New York City, May 13, 2014

★★★★★ It was necessary to deliver a jacket to the school after the first-grader had headed off in short sleeves, though maybe it would not really be necessary by the time recess arrived. The coolness was pleasant, and mild exertion or extended sunshine was all it took to make it not cool at all. Nothing about the feel of it could have been improved. The sun edged into the gloom of a Starbucks; it lit up a layer of golden dust on the touchscreen of a MetroCard machine. Light brushed the bright parts of the metal treads up the subway steps. Indoors was sweltering, then freezing, as the thermostat chased futilely after the perfect balance available outdoors. An office footrace, the subject of theorizing and argument for who knows how long, was suddenly set up for real on the shady street. The leader flagged; the trailing runner overtook him in the final stretch; a black sedan tolerated the whole production. On the way to sundown, delicate yellow-pink ruffles formed on the cloud bottom, and a lingering shine gilded the top of a crane angled upward. The ruffles turned fully pink, and wide, pink searchlight rays fanned out across the sky.