No Tribune and no News — one would hardly know a war was going on. Without news, life is a dull waiting game. If not for the aftereffects of my operation, I'd plant a garden — a great pastime. Instead, it's downtown every morning to gab a bit, try to do some business, kill time while waiting for news, then a long siesta. Sometimes I go to the Menzis for some croquet, or to the Sotelos for some music.

The weather is fantastic for mid-March — like late April in New York. Light "spring" rains have helped the people considerably. Gardens of vegetables have mushroomed throughout the city. There's not a garden, however small, that is not being cultivated with patient, if sometimes inexpert, care.