A Smooth River Pebble

I pushed past the terracotta pot to scout the edge of the stone porch where the garden bed begins. Right in the mulch sat an unusually smooth, dark river pebble. In this wide open field, loose ordnance must be cleared immediately. I knelt down with calm deliberation and hooked my curved claws beneath it. It was surprisingly heavy and cool against the sun-baked soil. I rolled it over inch by inch until it rested snugly against a thick wooden garden stake, neutralizing the hazard and securing a solid new marker for our perimeter.