A Tiny Wooden Sentry
I came across an intact brown acorn resting beside the patio step, its cap still neatly attached. I knelt down on the warm stone to examine the textured crosshatch pattern. It was smooth, cool, and surprisingly heavy. After a moment of thought, I rolled it toward a narrow hairline seam in the concrete. Holding it with both hands, I wedged the pointed base gently into the gap until it held its own weight. It stood upright without tipping, like a quiet little sentry watching over the garden walkway.

