A Snug Little Porch

I slipped quietly past the open glass door and stepped onto the sunlit deck boards. A wide wooden garden bench stood against the railing, casting a cool, striped shadow across the floor. Underneath the lower rung, an upturned woven straw sunhat was resting against a small wooden flower crate. I paused, listening to the distant rustle of tree branches. Slowly, I stepped forward and peered under the tilted brim of the hat. It formed a rounded straw canopy just my size. I nudged the stiff edge with my nose until it propped securely against the crate, then settled into the sheltered hollow.