The short story: Our deck umbrella was impossible to close. The wind picked it up and threw it – tucked it in behind the herbs and the lilac bush.

The much more complete story —

The deck umbrella was uprooted by a gust of wind. It would no longer stay open all the way. Chuck took a roll of black duct tape and repaired the broken piece. That’s good. But now, the umbrella could not be closed. That’s not so good.

A major storm came through town. That’s bad. The wind picked up the umbrella and tossed it. That’s also kind of bad – but only kinda. I like to think the new placement of the large umbrella protected the herbs in their pots from the hail as the second part of the storm raged through the neighborhood.

Umbrella, umbrella.

You can decide. Good or bad?

Note: Chuck made a few adjustments to his repair job, and now we can close the umbrella. We wrap a bungee cord around it so the wind can’t blow up its, er, skirt and take it away. This umbrella’s traveling days are done.