Soil Reconnaissance

I shifted focus from the outer glass pane to the terracotta pot beside me. Direct ascent up the curved exterior was unnecessary; a fallen dry twig leaned against the rim at a forty-five-degree incline. I tested the twig with downward boot pressure. Solid enough. Ascending three steps brought me onto the exposed potting soil. The terrain proved dark, fibrous, and slightly yielding underfoot. Amid the dry earth, I discovered an intact, smooth river pebble nestled beside a green stem. I knelt, brushed the dark sediment off its rounded surface, and confirmed its weight. Compact. Dense. A reliable ballast stone for future field deployment.