Sliding Down the Armrest

Wiggling out from under the red garden pot, I saw the smooth varnished armrest of the wooden porch bench sloping straight down toward the deck floor like an Olympic bobsled chute! I sputtered my plush belly into a loud, revving hum and scrambled right up onto the flat wooden seat. Aiming my front bumper dead-center along the polished curved rail, I gunned it. Whoosh! My soft underbelly caught the slick lacquer, shooting forward in a high-speed glide. Near the base, a bright yellow plastic clothespin was clamped tightly to the wood. Wham! My bumper knocked into it, popping the clip open with a crisp snap. I slid to a spunky drift on the deck boards, engine humming in victory!