Duck Tour

Today we're going on the Boston Duck Tour with our grandson Matty. In the past when John and I used to see the Duck Tour pass, we'd sneer and make quack-quack sounds, but as soon as our friend Alan told us he was taking his granddaughter on the tour, we thought, What a great idea. A perfect tour for a four-year old. We'll ride in an amphibious vehicle that will go from the street into the Charles River.

It's cloudy today; there will be showers, but the tour goes rain or shine. I'm glad it's not too hot, and I won't be making quack-quack noises or groaning at the canned spiel. Have I ever mellowed! But I'm drawing the line on amusement parks. Matty likes roller coasters. Not for me. I get vertigo when I'm two feet off the ground.

Leaving South Beach

Tomorrow we go back to Massachusetts.  I'll miss the lush courtyards of South Beach--fringed palms and balconies. When I think of Boston, I think of cobblestones and brick--a cooler charm. With a little luck, I 'll keep some of the slower rhythm of our Flamingo Park neighborhood, where the playgrounds are filled with children, people actually stroll, and at twilight sit in the park, reading.