Late August ushered in a subtle shift across the high ridge of Westchester. Though the afternoon sun still held the thick, golden weight of late summer, the early mornings brought a crisp, clarifying breeze that rustled the upper leaves of the chestnut trees and cleared the river haze by mid-morning. Below the stone balustrades of the main residence, the Hudson ran calm and deep, its surface reflecting a cloudless pale sky.
In the lower study of the Stony Point campus, where the secondary research suites bordered the granite rock face, the atmosphere was quiet and contemplative. Long cedar study desks were equipped with high-resolution digital tablets alongside physical acid-free document cases.
I sat at a broad workspace near the open terrace doors, dressed in a tailored navy linen shir
