New York City, May 5, 2014

★★★ New leaves on Broadway were aglow in the morning’s sharp sunshine, under a clear sky. A cluster of blossoming trees shone like an oblong lampshade. The breeze was invigorating; the lack of warmth was not a liability now. From the vantage point of the sunny side of the streets, things in the shade barely seemed to be happening at all. Indoors, in the afternoon, the work systems were almost balky enough to justify escaping to the outdoors again, but things righted themselves; jobs had to be done. By rush hour, the tempting liveliness had given way to a gray, humid stillness.