Huronia Museum is very lucky to have Bryan Piitz on staff.
While some might have studied Latin at university, Piitz specialized in Lapin, a language that serves him well, especially when called upon to help MidlandToday interview one of the Easter Bunny’s students.
By way of introduction, Piitz notes that Coco B. Hare is a prominent protégé of the Easter Bunny who has been dispatched to the Midland museum to help with its annual glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunt Saturday afternoon.
“The first thing Coco needs to do is identify the premium egg-hiding spots,” Piitz explains. “The Easter Bunny runs a master class for professional helpers.”
But Coco isn’t just an ordinary helper, having graduated near the top of her class at Basket University.
The school offers a four-year program with a two-year Masters degree for bunnies who really want to learn everything there is to know about the business of egg hiding and decorating for the big day. The Masters program also includes a special section on basket decorating and learning how much green cellophane grass to use when decorating.
Besides egg studies and bow tying, Coco also took special classes on figuring out exactly when Easter is since it varies from year to year.
“I studied Lapin, which I’m fluent in of course,” Piitz says while sitting with Coco on a bench at the museum in a room that houses a number of Group of Seven paintings.
Coco tells Piitz that she lived in residence during her four years at the university and “it lived up to its reputation as a party school.”
While the university isn’t listed in Maclean's magazine's annual university rankings, Coco says it’s well worth checking out.
“I majored in basket weaving and was top of my class,” Coco says in Lapin with Piitz then translating her words into English. “I also took an elective in egg hiding.”
While the university’s exact location is classified, “if you want to get there you just have to hop the right way.”
And with that the interview ends because Coco has her paws full to prepare for Saturday’s event, which runs from 1 to 3 p.m. and costs $2 per child along with a non-perishable food item for the Salvation Army food bank.
“It’s reasonably priced because it’s been sponsored for a number of years by the Lions Club of Midland, “ Piitz adds.
During the egg hunt, the museum will turn off the regular lights and switch on black lights that allow children the chance to try to collect some of the numbered fluorescent paper Easter eggs.
Once they’ve collected eggs numbering one to five, they’ll turn them in and receive a special chocolate surprise.
For more information, click here.
The Penetanguishene Centennial Museum has an egg hunt as well Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Easter Eggstravanga costs $5 per child and includes the hunt along with a visit from the Easter Bunny, egg races, crafts and treat bags.
For more information, click here.
