New York City, November 9, 2014

★★★★ Thin wooly high clouds, flowing from south to north, gave way to combed-out wisps, which gave way in turn to smooth translucent sheets. The crushing cold had lifted, but the temperature bounced back a decisive increment lower than it had been. The leaves were thinned a bit on Broadway now. The light thinned too, for a while, as the cloud sheets did their work. Then the clouds evolved again, into distinct tufts, still flowing upstream. The glass face of the wine bar was closed against the chill. A dusk-minded shade held the playground; even so, it was full, the parents and children having adjusted to the diminished ration of warmth and light. The slides were clogged with traffic, much of it going up. Light shone from the open restroom door like something in a sentimental and cozy painting. The clouds grew shiny, and then pinkened. A pink glow from the lower sky flowed between the buildings, then was picked up and amplified by the sodium lights coming on. Shoe lights flickered brighter and brighter. The three-year-old lurked with a stick-gun in the twilight, taking tactical advantage against invisible foes.