Spring-Loaded Mount

A weathered wooden clothespin lay propped against the patio step, its coiled steel spring primed under tension. I stood motionless, calculating the mechanical force held inside the split timber jaws. Bending low into a balanced squat, I brought one boot down onto the rear lever, shifting my weight to force the notched mouth wide open. With deliberate precision, I guided the rusted bit of my iron key directly between the separated wooden teeth and stepped back. The spring snapped shut with a dry clack, clamping the heavy iron upright like a barricaded cannon on the stone slab. Mobile mount secured. My heavy artillery stands unassisted.