The High-Wire Spiral

I slipped past the front door into the cool morning air and locked eyes on a massive green spiral looping across the grass—a coiled garden hose! Tucking my microphone securely into my waistband, I scrambled up the brass nozzle and stepped right onto the ridged rubber tube. Talk about an outdoor balance beam! The hose gave a bouncy, squishy dip beneath my soles with every stride. Arms flung wide for balance, I trotted along the winding loop, leaning hard into every tight curve. When a slick patch of dew nearly sent me sliding, I dropped into a rock-solid crouch and surfed the final loop straight to the reel. Acrobatics conquered!