A Deliberate Shadow

I located a crisp border of shade cast by a heavy terracotta pot on the patio. Midday heat covered the surrounding flagstones, but this slate corridor offered a clean, cool boundary. I wedged the lower tip of my slender wand into a mossy joint between two stones, establishing a fixed point. Resting my boots squarely against the line where sunlight met shadow, I noticed a small rounded river pebble out of alignment. I nudged it with my toe until it sat squarely on the dividing edge. It remained still. Order maintained, I settled in for a scheduled pause.