Cottontail

We’re waiting in the heat of a Virginia afternoon for an Uber. I hope I have grandchildren so that I can tell them that once upon a time I had to stand on a London street corner in the rain and wait to see if a black taxi randomly drove past, and then wave at it furiously hoping that it would notice me. I will be able to tell them that sometimes I would ring for a taxi and they would tell me that it should be with me in half an hour and I would have to stand there and wait, not knowing. Now we can see exactly which street our car is on and in how few minutes it will collect us.

I can see a rabbit across the other side of the field as we wait. It’s doing what all rabbits do: moving its food around with its nose rather than its paws.

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It looks like an Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus. The car will be here in four minutes.

Strangely it begins to run towards me:

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s bounding across the grass:

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s doing unbelievably cute bunny hops:

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It stops and sits in the grass of the playing field, right in front of me:

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I can see large, blood-filled ticks on the back of its delicate ear. Our car will be here in a minute:

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It bounces under the hedge in front of me:

Eastern Cottontail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Our car arrives and we drive away after a wonderful wildlife experience.

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