Sunny-but-cool weather perfect for Parker Easter Egg Hunt

Three-and-a-half-year-old Maverick gets some helpful pointers from her mother Cheyenne Hastings at the Parker egg hunt on Saturday, March 23.

Story and photos by Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com

What started out as a cold, winter-like morning warmed into a sunny-but-cool afternoon for the Parker Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Parker Area Ladies Society (PALS) on Saturday, March 23.

Leanna Johnson coaches her 3-year-old daughter Ivella as she hunts for eggs.

Plastic eggs with candy treats and prizes were scattered about for three age groups: toddlers, young children and older children. On signal the younger and older school-age children made a dash, quickly snatching up eggs and filling baskets, plastic bags or whatever else would hold their prizes.

One-year-old Stran uses all of his senses in his hunt for eggs.

The response of the toddler group was more deliberate. For some, it was their first egg hunt, and despite accompaniment by parents or grandparents, they gingerly picked up the plastic eggs with great care, even pausing to “taste” the eggs in some cases.

Emily Christiansen works with her son Wade and daughter Heidi to open collected eggs for treats and prizes.

The Easter Bunny was on hand before, during and after the hunt, and parents and grandparents took the opportunity to snap photos with cameras and cell phones of their charges with the creature.

Members of the PALS group include, seated from left, Rita Kerr, Kristen Chermok, Judy Kinder; back, Carrie Sewell, Becky Johnson, Karri Brandt, and Sherry Schmitz. Jerred Johnson volunteered for Easter Bunny duty.

As families left, PALS members handed out goodie bags with even more treats. And adults and children alike wore smiles in the wake of a successful egg hunt.

In an earlier version of this story, Rita Kerr was identified incorrectly. We regret the error.

More photos from the event: