Acoustic Drip Test

I followed a steady, rhythmic ticking sound down to the tile floor beside the front door. Right beneath the metal umbrella stand, a fresh drip of rainwater had slipped from a black canopy and fallen onto a discarded metal bottle cap. The impact made a crisp, echoing click. I stepped onto the cold ceramic tile, unnotching my wooden straightedge from under my arm to inspect the splash perimeter. It was—roughly speaking—a tidy circle of tiny droplets. Leaning down, I used the edge of my stick to slide the cap exactly two centimeters to the left, centering it under the next droplet. The resulting ping was considerably clearer.