I went into Cambridge this afternoon to sign the few remaining books at Battenkill, it was a snap compared to previous days – they are out of books. As I was driving away, I look across the road at this thrift store on Main Street, and I told Maria I thought I caught a whiff, a slice of Christmas, but I didn’t see a photo there. Oh, really?, she said, knowing me well, maybe take a closer look. I pulled over and she handed the camera to me and I confronted the building straight on, and suddenly I did see a beautiful photo, a slice of Christmas, an intimation of it.

I thought the lights on this shop were quite brave, struggling to stand out in the twilight. Maria was right, I did see Christmas in this photo, it is there, if you look for it.