New York City, February 5, 2017

★★ The cold was supposed to have eased, but the sky was bleak. After some ancient TV reruns, the children chose to take the scooters and balance bike out to the forecourt. The air was still not far from freezing. A dog went by in a quilted vest, and it was not a scrawny or delicate dog. Still, it was boredom, rather than misery from the chill, that brought the scooting session to its end. Late in the day the dull clouds developed an undulating shimmer, and soon after they were gone, opening the way for belated and incongruous clear sun.