A Matter of Clues

A stray draft kept flicking the folded corner of a newspaper clipping pinned beneath an empty tumbler on the patio table. Leaving the shelter of the planters, I stepped up via the iron chair and walked across the cool glass surface. A discarded plastic pen cap nearby served as a handy counterweight to press the loose paper flat. With the grid securely pinned, 14 across turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. Leaning back against the heavy glass base with one hand in my pocket, I spent a few quiet minutes working through the remaining spaces. An agreeable way to pass the afternoon.