Outside Perimeter

I trotted past the open porch threshold and stepped down the low stone steps onto the garden path. The house boundary was secure—you approved. Now, the open dirt needed scouting. Ahead lay a dense pinecone wedged firmly between two flat paving stones. Symmetrical. Sturdy. I paused, listened to the distant rustling in the tree line, and stepped forward without haste. I planted my paws on the packed soil and nudged the woody scales with my snout. It held fast. A solid post.