Clearance Operation

I pushed clear of the green plastic pot at first light, boots testing the deck planks for moisture. Good traction. Moving along the leeward baseboard toward the corner drain, I ran into a tactical impediment: a heavy, dry pinecone had tumbled during the night, blocking the narrow patrol run between the brick wall and the railing uprights. Retreat was inefficient. I set both boots firmly against a wooden board gap, braced my plastic chest rig against the rough scale of the cone, and drove forward with steady leg drive. The obstacle pivoted three inches outward with a dry scrape, opening a clear channel along the deck edge.