I have just returned from spending a few work days in Ft. Myers, Florida and Rockford, IL.

Autumn in Northern Illinois is still breathtaking when the trees turn. Our hotel, on the Rock River in Rockford, IL, was surrounded by dazzling reds, yellows, and rust colors.

We stopped off in Chicago on our way to the airport for a brief walk around the vibrant and gracious area near the Water Tower. Chicago is still a city of professional courtesy, the architecture is dazzling, there seems to be development everywhere. Walking past the enormous hulk of the John Hancock Center, I felt strangely protective of it.

This is my hometown, this is the city where I was born, this is the city at least where the boasting is deserved.