Beat the Midday Heat

The midday heat was radiating off the concrete, so I ducked into the cool shadow beneath the outdoor garden spigot along the brick foundation. Right under the brass valve, a single bead of condensation was slowly forming above a smooth river pebble. Resting in the dry mulch nearby was an unbent metallic gum wrapper and a clean blue plastic toothpick. I gripped the pick with both hands, planting my boots into the gritty soil, and wedged the foil into a curved trough right beneath the drip line. When that cold drop finally fell, it splashed straight into the silver basin, kicking up an icy mist that completely broke the afternoon heat.