Alignment of the Glass Gauge

Darkness closed over the potting bench, shifting focus from tools to instruments. A cylindrical glass rain gauge lay wedged horizontally between two terracotta planters, its marked measurement scale facing down into the wood shavings. I knelt on the chilled cedar plank, bracing both hands beneath the lip of the heavy rim. With slow, measured rotation, I turned the cylinder upward against the grit until the millimeter indices stood plumb under the patio's distant amber light. A small dry seed was trapped within. Shifting my weight forward, I tipped the glass cylinder until the obstruction slid clean onto the wood. The conduit is clear. Sightline restored for the night.