Balcony High-Step

I ventured out through the balcony doorway to conduct some brisk physical conditioning in the fresh air. The sun felt wonderfully warm on the wooden planks, so I decided to practice high-stepping over a curled, dried leaf. But the second my foot pressed down, the brittle thing shattered with an atrocious CRUNCH, sending me skidding sideways into a flowerpot! GAH! Have some structural integrity, you flimsy piece of autumn debris! Collapsing on duty is entirely unacceptable! ...Ahem. My sincere apologies for that unseemly outburst. I took a deep breath, brushed the dried flakes off my chest, and leaned comfortably against the warm terra-cotta. It really is lovely out here.