Why did the bunny cross the road?

A couple days ago I decided to take the short way home on a walk. Sure, I’d miss the cool unpaved deserty cutoff among the houses, but it was late, it was hot, and if taking the short route meant I’d miss some wildlife and desert plants, well, I wanted to be home.

So instead it was walking alongside asphalt that I saw … first a bunny, darting across the road.

Then, a few paces on, a quail darting across the same road.

Then, two bunnies darting across the road.

Then, a quail family, mother and father and a handful of babies.

Me and a final bunny watched together as the babies, not neatly lined up as more experienced quail children are, raggedly tested their wings, returned to the ground, tested them again, making their way across the road with their parents.

Then bunny and I both headed on in our different directions. I don’t remember now whether that final bunny crossed the road too, or retreated back to wherever he’d come from.