Dedicated to my favorite Army Colonel! This is your month - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Historically, the city of Arad developed around a military fortification on the banks of the river Mures. After centuries, the star-shaped structure is not only still standing, but it is still housing an Army military unit. Perhaps, the fact that the fortress is in the middle of the city would not be such an oddity. But, the fact that regularly, the soldiers come out of the barracks on the area surrounding the fortress for military drills is rather odd. Imagine a sunny afternoon in the middle of an otherwise pleasant city. Imagine the usual sounds associated with such a city—vehicles, birds, children playing, a car stereo going by…

And then, all of a sudden, BOOM-BOOM-BOOM… RAH-TAH-TAH-TAH-TAH….. RAH-TAH-TAH…. RAH-TAH-TAH….. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM…. Smoke, fire, military orders being barked left and right!!!! What the heck just happened!?!?!?!?! And the sound and the fury goes on for a good time. Well, it was the military staging a mock attack, followed by a counter-attack, replete with movement of troops, grenade launchers and tracers… At times like that it is good to be on the top floor of a high-rise to better see the action, although the sensation is no less unnerving. The best part was watching the cows that had initially shared the pasture with the soldiers scamper away, probably thinking—“Holy Cow! This grass’smokin’; we’re outta here”!!! – BGR