New York City, August 28, 2016

★★★★ Under the shadow of a cloud, things were moderate. Artificial gusts from vents, cold or neutral, stirred the otherwise sluggish midday air. Later on, the air had come to life. Sun reflected off a window and came to rest as bright spots on the curves of scavenged empty plastic bottles inside a sack. Trees and plantings were luminous in the places the light still could reach. The stroll over to the river looked quick and feasible. The Hudson was slightly grayer than the sky and striped with current out past the pier, where the tide was flowing in. A sailboat with a glowing jib headed upstream, moving fast. In truth, it was hotter there, looking west over the water, than it had been on the high ground. Back up on the shady ridge of Amsterdam Avenue, the breeze was strong and cool again.