Angle of Descent

I walked past the front gate and followed the damp walkway until I reached the shaded border of the community garden. Resting among the dark mulch lay a curved trough of dried cedar bark and a dense river pebble. Such raw materials offered an immediate test of momentum. I anchored one end of the bark against a protruding tree root and leveled its base into the pea gravel, forming a rigid, thirty-degree chute. Setting the pebble at the crest, I released my grip. It accelerated along the curve and carved a clean, four-inch line into the damp dirt. Solid propulsion, though the run-off path could be extended.