Chocolate bunny

Wow! A chocolate Easter bunny from the recent holiday meal at a friend's home. And not just any old chocolate, but a class act. Imported from Germany.

I'm certainly glad I didn't have a little one around. Wouldn't want him or her to get hurt.

But I am truly relieved to have all that nutritional information right at hand. You can bet I read every word. Good that there was enough room on the wrapper to provide it!

I checked out that dangerous ribbon before I devoured the bunny; I guess I'm big enough to survive. Happy to report that the chocolate was quite yummy -- and, most important of all, it was hollow. Don't know why that is important, but I recall an Easter chocolate from my childhood that was solid -- most disappointing.

Local Linkage: Yavapai Central is back with a report on the county board and the problem small unincorporated areas have submitting community plans. If you read about the local barn owls in the Courier Saturday, you'll want to see the bird living at Lowe's. Down in Tucson, Warren visited the butterfly garden with his camera; up in the Painted Desert, a phytosaur skull is being excavated, the subject of a new blog about the process. Finally, Rich stalks a heron at Watson Lake & gets a shot of a luncheon frog.

An early Easter this year

When the holiday house over on Park Avenue changed the outdoor decor from St. Pat's to Easter at least a week before people got out their green fedoras, I was puzzled. Then Jean sent me to Snopes where I learned that Easter takes place unusually early this year, as its 2008 date is March 23. The last time Easter fell on so early a date was 1913 and the next time it will do so will be in the year 2160. Seeing Easter fall on the earliest possible date, March 22, last occurred in the year 1818 and will not happen again until 2285. There you have it. Time for my annual round-up of how America secularizes almost anything once sacred.

Fry's featured Easter cookies at the same time as the St. Paddy's cookies.

I found this assortment of Easter-themed thingies at Big Lots. Note especially the Easter pinwheel...

...and Ms. Bunny, all dressed up in holiday finery.

In the meantime, over on Park Avenue, the scene was set for what looks like a visit from grandchildren.

Easter is an occasion for changing the decor at restaurants, of course. These shots were taken at Gizie MaGee's.

Easter decorations as art objects? That's the picture I didn't get, but you can find at Rowena's blog . Over at the Arts Prescott Coop Gallery on Whiskey Row.

As for special holiday events, they happen on next Saturday just in front of Easter. I'm scratching my head to figure out where the WallyMart is going to hold its grand Easter egg hunt. Surely not among the merchandise (oh my, what fun that would be!) ... if not, then in the parking lot in the midst of all those cars? Unfortunately, I have other places to be on Saturday so I'll never know. I'll be downtown for Georgene's beading book signing, to be exact. At the Arts Prescott Gallery. Which means I might catch a few photos of the big city sponsored Egg-Stravaganza 9 to 3 on the Square. Pay a $ fiver for a basket to decorate, then hop to businesses around the Courthouse to fill it with goodies. Plus inflatables, games, and a free egg hunt.

Easter Parade, 2007-Style

Easter is upon us. I've seen four different Easter-themed flags around town today. For example, the jolly rabbit at JBs, above.

There was also this curious sign at the cash register as I paid for my breakfast. I wonder 1) just how big is the world's largest Easter bunny and 2) who certifies that this particular animal fits the billing. Spoil sport, that's what I am.

This afternoon, when I called on Mom over at Las Fuentes, she was with a group who had been coloring Easter eggs.

Here's some of their product!

And look at the dye all over Mom's hands.

The house of holiday lights has been decorated for Easter for a good week or so.

This was part of the promotional decor at the CVS pharmacy.

Plenty of seasonal merchandise, including chocolate bunnies. After all these years, I suppose they comprise a tradition of sorts. As a kid, I preferred my chocolate rabbits to be hollow. Don't know why, since a filled one adds up to a lot more candy. Maybe it's because the nougat filling diluted the sheer chocolate-ness of the hollow form.

They also had bean bag peeps...

...and, wonder of wonders, one item that rather diffidently brought up the subject of why Easter. It set me to thinking about this totally Disneyfied holiday. Chicks. Colored eggs. Bunnies. Is that all there is? I'm not a religious person, but Easter, after all, has major historic significance. It is the high point of the year for most Christian congregations. A pity to see it so trivialized.

Seasonal note: There have been a surprising number of referrals from The Google to my post about the Shrine of St. Joseph. The shrine must receive many visitors at this time of year.