Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Spring and the Big Egg

We had a couple of really beautiful days, pictured above, but now it's raining, which I don't entirely mind. It's bringing lots of goodies out of the ground. Like the row of red and green rhubarb pushing itself up out of the ground, and the strawberry patch, perfectly placed just south of it, is going all green lifting itself above its straw blanket. The butterfly bush is leafing out and the forsythia is just now blooming. Tulips, crocus, yarrow, echinacea, sundrops, foxglove, chives, iris, bee balm are all out of the ground. When that happens, I do not mind the rain one drop. I've got seeds on the way from the Hudson Valley Seed Library. I'm just itching to get them! And of course, like every year, I have to reign myself in from getting way more than I can grow. I have a new bed, and two more on the way, and soil to order and manure to spread. Whew. I love spring.

And my new chickens are amazing! Would you look at this egg I got the other day?? It's twice the size of the others. When I held it as I walked back to the house my hand couldn't believe it. My hand was actually perplexed. It's nerve endings were saying: does not compute (say that in robot talk). I haven't eaten it yet. Wonder if its a double yolk?


15 comments:

  1. All I can think is, "that poor chicken!"

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  2. Remember when I would buy a double
    yolk egg dozen?

    Mamou

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  3. They are obviously very happy to be able to produce such a lovely big egg. Thats exciting about all the new planting to do- I love new beginnings.

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  4. That is a massive egg!! half chicken half ostrich!

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  5. Marisa - Ha! You know, I didn't even think that while writing this post, but while walking away from the barn this afternoon I heard some god-awful chicken noises, and I thought: is that another big egg coming out?

    Mamou - Yes! I do! Were they all huge?

    CHFG - I like to think so! They've been getting some good snacks, like big grubs I'm pulling from the beds. Each year I am astounded by how excited I am for a new spring. I love them too.

    Inn Brooklyn - I know!! Right? I peek in the fridge every so often just to look at it. Still big? Yup.

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  6. what lovely eggs..yes it is big

    sweetlife

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  7. Thanks for stopping by, Sweetlife!

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  8. I'm a gardening fool right now... but alas, no chickens. I think you'll enjoy the next Chronogram piece.

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  9. This might just be a city girl talking but--you have chickens running around?! Laying eggs?! Blue eggs and huge eggs and different sizes and shaped eggs?! That's awesome.

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  10. I got an egg from our CSA that was huge like that: It turned out to be an egg within an egg. I.e. when I cracked it open there was another egg inside. I was a little freaked out though, I have to say, and did not eat it. I am still waiting for a double-yolker.

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  11. Flowers are not popping up here yet but hopefully soon, can't wait. It seems when I get a whopper egg it is a green one also so you might get quite a bit more of them.

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  12. Oops just realized your big one was brown well maybe the green ones will get huge too

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  13. Peter - I can only guess how awesome your garden is just by reading what you've overwintered. Sad about no chickens, but I'll bet you've got some good egg connections. I enjoy all of your articles! I'm sure the next one is no exception!

    fattydumpling - Ha, ha! Yes, yes I do! I'm pretty happy about it, to be honest.

    Sara - I'm going to open it tomorrow and I'll let you know. Your egg story is weird, I'm not sure how you could have eaten that egg! My mother's comment above was about getting a dozen double yolk eggs. They would candle them to do that. Cool, huh?

    The Milk Maid - Funny, but the green ones are the small ones right now! Your flowers are on the way, I'm sure. You're just north of here (Hudson Valley), right?

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  14. So jealous of those gorgeous eggs! We don't have room for chickens, so I'll have to live vicariously.
    Happy Spring!

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  15. E - Happy Spring to you, too! Please enjoy the chickens!

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