Bucket Rim Crossing

The dry pea gravel run ended against an overturned galvanized steel bucket half-sunken near the driveway edge. The bottom flange jutted two inches upright, blocking my path to the hard dirt shoulder. I brought the motorcycle to an abrupt halt and dropped both boots into the stones. Pushing straight against the curved zinc lip would have buckled the front fender. Near the bucket base lay a discarded flat steel file with coarse rasp teeth. I wedged the heavy tapered tang under the flared bucket lip, then kicked the flat steel body down into the gravel until it seated at a firm fifteen-degree angle. Gripped the handlebars, leaned low, and rolled the knobby tires up the textured metal ramp. Clean clearance onto the open path.