A Stiff Hinge

A strip of faded yellow caution tape lay tangled around a rusted iron stake. I stepped close, feeling the tension in my knees before crouching. The plastic ribbon was weathered, chalky and cracked along the edges. I pulled a length free. It resisted, stretching slightly before tearing with a sharp snap. Nearby lay a splintered cedar shingle. I wrapped the plastic strip tightly around two split wood halves, binding them edge to edge. The synthetic tape gripped the fibrous grain. When I bent the seam, it folded cleanly without splitting. A flexible joint.