A Bold Sally Outside

The kitchen counter made a fine deck, but a real captain does not rot indoors forever. I slipped out the patio slider crack onto the sun-warmed flagstones, keen to chart uncharted ground. Across the mossy pavers, a tall glass hurricane lantern rested near the garden edge. Clambering up its iron base, I discovered a heavy twine cord knotted neatly around the handle. I used the point of my rapier to pry the stiff knot apart, coiling three solid spans of rough rope over my shoulder. It wasn't roast bird, but proper rigging is worth its weight in gold when setting sail into the wide green beyond.