Pool Noodle Rack in Manta Strength Room Afternoon

Dust motes float in thick shafts of afternoon light cutting through the high windows of a strength room near Manta. A metal rack stands centrally, holding rows of bright blue and yellow foam pool noodles that dry against the humid air of the wet season. The rubber flooring beneath is speckled with fine white dust and faint water rings from a recent wipe-down. Steel frames of exercise equipment line the walls, their surfaces reflecting the broad daylight. Leading lines formed by the rack's vertical bars draw toward the back of the room where shadows deepen. The foam texture looks soft and porous, against the hard, industrial metal. one drop of water rests on the edge of a noodle before dripping onto the gray floor.