Have some light this year.

Yesterday I went south; today I went north. Just to walk in another direction. Not so much with the meandering in and out of grocery stores trying to find flour for bread. Just out walking to walk and work off some of the energy of being inside, and to enjoy the beautiful day. Spring's arrived, and that it's here now seems appropriate. Like this is the right time of year for it to come.

I went up Riverside Drive, first getting surprised by a tree in full blossom, then by a crow, landing on branches of a much taller tree flanking the blossoming one. I caught its movement and its call, then walked over once it landed, getting a good look at its silhouette after it took off. I knew I'd recognized that call.

A lot of calls, really. Yesterday and today I noticed a lot more sparrow activity, at least in terms of their being vocal. Someone else backed me up on this, so it's not just me.

This someone else was a woman at a first-floor window in a blue-and-yellow floral dress, waving and saying hello to everyone who walked by. Smiling, laughing, enjoying the sunshine. I waved hello back, then half a block later, turned around and went to ask her about the sparrows and if she'd noticed more birds. Which she had. We started to chat, first about plants and how we can't go to the stores but can order seeds online, and how this is a time to reflect and recharge, and how and where to get one's news these days.

As I said to her, these sorts of conversations are why we live in New York City.

She had on a lovely dress. She wore bracelets and earrings and a necklace all made of mother-of-pearl, with the bracelets made of beads and the earrings large discs and the necklace hung with a large piece resting on her chest. She clapped, and swooned, and spoke with her whole body.

She had a large scar running across her head, up from her left ear and arcing over her scalp.

From that scar, and how her eyes didn't quite focus together, and the way she lost her train of thought a couple times, I can make a guess for the reason for all these things. I can say for certain it's why she was bald, and not simply a woman who'd shaved her head - while a bald woman in a beautiful sundress is a showstopping look, and I've seen a fair few of those, I'd guess without certainty she decided on the dress, but not being bald.

I turned around to chat both because I wanted to ask her about the birds, and because I knew her staying inside and me staying outside was enough distance for us both to be safe, and because she'd been saying hello and waving and I don't think a lot of people stopped to say hello back.

So we talked a while. We chatted and made each other smile. When I went to go, we blew each other kisses and waved, which I'm going to have to start doing, because it's a really nice way to say goodbye.