As the cubs; Jed, Rex, Clarence and Donna were dyeing hard boiled eggs into Easter eggs that Saturday evening on April 16th, Al and Marge made sure to provide supervision so the cubs don't make a mess...Of course, news paper was placed down on the dining table so it doesn't get ruined with Easter egg dye. Easter falls on April 17th in 1960, which would be tomorrow, and the cubs were looking forward to the Easter Baskets full of toys and candy the Easter Bunny will bring. "I want those eyes for the purple egg I'm decorating", Donna declared, referring to the decal face decorations that come with the Easter egg dye kits. "Heeyyyy! You picked the last ones", Rex retorted to Donna. "You picked the last eyes for the orange egg you're doing, Donna", Marge told her daughter. "Let the boys take a turn at having a pick". "Check out this one", Clarence boasted as he held up a yellow egg he had finished decorating. "Wow. Cool", Jed complimented Clarence. The egg dye kits also came with those one time use, throw away, artist paint brushes, which were provided to paint stripes, dots, flowers or other things on the eggs with different colour dyes...The cubs had fun painting artistic creations on some of the eggs once they used up all the decals. Throughout the neighborhood, cubs of other families were also dying Easter eggs, and looking forward to the baskets of goodies the Easter Bunny will bring by morning. Al and Marge had already agreed to arrangements with other parents to combine the Easter eggs together so the cubs from all the families can have one big Easter egg hunt together...It always did seem like it was more fun doing it that way. At about 8:00 in the evening, and after decorating the Easter eggs was done, Al mentioned, "We're getting up early to attend Sunrise Service at Church in the morning". "Right", Marge said. "We need to be getting to bed so we can get up early". So after the the news papers and the remains of the egg dye kit were cleaned up off the dining table, it was off to bed at around 8:15. "Oh yeahhh! Easter Bunny's comin' tonight!", Rex declared. "He's gonna bring us goodieeees!", Donna added. "There's packs of marshmallow chickens in 2018 I wish you all had", Clarence said, referring to the Peeps brand marshmallow chicks. "I always like those". "We have them in this day and time also", Jed told Clarence. "If it's the ones I think you're talking about". "The kind that has the sugar on the outside? And they come in yellow, pink, blue and purple?", Clarence asked. "And they have the little black spots for the eyes?". "Yes" Jed replied. "We have those. But I've never seen them in any other colour but yellow". "Wow. I didn't know those were around this far back", Clarence said. "At the same time, I had no idea those will still be around 58 years from now", Jed replied. "Okay, you cubs. Let's get to bed", Marge told the cubs. "Okay, Mom", Jed said as the cubs headed for bed. "What time do you want to set the alarm clock for", Marge asked Al as they were getting into the bed. "Three forty-five should be early enough", Al replied to Marge. "Sunrise service starts at 5:00. That should give us plenty of time". Thus the Big Ben, wind up, alarm clock was set for 3:45...It was the kind that you wound up a spring for the time, and wound another spring for the alarm. By the time everyone fell asleep at about 8:30, getting up at 3:45 would be at least seven hours sleep that night.
______________________________ Seven and a half hours after everyone went to bed; The alarm clock sounded off at 3:45 am in the predawn hours of Easter Sunday morning, April 17th. "It's Easter morning", Marge yawned as she awoke. "I'll get the cubs up", Al said as he reached over and turned off the alarm. Al had no problem getting the boys up...However, when Al went to Donna's room, she wanted to sleep in a little later. "Can I stay in bed just a little longer?", Donna asked. "If ya do, the Easter Bunny won't bring any baskets", Rex called from the hallway to his sister Donna. "That's right", Marge added as she came walking up to Donna's room. "Okay. I'm up. I'm up", Donna said as she promptly got out of bed. Breakfast at the house consisted of Post Rice Krinkles, with juice for the cubs and Wilkin's brand coffee for Al and Marge. The breakfast was a lite snack to carry over, being they would be stopping in at the cafe' there in Duran after the Easter morning church service...Plus there would be Easter eggs to eat after the egg hunt. At 4:12 am, the family got in their Chrysler 300 and headed out for the Church of Christ in Santa Rosa for the Easter Sunrise service. As Al pulled onto Route 3 for the short distance to Highway 54, the signal began flashing, and the bell clanging for the Route 3 railroad crossing. It was the northbound freight train that runs through Duran at the predawn time of 4:14 am. "Here comes a train!", Rex exclaimed as Al stopped the car for the train. Cubs always do get a thrill watching trains go by, and were thrilled as the approaching train blew the horn, then the two locomotives went by at 45 mph, pulling the long line of freight cars. About a minute later, Al said, "Here comes the caboose". After the bay window caboose rolled by, the signals ceased, then Al pushed the select-o-matic button on the dash for 'Drive' and proceeded over the crossing. After turning north onto Highway 54, they were on their way. "There's the train up ahead", Jed said as Al sped the car up to 75 miles per hour on the way out of Duran. The Southern Pacific tracks run parallel to Highway 54 in most places, and at 75 mph, it didn't take long to catch up to the 45 mph northbound freight train the family had recently watched go by in Duran. "There's the caboose again", Jed said as everyone in the car began passing the freight train by a 30 mph difference. Everyone saw the same freight cars they watched go by earlier as they cruised on past the train, and hearing the >clickety clacking< of the wheels on the rails (in those days, track rails were bolted together with fish plates, and not welded). "We won the race with the train", Rex said as the family car cruised on past the two locomotives. "As long as a race with a train is never to a crossing", Al added. Eventually, the family car got far enough ahead of the train for the headlight to be out of site...especially at a place where the tracks diverge away from the highway for a distance. "I haven't been seeing the train anymore", Clarence said, being that the train was already a few miles behind by the time the family was riding through Vaughn. "You won't see it now. And those winding places will put the train behind us even more", Jed said to Clarence, referring to a couple of places where the tracks, both north and south of Vaughn, diverge away from highway 54 and meander through some terrain. It would be several minutes yet before the northbound train would be crossing the east/west Santa Fe tracks west of Vaughn (which back then was a track crossing for the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads. It would be years yet before the raised grade and railroad overpass would be built). Beyond Vaughn was another 37 miles to Santa Rosa. Along that 37 mile stretch of Highway 54, the family of Al and Marge in the Chrysler 300 caught up behind the family of Frank and Wanda in their six cylinder, '55 Chevy station wagon. Instead of passing, Al slowed down from 75 mph to the 60 mph speed Frank was driving, and followed the rest of the way. It was still predawn and dark when Frank and Wanda Coyote arrived with their offsprings Jerald, Dotty and Cheryl. Al and Marge Coyote with their cubs arrived in the parking lot just behind them. Fred and Charlot Coyote were already there from Vaughn with their offsprings Cindy and Scotty. "Well, Happy Easter, everyone", Wanda said. "Happy Easter", Marge replied back along with others greeting 'Happy Easter' and 'Hello'. "Hello there. Happy Easter", Louie Badger greeted everyone, as everyone returned the greeting. There was a good size crowd there at the church who Pastor Warren Brown Bear welcomed as they came in. Frank and Wanda's teenage son, Jerald, and Fred and Charlot's teenage daughter, Cindy, sat together, apart from their two families, which they were allowed to do being they've been in love for as long as they have. The services began with the usual opening prayer, followed by announcements, then the singing of a couple of hymns. Shortly after Pastor Warren Bear began the sermon, that northbound freight train that the family of Al and Marge watched go by in Duran could be heard a few blocks away heading on it's way north through Santa Rosa. "I hear that train", Rex softly spoke up to the other cubs. "You're in church, Rex", Marge softly reminded Rex. "You need to be hearing the pastor". "Okay", Rex softly replied. Further into the sermon, the sky outside eventually began to get light, and it wasn't long before dawn broke and the sun was coming up...Thus why it's called 'Easter Sunrise Service'. After the sermon, benediction and the collection plates passed around, they had communion, in which everyone took a tiny cup of grape juice and a pinch of broken up unleavened cracker to eat and drink symbolizing in partaking of the blood and body of he who was sacrificed. It was still early in the morning, and now after sunrise when church was dismissed, which for a short while afterwards, congregation members had fellowship among each other before leaving...some of whom had fellowship out by their cars in the parking lot. "Fred and Charlot's son, Scotty said", Easter Bunny's bringing me a basket with lotsa good stuff". "He might have been to our town already", Rex said as the other cubs agreed. "Well, there's one way to find out", Al said as the other parents agreed. Thus everyone, especially those with cubs, got back into their cars and headed back for home to let the cubs celebrate Easter. On the way back to Duran, Al kept the speed of that Chrysler 300 down to 60 mph so Frank and his family can keep up in their six cylinder Chevy wagon. As they arrived to Duran, the families of both Al and Marge, and of Frank and Wanda stopped in at the cafe' on Highway 54 on the north end of the community. Also there were Zachery Bobcat Sr and his wife Joan with their cubs Zachery Jr. and Dedra. Also there were Pete and Tabetha Skunk with their cubs, Gail and Dennis. David and Erma Lynx were there with their cubs Ryan and Janice. Other parents of the neighborhood were there at the cafe' with their cubs as well. The game plan was as it had been at times before...After everyone had a lite breakfast or snack, some of the parents would stay at the cafe' with the cubs, while other parents would leave for about 45 minutes to go to the neighborhood and look for the Easter Bunny, and check if he already left the baskets and hid the eggs. And it was a good day for outside activities...It was a clear day with temperatures getting up into the 60s, although it was a windy day with 20 mph winds. Forty-five minutes later, the parents who went to check the neighborhood returned to the cafe', some of whom with their cameras. "Yup. The Easter Bunny's been here", Frank announced. All the neighborhood cubs cheered, "YEAAAHHHH!". "He's got the Easter eggs hidden everywhere", Wanda said much to the excitement to the cubs. "And he delivered the baskets", Al said as he pawed their Revere, 8mm, movie camera to Marge. Everyone then got up and paid their tabs, left tips for the waitress, then made their way back to the neighborhood with the cubs. After everyone got out of their cars in the part of the neighborhood...'where the parents said they saw the Easter Bunny'...There they were...The Easter baskets. The cubs ran to the baskets with anticipating glee. Each basket had a card with the name of the cub it was for. Marge began getting movie footage, on that 8mm Revere camera, of the event as other parents were also taking movies and photos. "Wow! Cool! The Easter Bunny came!", 8 year old Connie Fox exclaimed. "The Easter Bunny gave us toys an' candy an' stuff!", 10 year old Randy Fox said. When Rex and Clarence found their Baskets, they confirmed that the packs of Peeps brand, yellow, marshmallow chickens that everyone knows of in 1960 are the very same ones 58 years later in 2018 that Clarence had always known of. The baskets had toys, jellybeans, those Peeps brand marshmallow chickens, cookies, pecan roll candies, hard candies, bubble gum, lollipops...And chocolate covered caramel eggs and chocolate covered marshmallow Easter bunnies for those species of animals who can have chocolate...There were also cup cakes in place of the chocolate candies for those cubs of species who can't have chocolate. The baskets also had toy plushie animals for all cubs, and toy match box cars for the male cubs, and miniature versions of Barbie Poodle and Ken poodle fashion dolls for the female cubs. Once the cubs all got their baskets, they were then anxious to start hunting Easter eggs. "Can we hunt the Easter eggs now?!", Zachery Bobcat Jr. asked. "Now?!", Dedra Bobcat asked. "I guess we can let the cubs go ahead and hunt eggs now", Zachery Bobcat Sr. said as the other parents agreed. "Go for it", Frank Coyote said as the cubs fanned out looking for Easter eggs. "I found one!, 10 year old Randy Fox exclaimed, finding a red egg. "I got one here!", 8 year old Rex Coyote said as he got a pink egg. "Got one here too!", said 8 year old Clarence Coyote, finding a purple egg. "Here's one!", said 12 year old Ryan Lynx as he found another purple egg. "I got one!", said Gail Skunk, age 7, as she found a pink one. "You all missed these two! But I got 'em now!", said Jed Coyote as he got a green egg and an orange egg. Randy Fox's 8 year old sister Connie, and 6 year old brother Alvin, were having good luck finding eggs as they already had quite a few of them. "I got one! I got one! I got one!", 8 year old Cheryl Coyote proclaimed. "You missed this one ", 6 year old Donna Coyote told Dedra Bobcat. "I got it now". Janice Lynx, age 9, found a blue egg and a green egg. Nine year old Natiline Collie, who already found five eggs, said, "You all ain't lookin' in the right places. Look what I got". Gail Skunk's five year old brother Dennis, who couldn't find any eggs, kept asking, "Where are some?! Where are some?!". Daddy Pete Skunk pointed at a yellow egg 30 feet away and said, "There's one Dennis. Go get it". "Oh Boy! A egg!", Dennis Skunk exclaimed as he went running after the egg that Daddy showed him. Suddenly...>Crunch<...Little Dennis stepped on a green egg in the grass he didn't see. When Dennis stopped to look at the egg he stepped on, little 5 year old Timmy Bear grabbed up the yellow egg Daddy Pete pointed out to Dennis". "Yippieee! I got it!", Timmy Bear proclaimed, holding up the yellow egg. "That was suppose to be my egg!", Dennis Skunk retorted. Mama Tabetha Skunk came up to Dennis, and said to him, "Honey, when you see an egg, you can't just wait until someone else gets it". "I got another one!", Sid Cat called out. Six year old Dedra Bobcat was having no luck finding eggs either. So Daddy Zachery Sr. and Mama Joan had 7 year old Zachery Bobcat Jr. help 6 year old sister Dedra find some eggs. Dennis Skunk, who hadn't gotten any eggs yet, saw an bright orange egg 40 feet away hidden under a bush. "Daddy Daddy! Can I go get that one?!", Dennis asked. "Just go after it! You don't have to ask!", Daddy Pete Skunk told his son. But too late...Because of the time little 5 year old Dennis wasted by asking, 9 year old Natiline Collie grabbed the egg. "I got this pretty orange egg!", Natiline proudly boasted as she pull it out from under the bush to put in her basket. "Heeeyyyyy!", Dennis Skunk retorted. "You should have just went straight over and got it", Daddy Pete said to his son. By the time the Easter egg hunt was over, little Dennis Skunk was crying because he didn't get any Easter eggs. "I ain't got no eeegggs", little 5 year old Dennis Skunk cried. Everyone felt compassion for little Dennis, so five of the cubs who had the most eggs agreed to each give Dennis Skunk an egg...Thus little Dennis was now happy that he now has some eggs. "What do you tell the cubs who gave you the eggs?", Mama Tabetha asked her son. "Thank you", Dennis Skunk thanked the other cubs, then proclaimed as he held his basket up, "I got five eggs". That Easter Sunday was an enjoyable day for everyone in the neighborhood, and for cubs and adults alike. Parents enjoyed quality time with their cubs. The cubs enjoyed playing with the new toys the Easter Bunny brought them. And of course, parents had to remind their cubs not to eat too much candy at any time.
______________________________ THURSDAY, APRIL 21st Four days after Easter, it was Rex Coyote's birthday...The day he turned 9 years old. Al and Marge let the cubs take the day off from school for Rex's birthday, as they've usually done for Donna's birthday...Of course, the day off from school never was an issue for Jed's birthday as his birthday is on June 27th, when school is out for the summer anyway. Rex got lots of presents that day from his parents, siblings and the other neighbor cubs who's parents also allowed them the day off from school to be invited to his party. "Everyone wave", Al said to the cubs as Marge was getting some movie film footage on the 8mm Ravere camera. "Let's all sing Happy Birthday to Rex", Marge said as everyone sang the Happy Birthday song to Rex. Rex then blew all nine of the candles on the cake. "Rex gets the first choice of cake, and the biggest piece", Al announced, being it was Rex's birthday. The cake came from the bakery department of a grocery store in Santa Rosa. And the ice cream, sodas and chips were purchased at the W. M. Hindi store there in Duran. "This cake is really good", Clarence said, as he noticed how much better quality that birthday cake in 1960 was compared to what he had known in 2018. "I see you like that cake", Marge said to Clarence. "Birthday isn't as good as this in the time I came from", Clarence replied. "It seems things will become cheaper quality in the coming years", Al added. Frank then said to Al, "Well, you know, Al. We already have a saying, they don't make stuff like they use to". "I can only imagine what it will be like half a century from now", Al replied. As Marge got some film footage, Rex then opened his presents...Among the presents were; Train board scale cars and trucks. https://www.google.com/search?q=1950s+matchbox+cars&...:
As for the neighbor cubs who's parents didn't allow them the day off from school, they were invited to the house after school for a 2nd helping of cake, ice cream, chips and soda. It was a wonderful and enjoyable day for everyone.
