EDITORIAL

An October gift

Posted 10/8/15

How could you not love yesterday?

Even if it was only an office break and a chance to stand in the sun and breathe in the clear October air, the day had that special quality that only is sweetened …

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EDITORIAL

An October gift

Posted

How could you not love yesterday?

Even if it was only an office break and a chance to stand in the sun and breathe in the clear October air, the day had that special quality that only is sweetened by the prospect that cold and even snowy days are to follow.

We weren’t alone in appreciating such splendor.

A trip around the city found drivers with windows open and leisurely taking their time. Usually that would be reason for a few honks and nasty stares, but not yesterday. Even construction on the Apponaug circulator seemed to have slowed. Special duty officers and flaggers – some we have to believe get made up for work – really had the best of jobs … at least yesterday.

There were hints of the season to come with splashes of orange, yellow red against a verdant background of green. The pace was especially leisurely in Pawtuxet Village where we stopped to look over the bridge at the swirling schools of menhaden so thick that some were forced out of the water and onto the banks.

A woman pushed a baby carriage, smiling. A man got out of his car with a bouquet.

“She should love those.”

“I hope so,” he replied, pausing to gaze at the circling fish before heading off to make his delivery.

We stopped at Lakeshore Drive to see what progress had been made on the replacement of the culvert and restoration of two-way traffic. The road was open. Jersey barriers and traffic barrels were signs of the work, but no one was there. Workers had moved on to other projects, or maybe, they were taking a break.

At the Randall Holden School playground, kids appeared to be in a game to see how many times they could use the slide. They raced in circles – another school, but not fish – from the end of the slide and back up the stairs. And then there were those who just ran circles in the yard. It was that kind of a day.

That wasn’t the case a week ago as wind and rain battered the city and we nervously received updates on the whereabouts and possible path of Hurricane Joaquin. It put us all on edge.

But yesterday was a gem. Remember it when you hunt through the closet for gloves, nudge up the thermostat and prepare to do battle with the elements and all those others doing just the same thing.

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