HYDE PARK—What a world of contrasts this is! Hot, dirty busy cities, crowded trains and just two hours later green grass, a quiet house with only three people in it and a drop in temperature which made you willing to put on a coat! There is something exciting about our sudden changes of temperature and the way storms come up out of apparent calm that accounts for the temperment of our people, their energy and general quickness of action. When they come from other countries they preserve their old world attitude for a while but then all of a sudden they begin to feel the effect of the air in this new world of ours. They take on what we consider characteristics of our northeastern states!

I woke early this morning feeling positively cold and at seven thirty I was over at the stable, found the setters and our big police dog, and started off on our morning ride. The male setter and the male police dog can not always be trusted not to disagree, but on the whole they know their various duties and privileges and keep to them very well. They all go riding with me but when it is over the police dog stays at the stable and the setters come into the house. I think Jack would certainly try to kill the police dog if he dared to come indoors!

When I got back to the Cottage three of us had breakfast on the porch. Then the mail which follows us even into peace and quiet made us sit at our desks for an hour or so.

I had the first intimation today that any one in Poughkeepsie would ever be interested in me and it was quite a shock. I have always taken it for granted that I was so well know no one would take any interest in my comings and goings. Today I parked my car and did my shopping and when I returned to it my arms full of bundles, I found a young reported hanging around. Somewhat apologetically he said: "Is there any particular story Mrs. Roosevelt, about what you are doing?" I think I looked at him with great annoyance. I know I said with firmness: "I'm off the record and I never do anything up here of interest to the papers." As I drove away I realized I had been a little hard on him, so I murmured that I would be joining my husband in Maine next week!