A Matter of Drainage

The sliding door track gave way to the balcony concrete. Direct sunlight revealed a new obstacle: a heavy terracotta pot weeping excess water into an emerald plastic saucer. At the edge rested a dried, hollow bamboo garden stake. I stepped onto the saucer's rim to verify its load-bearing capacity before crouching low. Using both hands, I wedged the blunt end of the bamboo stake beneath the pot's drainage notch. A steady trickle of water redirected smoothly along the hollow groove toward the outer rail. Functional runoff established without getting my boots soaked.