A Tiny Leaf Raft

A smooth, curved magnolia seed pod lay right beside a trickle of shallow water between two stones. I picked up a dry yellow birch leaf, tested its balance, and gently set it flat inside the wooden hollow like a sail. With both palms, I guided the miniature boat onto the clear current. A sudden little swirl spun it halfway around, bumping it against a patch of green moss before it righted itself and glided smoothly forward into the sunlit pool.