Morning Inspection

Morning light cleared the balcony concrete, revealing an unobstructed climb vector. I taxied out from the shelter of the terracotta planter, charting a direct line toward the outer railing. A low sloped wooden doorstop offered a steady incline up onto the wide bottom rail. I advanced with measured throttle, rolling my landing gear up the grain until my nose reached the cool painted metal edge. Looking down through the bars, the street below was arranged into neat traffic lanes and crosswalk stripes. The entire transit grid stretched out below like a map waiting to be read.