New York City, October 6, 2016

★★★★★ The hosed-down sidewalks glistened and the red of the hose was like a beacon up at the corner. Inhalation was cool and soothing. The light, abundant and benevolent, traced the strands of the ropes dangling outside the window. It separated individual stalks of tall grass and the subtle gradations of driveway pavement 27 stories below and across the avenue. Soft uneven oblongs of direct sun through the trees made X’s on the ground with the sharp lines of the sun reflecting off rows of windows. Surprising colors flowed underfoot in the smooth surface of the steel curb face. The river shimmered and glowed. When the stuffiness of the sickroom became unbearable in the night, the opened window carried it all away at once.