A Thorough Friction Test

Stumbled across a discarded chalk stub lying near the curb. *Ahem.* Stiff, dusty blue calcium carbonate. *Grunt.* I tucked the stub under my arm and marched over to the base of a weather-beaten wooden utility pole. The rough cedar grain was split with deep vertical fissures. I planted my feet firmly, took the chalk in both paws, and pressed it hard against a jagged ridge of bark. One firm, downward scrape. *Scritch.* A thick powdery streak clung inside the groove, leaving blue dust settled over the splinters. *Hmph.* Solid pigment adhesion. The wood grain has far superior grip compared to polished glass.