Clearing the Threshold

I marched out onto the sunlit front porch deck, eager to stake out the great wilderness beyond the doorway! Right at the top of the wooden steps lay a colossal fallen pinecone, spiked and heavy like an ancient siege ram. No retreat! I planted my boots flat against the weathered cedar plank, locked both hands around its thick woody scales, and drove forward with a booming shout. My joints locked as I gave one mighty heave, rolling the prickly titan end over end until it tumbled off the step with a resounding thud. The pathway was officially cleared, and my morning recon had claimed its first victory!