Letter to Sonya

A note to respond to the lovely birthday card from you and Oscar. It has taken me a long time for reasons that I will enumerate. Well, at least try to enumerate. Your card carries no legend, only the picture of a little boy playing the violin, with two dogs and a cat in attendance. How old is this little boy? He sits on a sort of stool, or maybe it is a tree stump, because there are many trees in the background--he is in a clearing, perhaps a back yard or public park.