New York City, May 22, 2017

★★ The rain had paused for the walk to school. The cool air was agreeable; the sidewalks were drying out but the trees still held in the dampness on the schoolyard. A mat of shredded green leaves lay at the foot of the fence. When it did return, the rain was moderate, with drizzle in it, not heavy enough to create problem puddles even in the bad drainage of Union Square. After a day of excessive air conditioning and dim light through the window, the dense and wet atmosphere in the streets had come to seem warm and welcoming.