Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush greet the crowd before a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, in Midland, Texas.

Continuing a White House ritual, former President George W. Bush left a note in the Oval Office for President Barack Obama, wishing him well as he takes the reins¹ of the executive branch.

The White House yesterday declined to provide specific details of the message the two-term Republican left for the incoming Democrat³, saying only that Bush wrote it on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk.

"The theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous⁴ new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," White House press secretary Dana Perino said yesterday.

During his last moments in the Oval Office, former President Ronald Reagan scribbled⁵ a note for his successor on a notepad with a turkey insignia that said "Don't let the turkeys get you down." He, too, slipped the note in the presidential desk for his successor, President George H.W. Bush.

Four years after that, the elder Bush left a note for President Bill Clinton. And eight years after that, Clinton wrote a note for Bush, and included a copy of the message he had received from Bush's father.

Bush's final half-day as president included a goodbye to Washington and a hello from fellow Texans.

In the morning, the Bush and Laura welcomed Obama and his wife, Michelle, to the White House. The Bushes, the Obamas, Vice-President-elect Joe Biden, his wife, Jill, and leaders of the Joint⁶ Congressional Committee on Inaugural⁷ Ceremonies had coffee in the Blue Room.

After the swearing-in ceremony for Obama, Bush took a helicopter to Andrews Air Force Base. The Bushes then flied to Midland, Texas, on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft, although it was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One because Bush was no longer president.

Then the Bushes would be flying to Waco, Texas, on their way to their 650-hectare ranch² in nearby Crawford.

沿袭白宫传统，布什离任前在椭圆办公室里给继任者奥巴马留下一张字条，祝福他接任总统后一切顺利。

白宫昨日拒绝透露字条的详细内容，只是说布什本周一写好了字条并把它放在了办公桌的第一层抽屉里。连任两届总统的布什和刚上任的总统奥巴马分属共和党和民主党。

白宫新闻发言人达娜•佩里诺昨天说：“字条的主要内容与胜选之夜布什所说的奥巴马将翻开‘神话般的新篇章’差不多，布什在其中对奥巴马致以了最好的祝愿。”

前总统罗纳德•里根离任前在印有火鸡徽章图案的便条本上给继任者乔治•H•W•布什留言说：“别让火鸡把你打垮。”当时他也把字条留在了总统办公桌里。

四年后，老布什在离任时也给继任者比尔•克林顿也留下字条。八年后，克林顿不仅给小布什留下了自己写的字条，还留下了当年老布什给他留言的副本。

在总统生涯的最后半天，布什道别华盛顿，得克萨斯也已准备好迎接他的归来。

就职日当天早上，布什和劳拉欢迎奥巴马和夫人米歇尔入主白宫。之后，布什全家、奥巴马全家、副总统乔•拜登及夫人吉尔，以及总统就职典礼委员会的主要负责人在白宫会客室“蓝房”共饮咖啡。

奥巴马就职典礼结束后，布什乘直升机前往安德鲁斯空军基地。之后布什全家从那里搭乘空军28000号飞往得克萨斯州的米德兰。由于布什已卸任，这架人们非常熟悉的蓝白相间的总统专机已不能再被称为“空军一号”。

之后布什全家将飞往得克萨斯州的韦科，前往位于克劳福德附近的面积达650公顷的私人农场。