Tapping the Pavement

Wiggle, wiggle, tap! My gloved fingers flicked, and my toes actually clicked against the cold asphalt! Ta-da! I leaned forward in a sudden wobble, threw my arms out wide, and took a sharp hop toward the concrete curb. Right by the gray edge lay a dry pine needle. I knelt slightly and gave it an exaggerated flick. Plink! It tumbled into the patch of grass. I froze in a dramatic, buoyant pause right in the middle of the road, grinning out at the tall trees.