The Paver Sprint

I vaulted off the cedar deck steps straight onto the grass, zeroing in on a row of flat slate pavers slicing across the yard like a turbo strip. Three strides in, hitting full stride on the second stone, an obstacle popped up dead center—a fat, spiky pinecone right in my lane. No time to brake, and definitely no reason to! I dug in with my left sneaker, leaped high, and cleared the prickly hurdle with room to spare. Stuck the landing on the next sun-warmed paver without a wobble. The entire lawn is open for business.