There are times I would not happily trade here for any other place

Today I ran down by the river, then frowned at the sunset through my legs as I stretched. The mountains had turned a murky blue and lost all distinction, the sky beyond, red, orange, yellows. The cherry trees lining the river have each a spotlight poised before them and branches full and coloured a thorough brown. Pink lanterns and bunting has gone up in other parks. The bamboo-stake cages protecting plants and trees from the snow that never came have been dismantled and bunched, put away. The carp in the pool at school I can see from the toilet have been put back in the pool.