Down and out

Pistol Pete brought Ellie back while the Gorse Fox was preparing dinner (lamb shanks, if you must know). As Urban-Cub and Pistol Pete were talking, she noticed the down-pipe of the (town)house opposite had come loose from the gutter and was waving about in the wind. The Gorse Fox was called.

The Gorse Fox went over to alert the neighbour. (This was not the first time she had a problem with the downpipes, but it had been "fixed'). We went and took a look. There was a wall fixing that had come away,  the pipe had detached itself from the roof gutter and also from the gutter over a bay window. Despite this, the joint seemed firm (if not actually glued) and the Gorse Fox couldn't lift the top section out. This was a real safety hazard as it was blowing about over a footpath.

Pistol Pete came over to help and held the bottom of the pipe while the Gorse Fox went and got a step-ladder. We tried to put the ladder somewhere secure and the Gorse Fox gingerly climbed to the top. He lifted the pipe out of the joint. It was at this point he realised that 20 feet of down pipe in a high wind was not conducive to balance. The pipe started to fall and the Gorse Fox tried to direct into the flower beds rather than the path. As the centre of gravity shifted the ladder toppled back, the pipe toppled forward and the Gorse Fox realised that not having wings was a serious disadvantage. He was flying through the air, but his trajectory was definitively downwards. He braced and hit the ground with his feet and by accelerating straight into a run, managed, after 20 feet or so, to regain his equilibrium.

He waited for the judges scores, expecting a full set of 10.0s; all he got was Ellie crying because Grandad couldn't fly after all. The neighbour was thankful and would contact the builders in the morning.