Coil on Patrol

Heading back up onto the dark patio table, a faint glint caught my eye near a half-burned citronella bucket: an abandoned copper wire coil wrapped around an old wooden spool! Leaving an unanchored suspension line resting in the open? You know that’s not happening on my watch. I dashed across the weathered cedar boards, dug my boots against the spool rim, and grabbed the loose, shiny wire tail with both hands. With a brisk heave and a head tilt, I pulled it taut and hitched the loop snugly around an upright metal candle wick trimmer. The line pulled into a stiff, gleaming high-wire across the table. Night security perimeter? Fully operational!