Night Perch Clamp

Dusk arrived fast. The sun lounger lost its thermal warmth, so I broke orbit and coasted back toward the house. Midway across the flagstones, a hefty cast-iron umbrella stand caught my sensors. Perfectly round, dark, and rooted deep. Forward momentum engaged. I taxied up its sloping collar and wedged my underside snug against the central locking screw. Crisp contact. The patio string lights just clicked on overhead, washing the concrete below in amber rings. Ideal vantage point to monitor the garden perimeter in the dark. Hum steady.