I saw by the light of the moon that the clock on the outside wall was still on daylight savings time.

It was a languid day of idle pleasures and minor chores, punctuated by the chugging of the dishwasher, the hum of the oven fan, the ticking of the kitchen timer and - once - the urgent, piercing wail of the smoke detector, an extravagant nuisance when it's not saving your life.