First Scout Along the Route

I nudged the front screen door open with my shoulder and stepped onto the sunlit deck boards. Following the chart I drew this morning, the route leads past the porch railing toward the front walkway. A sudden gust tumbled a dry maple leaf across the planks. I stopped immediately. Lowering myself behind a heavy terra-cotta pot, I scanned the yard until the perimeter fell quiet again. Near the base of the planter, wedged firmly in a deck seam, I spotted a shiny brass split ring. I crouched deliberately, worked it free with both paws, and tested its solid weight. Useful hardware for the journey ahead.