There is no lack of hyperbole, drama and histrionics coming from our neighbours to the south these days. And more than a modicum of sanctimonious hypocrisy. One may, as we happen to, think of President Donald Trump as a disaster of a world leader, but he was duly and democratically elected by a majority vote in 2016, and has held the highest executive office in the land. The position of the President of the United States of America is not one to be taken lightly, with disrespect, irrespective of whether the man holding the office is disrespective of it. Despite which the opposition Republicans shrieked at every opportunity that he was the wrong man in the wrong place and he should be removed as expeditiously as possible.

That failed to happen, irrespective of the best, most undemocratic, underhanded efforts of the Democrats. Their behaviour helped to launch America into the deepest divide it doubtless has ever seen with each of the two political parties' supporters lobbing verbal bombs at one another on a continual basis, hissing threats, and promising vengeance. So anxious were they to remove him from office before his legal and lawful term expired. Some respect for democracy that was. And it has only degenerated over the last few months leading up to the 2020 election.

President Trump, despite that he is a truly loathsome man and in actual fact the wrong man in the wrong place, was the choice of Americans in 2016 to lead them forward into 2020. From Day 1 both the Democratic Party and their supporters campaigned endlessly to have him removed on charges they claimed proved he was treasonous when he was in actual fact, merely disgustingly disruptive. Their choice. Now in 2020 fully 70 million Americans cast their vote once again for this man. This time it appears the challenger won the election.

And Donald Trump is digging in his heels, sending lawyers off left, right and centre to defend his position that the election was rigged, that election fraud took place, and he would not be dislodged from the Oval Office because he did, after all, win a second four-year term. He is, in essence -- while being cast as a wrecker of democracy for not accepting the evidence on hand that the vote was legitimate, a reflection of a larger majority than he had voting him out and another man in -- simply being Donald Trump. And while the Democrats accuse him of insulting democracy, they've been doing it for four years and counting.

One can only hope that in the end sanity will prevail, people will realize that they are setting the stage for a civil divide deeper and wider and more fraught with fault lines that can implode at any moment given issues of social and economic inequality, racism, and the challenges of a novel coronavirus raging across all 51 states, decimating the population, that it's time to set aside the juvenile bickering and get on with governing the great United States of America as though it has a voting public that is mature and sensible.

As for us personally, we're mature enough to devote our time today to relishing this wonderful Indian Summer we're thankful has finally arrived due to a high-pressure system that just seems to enjoy thrilling us. When we set out this afternoon for a trek through the forest trails, we knew because it is a Sunday, and an exquisitely beautiful day, and of late more people have become aware of this natural treasure that sits within our community, that we would be coming across other people roaming about the ravine.

But somehow it never did occur to us that the number of people out and about on the trails would surpass any we've seen up to this point. It's a last hurrah of sorts before winter closes in given the warning we had last week of premature entry into the world of freezing temperatures, blasting winds and snow once we round the corner into December, and that the opportunity should not be wasted. So, everyone-and-his-uncle, as the saying goes, was out on the trails; family groups, some with three generations intact, bicyclists, joggers, singles, couples, people with dogs, grandmothers with grandchildren, there they were, clogging up the trails at certain points.

And then something unexpected. Despite that we're told to expect the unexpected, we never do, we're always surprised. And I was taken by surprise when as we made our way back up the last long hill to achieve street level, we came abreast of a middle-aged woman with a little boy. I said hello, and the woman turned to me and asked a surprising question. Am I the person, she asked, who used to work for Zephyr Regnier? Well, I am that woman.

And that other woman is his daughter-in-law, a woman I have no recollection of ever having met, though he often spoke fondly of her as the mother of four pre-school-age children, his grandchildren. Now, she is herself a grandmother, her daughters all adults, married with children. It was that long ago. How she could recognize and identify me is beyond my ken, but she did. Impressive. Her young grandson was very interested in Jackie and Jillie, and they in turn are rarely interested in small children. But we stood together as people passed us in either direction, as she brought us up-to-date on a bit of my past life that was long behind me; a full quarter-century back.