It’s crazy cold here. Despite my respect for the change of seasons, and the fact that we’d danced in the streets at the Carnaval de Québec when the “real feel” was -30, I’ve since grown unaccustomed to day after day of temps in the teens and below.

Thus, these enticing glimpses of Greater Miami are my New Year’s greeting to you. Think warm thoughts as you pack away the holiday decorations and count the days till the Hallmark Christmas movies return. (That would be July, by the way, when even fake snow will be a relief from the midsummer heat.)

On this first day of a new year, I wish you and those you love good health, happiness, and prosperity in the months to come. And, since January 3 is the first anniversary of my first post,  I thank each of you for reading my blog.  I’ve enjoyed writing every subsequent post more than you could imagine—especially the singular connection between reader and writer that a blog creates. Technology at its best crosses the oceans and the (often silly) notions that separate us. Let’s face it— the world could use more of that.

Cover photo: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables.