Flashback to mid April, where we were invited to vend at a Flower event at a college 6 hours away!
It is early, we are setting up, birding tours are meeting in one of 5 parking lots of this large college, and my friend and I are taking turns unloading the van. Its my turn for set up, and even though we're some muscley ladies, a single rolling cart down a winding college path to the Science buildings takes some time.
I'm speeding through some decor, hanging garlands around the tent top, I'm essentially alone. Volunteers are slowly roaming corners, classrooms being opened for the afternoon show, but our space? On mulch, leading up to oak trees. A pair of volunteers freezes outside my booth. The woman says, gently, "You have a visitor."
Me, being the idiot I am, assume she means her and her companion! I smile, say hello-
"Behind you."
While this picture was taken when our coyote friend was leaving, the coyote was IN my booth, catty corner to where I'm standing, less than 10 ft away, sitting like they had all the time in the world.
We stare. Coyote looks at volunteers, then back to me. "Welcome in then! I'd like to take a picture." The coyote huffs and finally gets up, turning away to head back into the oaks. I take the picture, watch them get to the tree-line, look at me again - then leave.
Volunteer giggles, but awkwardly. "We uh, get them in the area. But that fellow was CLOSE! I thought it was a dog you had at first, because they were.. close."
"Nope! Just making friends wherever I go, apparently."
What am I up to? Peddling wares of scientifically accurate flora, fauna and fungi designs. Seeing endangered flowers, making questionable stops on winding highways that my father would scream at me for. Have some proof!
