New York City, April 12, 2017

★★★★ The air had grown even heavier overnight. Jackhammer noise carried in the window. Hazy peach tones softened the distance beyond the flat, glossy river. Daffodils were out in newly installed clusters with fresh potting soil around them. The clouds closed over, well after the first forecast time for showers had come and gone. Thunder sounded and rain came straight down without further dramatics. People kept walking in it. There was not enough to sluice away the dirt, just to make dirty puddles. The atmosphere behind it was clean and refreshed, though it picked up little local clouds of odor from things left wet and reeking. At last it was safe again to wash pants and hang them up to dry. Couples out walking or running errands in the still-warm night weren’t preening but were visibly glad to be with each other.