23/h...

Army Times It is one of my favorite photos from our time in the Army. I say “our time” because that is what it was. I was the soldier, but Cath and I were both a part of Army Life. To me, the picture brings b…

It is one of my favorite photos from our time in the Army … Cath and I were both a part of Army Life. To me, the picture brings back the memories of the great joys, along with the intensity of everything in the Army of the early ‘80s […] Cont here: maxnhall.com/2025/11/18/a...

Beaujolais Nouveau and New Beginnings I know it’s hokey, and I know it’s not fine wine, and yet, I could not resist buying a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau at a local wine shop a year ago in November of ‘24. In the ‘80s when stationed in…

I know it’s hokey, and not fine wine, still, I couldn’t resist buying a Beaujolais Nouveau at a wine shop a year ago in Nov, ‘24. In the ‘80s when stationed in Germany, the annual November release of Beaujolais Nouveau was something we looked for, and […] Cont here : maxnhall.com/2025/11/11/b...

Elections Matter Virginia’s elections on Tuesday were clear in their results. Pundits will discuss the results trying to discern what truths they can. The truth I know is that for the first time in over 30 years, N…

Virginia’s elections on Tuesday were clear in their results. The truth I know is that for the first time in 30 years, Northern Fauquier county where we live will be represented in the House of Delegates by a Democrat - my friend John McAuliff Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/11/05/e...

Haters My friend, Jennifer, and her husband have three children. She is a hair stylist and has her own shop. You can imagine her shock and horror when she received a work text saying, “… I hope you don’t …

My friend,Jennifer, is a hair stylist and has her own shop. You can imagine her shock and horror when she received a work text saying, “… I hope you don’t recover from that surgery and it f^cking k^lls you you fat f^cking gay white b^tch.” […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/10/28/h...

Playing god Each October at Rohan Farm, we have a sign of cold weather’s impending arrival – the day Cathy plays god with the outdoor plants. Which ones come in the house, which are on life support in th…

Each October at the farm, we have a sign of cold weather’s impending arrival - the day Cathy plays god with the outdoor plants. Which ones come in the house, which are on life support in the barn, which are dormant in the garage, and which ones die with[…] Cont here: maxnhall.com/2025/10/21/p...

Ten Years And just like that, a decade has passed. I started this blog ten years ago, on October 19th, 2015. I was 60 then. I’m 70 now. The blog started because of a death*, and a West Point classmate’s admo…

And just like that, a decade has passed. I started this blog ten years ago, on Oct 19th, 2015. I was 60 then. I’m 70 now. The blog started because of a death*, and a West Point classmate’s admonishment to “Live Life Exuberantly.” I have tried to do so, although […] Cont: maxnhall.com/2025/10/14/t...

Falling Acorns This is a good month to be a squirrel at the farm. Acorns are falling like rain and the ground is covered. You hear them hit our metal roof day and night. Sometimes, it is so loud, it sounds as if …

This is a good month to be a squirrel. Acorns are falling like rain. You hear them hit our metal roof continually. Sometimes, it is so loud, it sounds as if the tree threw the acorn at the roof. Old wive’s tales say this is a prediction of a bad winter […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/10/07/f...

The Dinner Party I opened the door to the room and the five of them were there. My brother-in-laws, Jack and Don, old friend Tim, Dad, and Cathy’s Dad, Max. All looked robust and in their 50s, except for Max who di…

I opened the door and the five of them were there. My brother-in-laws, Jack and Don, old friend Tim, Dad, and Cathy’s Dad, Max. All looked robust and in their 50s, except for Max who died at 41. Tim looked up from the bar. “French 75 Maxie?” Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/10/01/t...

Voting in Virginia The election for Governor and other positions here in Virginia is November 4th, but early voting started last week on Friday, September 20th. At 9:45 that morning, I was voter number 54. We are ble…

The election for Governor and other positions here in Virginia is November 4th, but early voting started last week on Friday, September 20th. We are blessed and cursed here in Virginia, with elections Every. Single. Year. This year, the stakes are […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/09/23/v...

Pocket Stone My eyes were drawn to the stone immediately. We were at our campsite in Wyoming when I noticed it. A small smooth stone by itself on top of a tree stump. It had no business being there, unless plac…

My eyes were drawn to the stone. We were at our campsite in Wyoming when I noticed it. A small smooth stone on top of a tree stump. It had no business being there, unless placed by someone. I walked over and picked it up. It was warm in my hand […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/09/16/p...

The Loneliest Road In 1986, Life Magazine called Route 50 through Nevada the loneliest highway in America. They actually issued warnings for parts of the drive. Cathy says lonely does not begin to describe it. Forlor…

In 1986, Life Magazine called Route 50 through Nevada the loneliest road in America. As we were driving it, Cathy said lonely does not begin to describe it. Forlorn, desolate, rough, isolated, remote, vast, haunting, and yes, hauntingly beautiful […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/09/06/t...

We Did a Thing OK. Cath and I did a thing. We are in California and bought a camper van. It has been a lifelong dream, and we just pulled the trigger. Over the next couple of weeks, we will drive it 3,000 miles b…

OK. Cath and I did a thing. We are in California and bought a camper van. It has been a lifelong dream, and we just pulled the trigger. Over the next couple of weeks, we will drive it 3,000 miles back to Virginia, hopefully the first of many adventures […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/09/01/w...

Go Ask Alice Having recently revisited Jefferson Airplane and their brilliant “White Rabbit” in a blog about Woodstock, I decided to reread “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”.  I’m not sure I’d read it sin…

Having recently revisited Jefferson Airplane and the brilliant “White Rabbit” in a blog about Woodstock, I decided to reread “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. How close are White Rabbit and Wonderland to each other? Go ask Alice, I think she knows […] Cont: maxnhall.com/2025/08/26/g...

Stealing Firewood Recently, Cathy and her sister Bonnie spent three weeks touring the wilderness and National Parks in Wyoming and Montana in a camper van. I’ll talk a little about that. What I really want to talk a…

Recently, Cathy and her sister Bonnie spent three weeks touring the wilderness and National Parks in Wyoming and Montana in a camper van. I’ll talk a little about that. What I really want to talk about is the people who stole their firewood at campgrounds […] Cont:
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Woodstock Fifty-six years ago, from August 15-18, 1969, a three day festival celebrating Peace and Music took place at Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York. My friend Chuck, all of 19 at the time, drove the…

56 years ago, from August 15-18, 1969, a 3 day festival celebrating Peace and Music took place at Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York. My friend Chuck, all of 19, drove there and experienced sex, drugs, and great Rock & Roll music at Woodstock […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/08/12/w...

Whiskey Warriors We West Point Whiskey Warriors gave it our best shot on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. By the numbers, there were fourteen of us ‘78ers, along with eight wives, from twelve states. We sampled at ni…

We West Point Whiskey Warriors gave it our best shot on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. By the numbers, there were fourteen of us ‘78ers, along with eight wives, from twelve states. We sampled at nine distilleries in four days, and had one helluva good […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/08/04/w...

Cam Ne This write-up is from a friend, Clark Hall (no relation), a Vietnam Veteran. While the words are his, the lessons are for all of us – 60 years ago, On August 3, 1965, an “incident of war” occ…

This is from a friend, Clark Hall, a Vietnam Veteran. While the words are his, the lessons are for all of us - 60 years ago, On August 3, 1965, an “incident of war” occurred that foreshadowed the human, political, and military disaster underscoring the lunacy […] Cont: maxnhall.com/2025/07/29/c...

Big Lou Big Lou’s the name. Insurance is the game. Are you ready to buy term-life insurance? I have just the guy you need. Big Lou. I recently heard his advertisement on the radio – he’s “on meds, ju…

Big Lou’s the name. Insurance is the game. Ready to buy insurance? I have the guy you need. Big Lou. I recently heard his ad on the radio - he’s “on meds, just like you.” It’s OK if you are “a little porky”, or have high blood pressure, Big Lou can […] Continue here: maxnhall.com/2025/07/22/b...

The Drive (Sunday Morning Coming Down) Although the sky was robin egg blue, it was more a Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” day. It was too beautiful to be driving to a hospital, but that was my destination. It was a Sunday morning, with lite …

The sky was robin egg blue. It was too beautiful to be driving to a hospital, but that was my destination. It was a Sunday morning, with lite Sunday morning traffic. I was making my way to the outskirts of Richmond […] Continue: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/07/15/t...

Life is to Short to Eat Broccoli I had started cooking dinner when we received the text. Our good friend badly fractured her wrist in a horse-riding accident. This was on top of unfortunate health related news she received the day…

I was cooking dinner when we received the text. Our friend fractured her wrist. This was on top of bad health news she received earlier. Cath and I had 2 reactions: sadness, and a decision to substitute mashed potatoes for the broccoli we planned […] Cont: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/07/08/l...

Independence Day, 2025 Happy 4th of July! May we all celebrate the birth of America 249 years ago. Cookouts, fireworks, maybe a parade. Gatherings of friends and family. Enjoy the day and give thanks for the Declaration …

Happy 4th of July! May we all celebrate the birth of America. Cookouts, fireworks, maybe a parade. Enjoy the day and give thanks for the Declaration of Independence and those who pledged their Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor […] Cont:
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Dad Dad passed away fifteen years ago on June 25th, 2010. I think of him often and smile at our times together, and the stories he told of his life. I am eternally grateful for the gifts he passed on t…

Dad passed away fifteen years ago. I think of him often and smile at our times together, and the stories he told of his life. I am eternally grateful for the gifts he passed on to me. I could cry, thinking of the questions I never asked him, and  […] Cont: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/24/d...

Give a D@mn 73 year old Veteran Bruce Bair hiked over 280 miles from Durham, NC to Washington DC where he hand-delivered letters to the office of Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). The reason? Tillis refuses to host …

73 year old Bruce Bair hiked 280 miles from North Carolina to DC. He hand-delivered letters to the office of Sen Tillis. Why? Tillis refuses to host Town halls. Bruce spent a night in our home along the way. His superpower is that he gives a d@mn. Continue: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/20/g...

Inmate 634XX-037 My friend, inmate number 63XX3-037 (let’s call him 37 for short), served time at the Federal Prison at Cumberland, MD. The Bureau of Prisons (BoP) released him for good behavior after serving three…

My friend, inmate number 63XX3-037 (let’s call him 37), served time at the Federal Prison at Cumberland, MD. They released him for good behavior after serving three years of a five-year sentence. Visiting him in prison was always sobering and […] Continue: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/10/i...

The Big Parade Did you hear? A Big Parade is coming! It is the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, and coincidentally, a certain someone’s birthday. Let’s celebrate! Ever since Trump saw a military parad…

Did you hear? A Big Parade is coming! It is the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, and also, a certain someone’s birthday. Let’s celebrate! Ever since Trump saw a military parade in France in 2017, he has wanted one and he is finally […] Cont: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/06/03/t...

Bushhogging Strange as it may seem, bushhogging gives me both a sense of Zen and a feeling of accomplishment. It took me years to reach that point, and I was happy to relive it again last week. As a bonus, I h…

Bushhogging gives me both a sense of Zen and a feeling of accomplishment. It took me years to reach that point, and I was happy to relive it again last week. As a bonus, I had an ongoing interaction with a smart crow, in the field […] Continue here: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/05/26/b...

This 1000 times!!!

Mom and Dad’s 75th Last week, May 14th was the 75th anniversary of Mom and Dad’s wedding in 1950. They celebrated 60 of those years together, before Dad passed away in 2010. I’m grateful for the lessons about love an…

May 14th was the 75th anniversary of Mom and Dad’s wedding in 1950. They celebrated 60 of those years together, before Dad passed in 2010. I’m grateful for the lessons about love and marriage they provided my sisters and me, or to anyone who […] Continue: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/05/20/m...

Weekend In Rodanthe Cathy and I recently spent a wonderful weekend with friends at Rodanthe, NC on the Outer Banks. The area is beautiful and somewhat remote, a perfect getaway. Part of the town also has a small probl…

Cathy and I recently spent a wonderful weekend with friends at Rodanthe, NC on the Outer Banks. The area is beautiful and somewhat remote, a perfect getaway. The town also has a problem - beach houses occasionally wash away into the ocean […] Continue here: mnhallblog.wordpress.com/2025/05/13/w...