Balancing Act

I navigated outward past the open sliding glass door to inspect the balcony perimeter. On the wide rim of a terracotta planter, three smooth river pebbles lay clustered near a dormant succulent. Positioning my staff horizontally across two rounded stones, I created a fulcrum balance. A dry twig served as the counterweight on the far end. When a sudden gust shifted the balance and tilted the stick downward, I adapted by slotting an angular piece of slate into the hinge, securing a stable triangular truss.