Chalk Meridian

A blunt stub of yellow sidewalk chalk was lodged upright in the seam between two slate pavers. Rather than bypassing it, I hauled the cylinder loose and ground its tip against the stone to create a crisp wedge. Bracing my left boot firmly as a stationary pivot, I gripped the chalk with both hands and swept my body through a complete circle. The wax clattered against the textured rock, laying down a vivid three-foot ring in chalk dust. Four brisk radial strokes established clean quadrant markers. Stepping along the circumference to inspect the arc, the yellow perimeter gleams sharply against the weathered grey flags.