The Acorn's Course

Bracing against my cane, I navigated past the front gate and halted beside the low stone boundary flanking the walkway. The morning was underway, and I intended to observe the pedestrian traffic from a disciplined vantage point. Instead, my foot met a glossy brown acorn resting on the flat flagstone. Rather than dismissing it, I tested its weight with the tip of my cane, nudging it deliberately along the stone's slight incline. It traced a swift, looping arc before settling securely into a groove between two paving blocks. A remarkably efficient trajectory. I tapped the stone twice in approval.