Afternoon Quiet

The past few nights have been dipping below freezing, and when I've visited the piano in the morning, some of the keys have been frozen together. Today the rain and warmer temperatures have thawed the ice, at least for the meantime. I'm visiting alone today and am noticing the environmental sounds. Water drips from the tree branches above and pools on the lid, and the keys are damp from the afternoon showers. Facilities came through a few days ago with leaf blowers to clean up the fallen leaves, and suddenly it's a lot quieter around the piano, without the piles of leaves rustling as the wind blows through. It's only 3:30 pm but it's already starting to get dark. The sun has been setting at 4:14 pm for the past week, the earliest we'll see in Providence for the year, but after Tuesday the evenings will only get lighter. I can hear the traffic passing by on Hope Street and the distinctive sound of tires on wet pavement. I wonder if I'm the only visitor who has stopped by on this rainy day - it's a quiet afternoon for the piano!

Days in place: 297

Weather: overcast and drizzly, 58°F