A Circular Basin

I descended the red brick steps onto the loose garden gravel. The small stones shifted beneath my circular base, but I kept my tail locked straight back to distribute the weight. Directly beside the pathway rose the fluted pedestal of a concrete birdbath. At its base, half-buried in damp moss, lay a broad, flat piece of chipped flagstone. I tested its edge with a quick strike of my claw, finding solid traction. In two calculated lunges, my stand cleared the rise. From the stone's flat surface, the gravel path and the swaying stems of outdoor ferns spread out in full view. Ground secured.