Saturday was our community Easter egg hunt, which is always a big hit with families from all over the valley. I brought Sputnik and his cart and Phil brought Petunia and the two kids. We were too overwhelmed to take photos, but someone sent me one later. The goat cart rides were a huge hit as usual, and the baby goats were a fun new addition to the festivities. We’ve never had kids early enough in the year to bring any to the Easter celebration before. Unfortunately Blackbird and Skeeter were terrified of the mob of kids that came screaming over to pet them and started running around the park in a panic. But Phil had Petunia on a leash so he was able to get the kids back to their mama and then he put them on leashes so they couldn’t bolt. After that, Phil had the kids pet Petunia and he let the babies hide between his legs and her body so they could feel safe. The calmer children were able to gently pet them, but most had to be content just to look. Petunia didn’t mind any amount of petting, and many of the kids amused themselves by feeding her grass that they’d picked for her.

Sputnik was a model citizen. He did a great job carting those kids around and never got antsy or claustrophobic or nervous. He wanted to stand near Petunia (he’s always been very attached to his mother-dearest), but he kept his mind on the job and never complained. He got a lot of treats for his bother until by the end he was kind of sick of peanuts and animal crackers. But what a good boy! When we were through with cart rides I tied Sputnik to a pole so I could help Phil manage his three goats. Some kids went over and amused themselves by picking handfuls of fresh grass and feeding it to Sputnik. I kept a watchful eye on him but he never got nervous or defensive about the screams of laughter or the outstretched fingers poking toward his face. It’s nice to see him so comfortable around a noisy, rambunctious crowd of kids without me having to stand near him to calm him down. What a good boy he’s become! Babysitting children is usually Finn’s specialty, but it’s nice to see that Sputnik is learning to fill that role without having a meltdown.