In a city where everything seems to cost too much, take too long, or require a permit, Mother Nature reminded us Thursday afternoon that some things are still free — and still spectacular.

A vivid rainbow arced across the Bay Area sky around 4:45 p.m., visible from the Bay Bridge, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, and seemingly everywhere in between. Commuters pulled out their phones. Social media lit up. For a few minutes, San Francisco felt like the kind of place people move here hoping it will be.

No city supervisor voted to approve it. No committee spent three years studying its environmental impact. No one had to fill out a form in triplicate or pay a $47 application fee. It just… happened. Imagine that.

Look, we spend most of our time here at The Dissent pointing out what's broken — the bloated budgets, the crumbling infrastructure, the policies that seem designed by people who've never actually ridden Muni or walked through the Tenderloin. That's the job, and we're not stopping. But every now and then, the Bay Area reminds you why people put up with the $4,000 rent and the car break-ins and the inexplicable $1.7 billion transit projects that somehow make your commute worse.

It's moments like this. A rainbow stretching from bridge to bridge over one of the most beautiful natural harbors on Earth, catching the late afternoon light while the city skyline glitters underneath.

You can't tax a sunset. You can't regulate a rainbow. And for once, that's not a complaint — it's a compliment.

Enjoy the little wins, San Francisco. We'll be back to yelling about the budget tomorrow.