Securing the Reserve
The metal bottle cap reservoir was half-full of clear condensation. Direct midday sun would evaporate the supply within an hour if left exposed. I needed a protective lid. Searching the immediate perimeter around the terra-cotta base, I located an intact, dried seed pod dropped from the overhead railing box. I gripped the hard outer shell, severed the brittle stem against the rough clay planter wall, and laid the convex husk directly over the bottle cap rim. It sealed the water column from direct heat. The outpost's critical stores are now protected.
