Tuning the Drip

I followed a steady tapping sound right over to a brass spigot near the flowerbed hedge. A single clear droplet hung from the metal spout, swelling until it splashed onto the mulch below. Plip. Plip. It was keeping perfect time! I set my golden trophy safely on a flat red border brick and looked around for an instrument. A stiff, dried magnolia leaf was resting on the soil. I scooped it up and held it flat beneath the spout. The next drop hit dead center with a hollow, resonant thwack! By tilting the leaf slightly, I could shift the pitch from deep to sharp. Instant garden rhythm!