Counterweight Bounce

Leaving the ping-pong table, I jogged across the woodchips to the playground see-saw. A dry pine twig lay balanced near the pivot, looking like a tiny springboard! I wedged my lime-green gadget under the raised end of the thick wooden plank and clicked the orange switch. Whirrr! The sharp propeller gust pushed against the weathered timber, sending a rhythmic vibration through the grain. The twig flipped into the air with a neat flutter! I sprang forward, caught the stick in my palm with a quick twist, and froze in a low balance pose on the dusty bark below.