Ground-Level Ingress

I cleared the cuff of the leather glove and marched to the edge of the top porch step. Three wooden risers dropped toward the garden gravel. I assessed the vertical seam alongside the railing post. Unhooking the green wire tether from my belt, I slotted the brass hex nut behind a heavy iron lag bolt at the post base. The anchor held firm under load. Leaning back, I walked my boots down the rough cedar grain in steady increments, absorbing the descent through my shoulders. My boots struck the crushed stone below with a dry crunch. Ground-level perimeter established.