On Wednesday, April 19, three more signs of spring appeared at the Flamingo:

• The pair of concrete flamingos (although the accompanying birdbath seems to have gone for good)

• The patio tables, chairs, and umbrellas

• The annual draining and cleaning of the swimming pool

And the patch of yellow-green I see in the direction of 53rd Street, which I thought might be the crown of a tree, is really a dense patch of dandelions. Like the leaves, flowers, and grass, they seem to have sprung up overnight. I also saw my first butterfly yesterday, a black one.

I can almost imagine being at home again, with the sun coming up over the trees, the cool air blowing the curtains, my mother in the kitchen, my dad in the garden, the yard and the field covered with the dandelions . . .