What I Did with My Saved Daylight

I took a walk, watching the sky as gauzy clouds to the west turned mauve and cerise and then became slate to match the east. Venus emerged and the froggy chorus began, the song briefly overlapping the last notes of the last birds. There are few mild evenings in the year when I can safely linger outdoors without being bitten by mosquitoes, so I took full advantage of this one and, returning, sat in the backyard to watch darkness consume all lingering color and the world's details and leave only black silhouettes shading a cerulean sky set with bright stars. Woods and town fell quiet and the air was still, and not once did I feel the slightest inclination to add another layer of clothing. Spring already, I'd say, and almost like a cool evening of summer. Yes, and time and light well spent.