By Mark Freedman

Nowadays, two of the world’s leading powers seem to be in a bit of a bind, their knickers twisted beyond belief. Here in the US, the only people seeming to profit by the dog and pony show that is our current government are the late-night hosts of the talk shows, led by Steven Colbert, and followed by your generous export, James Corden, then Jimmy Kimmel – all names that might be unfamiliar to you, save for James Corden. Their surgical excision of the surrealistic miasma that has overtaken Washington, DC, allows us to laugh through our tears. The only other help is to follow John Cleese’s admonition, “...and now for something completely different.”

Our daughter, Abby, is now a college counselor and student advisor in the American School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is in accord with her history of choosing to work in countries where she can neither speak the language nor read their alphabet, Rio being the exception in that the alphabet may be familiar but the language not. Previously she worked in Morocco and Serbia. She had a conference in Boston the early part of November so Jayne and I took the train from New York and spent a few days with Abby and a fellow counselor, as well as our good friend, Steve Conway. It was a whirlwind visit, taking in as much that Boston has to offer within two and a half days. Their Museum of Fine Arts is a marvel, but be sure to bring bread crumbs as it’s quite tricky to maneuver through the myriad spaces and exhibits. Our hotel overlooked the Charles River and the Boston University boathouse where, rain or shine, the crews and guide boats were out rowing on the river. Fun to watch.

In the middle of the month we flew to Sarasota, Florida, to see dear friends from our days in Williamstown, Massachusetts. After a brief two-day visit, we drove down to Cape Coral to visit with another couple from Williamstown. We enjoyed our four days with a tour through the Naples Tropical Flora Botanical Garden and even enjoyed a music concert on their lawn and under the palms. We finished our visit with an eco tour of the Babcock Ranch Preserve, a 27,365-hectare former cattle ranch and farm. Now a conservation corridor of public and private land that stretches from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. The Preserve spans a diverse mosaic of pinelands, including both wet and mesic pine flatwoods, and dry prairie ecosystems interspersed with cypress domes and cypress swamps. It’s a total delight for all of you alligator aficionados out there. Lots of cattle also roam through the swamps and trails. Did I mention the mosquitoes that feasted heartily on my bare arms and legs?

Now we’re back in -7C New York. Hopefully, your weather has started to improve over what it has been, as ours rapidly descends into winter. Cheer up; Spring will be next!