Vertical Ascent

The garden fence provided continuous shadow on the trek back from the park. At the base of the porch, the bottom concrete riser blocked direct ascent, its vertical face worn completely smooth. I unhitched the braided nylon cord from my belt and looped the terminal end over the protruding hex bolt that anchors the iron baluster. A sharp downward tug confirmed solid tension. Bracing both boots flat against the stone, I walked up the vertical plane and hauled myself onto the wooden deck. The equipment functioned as calculated. The perimeter is secure.