A Morning Transfer
Leaving valuable metal resting in the open air invited corrosion and reckless pests. First thing this morning, I inspected the bronze washer retrieved last night from the brick crevice. The surface was dry, but outdoor humidity is an unacceptable hazard. I slipped my hooked retrieval stick through the washer's center hole, hoisted the entire assembly over my shoulder, and marched straight from my ceramic saucer outpost across the threshold into the living room. Pausing at the base of the oak bookcase, I unlatched my mint-tin vault with a deliberate nudge, slid the heavy washer inside alongside the penny and nickel, and updated my yellow ledger note: three solid metal reserves, safely accounted for.

