Hunt

This morning we made our way down to the Old Mill District for their Easter Egg Hunt. The weather was cool and a little drizzly. Being good Oregonians this didn't slow us down, we figured if it really started to rain then there were plenty of shops where we could hide from a passing storm. We arrived a bit before 10am and were among the first to arrive. We passed the time walking along the river watching geese, ducks and otter.





As time passed there was more activity related to the hunt. The kids were happy to see the Oregon Ducks mascot in the main plaza; Boo also liked meeting "DC" (the Deschutes County Fair mascot), Red Robin, and of course the Easter Bunny.

Finally it was time for the hunt. The kids were divided by age. Boo headed to the area for kids aged 7-9; J.J. and Stinky were at an adjacent area for kids aged 10-12. If not for Boo I would have been hesitant to take J.J. and Stinky as I think they are getting a little old for Easter Egg hunting - but the age limit was 12 and all the kids are still in that range!

Most of the kids seemed extremely well behaved in the crowd - it was a very pleasant group! Everyone - parents and kids - seemed very laid back and like they were just there to have a good time.

There were a lot of kids in Boo's age group. At the "ready, set, go!" a swarm of kids swept across the grass, scooping up plastic eggs filled with goodies. It took less than a minute for them to clear the area. Boo collected about 20 eggs.



A short distance away, in the big kids' area, there weren't nearly as many kids. J.J. and Stinky scooped eggs and each collected two bags full - almost 80 eggs each!



Once the little kids in Boo's group caught on that the big kids were still hunting, they swarmed into the area and made short work collecting any leftover eggs.

Stinky compared it to the scene in The Bear Circus when the grasshoppers appear and swarm through the area, eating every bit of food in sight and left nothing for the koalas and kangaroos. It was amazing to watch that herd of little kids sweep across the grass!

I was really surprised how large the big kid area was, in proportion to how many kids were there. I guess I think of Easter Egg Hunts as an event for the little ones. But... our kids went to the event knowing that whatever they collected was to be shared with the family. When we got home everyone helped "crack" the eggs open and sort through their loot.

They netted a large bowl of chocolate eggs, two passes to the Working Wonders museum, lots of stickers, and about $50 in "Bird Bucks" (Red Robin coupons).

Happy Easter, everyone!