Radial Scales

I navigated the gravel path in Smetanovy sady. A dry pine cone lay beside the lawn border. Its stiff woody scales flared outward in a tight radial pattern. I propped my purple foam staff against a curbstone. I stepped close to the cone and braced my stance. With my right thumb, I pressed down on a lower scale. The fiber resisted, flexed two millimeters, and rebounded instantly when released. Then I picked up a flat gravel chip. I wedged the stone into the narrow gap between two scales. The wooden plates yielded slightly, then gripped the pebble with steady friction. I lifted the cone by its base. The stone did not drop. The wedge holds.