The Deck

At the start of his letter to Robbie, the narrator says that he has been sitting out on the deck with Robbie's grandmother. While clutching the mugs Robbie gave them for Christmas, the elderly couple watches a flock of geese pass overhead. The narrator later identifies this quiet moment as the sort of real and beautiful moment that comprises the human life.

Though the narrator does not expressly say so, context clues suggest that he is writing the entirety of the letter while situated on the deck.

The Dining Room

When the narrator describes his memories of the pre- and post-election era, he refers frequently to the dining room. Each night, he and Robbie's grandmother would sit at the dining-room table, working on jigsaw puzzles. Meanwhile, the TV was on in the next room. They would do their puzzles while listening to the news.