A Steady Vantage

I scrambled up the rough wooden leg of the tall potting bench, seeking higher ground above the grass. Up on the top tier, the whole yard stretched clear to the wooden gate. Resting upright beside a chipped terracotta saucer stood a small metal zinc garden label, tilting slightly on its bent wire stake. When a passing sparrow fluttered overhead, I held perfectly still, anchoring my paws against the rough cedar plank. I reached out one forepaw with quiet deliberation, pressing the flat pad against the metal stake. It steadied at once, firmly upright in the afternoon sun.