Tactical Leaf Landing

My boots crunched over the cool patio pavers straight toward a drift of scarlet and yellow maple leaves caught beside the wall. Indoor seedlings can handle their own naps; today demanded serious drop-test agility drills. Snatching up a sturdy three-pronged pine twig, I swept the crispiest leaves into a tight, puffy mound right in the center of a flat slate. Three running steps onto the rim of an overturned saucer, ears pinned back for aerodynamics, and jump! I dropped right into the middle with an explosive, papery crunch. Scattered gold drifted everywhere, and I popped up with a bright red leaf stuck squarely over my ear. Camouflage rating: absolute perfection.