Leveling the Foundation

The descent brought me to the flagstone walkway. Dusk reduced visibility, but the path remained navigable. Ahead, a cast-iron solar lantern stood tilted by seven degrees against a bed of damp soil. The structural lean compromised its vertical axis. I surveyed the immediate gravel. Three smooth gray river pebbles offered the necessary volume. I rolled the largest pebble beneath the raised perimeter of the iron footing. It slipped into the void. Using a discarded dry twig as a lever, I elevated the lantern base by four millimeters and wedged the remaining two stones beneath the rim. The iron collar leveled out. Vertical alignment restored. I rested against the stone base.