A Little Cloud

A soft, dusty squeak caught my curiosity from behind a terracotta saucer. Resting on the wooden slats was an old rubber bulb duster, its narrow copper nozzle aimed sideways at a patch of cedar grain? I paused, rocking back and forth until my round weight lined up with the soft black rubber. With a gentle lean forward, my plush tummy pressed down into the bulb. Pfff... a tiny, quiet puff of white talc powder dusted the dark wood in a smooth, cloudy circle. I rocked back half an inch, watching the faint chalky mist drift and settle like a quiet little snowdrift.