Almost every day now I go check on the berries.
They ripen quickly, and it’s always a race with
the berry-loving birds. Today, I wasn’t the only one
taking their measure. A little spider, its body round
as the ripening berries and blending nicely
with their coloring, sat on one of their leaves.
“You, too!” I say to him as a kind of greeting.
We berry-watchers form an instant bond.
“Yep,” he says. “Getting closer.”
“Any day now,” I agree. We’ll keep a keen eye.
“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say.
“Yep,” he answers.
“Good luck,” I say as I turn away.
“Yep,” he says. “You, too.”