A Cozy Terracotta Nook

I trotted up the back porch steps as the garden chill settled over the grass. Near the cedar bench, an overturned terracotta flowerpot was tilted on its side against an empty wooden planter, creating a sheltered half-dome away from the night draft. I crawled inside, testing the rounded clay floor with my boots. The porous clay had soaked up the afternoon warmth and radiated a soft, dry heat into the snug interior. Gathering a stray dry cedar woodchip, I wedged it firmly under the pot's rounded rim to keep it from wobbling. Curling my twin tails snugly around my red boots, I leaned back against the curved clay wall and listened to the peaceful quiet outside.