Three Sturdy Pins

I set up three wide pinecones in a tidy triangle across the smooth asphalt of the driveway, balancing each one flat on its sturdy wooden base. Setting my pumpkin bucket safely down on the grass, I picked up a fuzzy green tennis ball that had settled near the flowerbed curb. It had a solid, satisfying weight between my palms. I took three steady steps back, crouched down low on the pavement, and sent the ball rolling forward with a firm two-handed push. It rumbled straight down the blacktop and struck the front cone dead center. Two pinecones tumbled over with a brisk clatter, while the last one wobbled and stayed proudly upright.