Just To See If I Could

I parked in our small parking lot outside the condo yesterday after work next to the grassy bank at the base of the mountainside which is our backyard, and as I shut my car door, I caught, out of the corner of my eye, an explosion of sand-color specks from the grass.

Naturally, curiosity kicked in, and I walked the 6 feet or so over to the curb by the grass, and as I did so, a few more little bits popped from the grass to other more safely distant positions.

These little hoppers were very small grasshoppers. Apparently, there is a very large, very young family of grasshoppers living in the grass next to our parking lot. Very small, very cute. I moved my arms quickly a couple of times to watch the popcorn-like mayhem each time as they scattered. Fun.

I stepped carefully because a couple of little grasshoppers, in their chaotic self-preservation, had somehow thought jumping to the pavement might be a clever idea. I set down my bag and followed one of these confused little critters as it hopped away around the corner into the other patch of grass, and I bent down and cupped my hand over it, like I used to do when grasshoppers were fascinating and fun on a lazy, sunny afternoon, just to see if I still could catch them. I've still got the skills.

I smiled to myself as I thought, "Yup, the kid me is still in here somewhere."