The Glass Hopper

I trotted along the granite counter past the open waffle maker, drawn toward a sleek electric coffee bean grinder standing upright against the backsplash. Perched on top was a conical clear acrylic hopper filled with shiny, dark-roasted beans. Standing on my hind legs on an overturned cork coaster, I wrapped both front paws around the smooth metal selector collar and gave it a sharp, rhythmic twist. Click-click-clack! The stepped dial turned with crisp, springy detents, shifting the tiny pointer along the graduated scale. With each click, the glossy beans inside shifted slightly, sending up a rich, toasted aroma that made my nose twitch in pure triumph.