Chicken eggs, colorful blooms, and a landscape returning to green.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Writing from Connecticut today, on a short trip to visit family. It’s mostly overcast with thin cloud cover and weak sunlight. Winter’s chill still lingers here and it’s currently 26°F. There was a cute woodpecker at the bird feeder just outside the kitchen window. I believe it was a downy but could have been a hairy, it’s hard to tell! Later, I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)1 trying to squeeze onto the feeder platform along side a male House Sparrow half it’s size. Such flashy coloring! What a joy to see up close, we don’t have these in the our yard back in Cincy.
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Images from Unsplash, Photo Credit: Mark Olsen.
The plants here are a good three weeks behind those in Cincinnati, with the daffodils still coming up and no sign of blossoms yet. There are shallow puddles of water in the lawn. I forgot how high the water table gets in the spring and how prone the soil is to becoming muddy. Water, water everywhere!
While in town, I also got to see my sister’s flock of chickens. I can’t recall if I’ve mentioned this before, but I love chickens! Their feathers are so beautiful and they make such cute cheeping sounds. Oh, and also eggs! Lots of yummy eggs. I genuinely hope to have some chickens of my own one day. You know, when I am super woman and can do all the things… Yes, someday, I will have rainbow eggs.
My sister’s chickens. She has a mixed flock of bantam and full-sized birds.
Spring Eggs
Eggs have long been seen as symbols of new life, a fresh start, as well as themes of fertility and creation. It makes sense that they are also synonymous with spring. The time of year when the world is made anew and everything feels like its just beginning. With that said, here are a few interesting bits I learned about eggs whilst researching for this post.
Fun Facts About Eggs:
- The color of the egg shell is determined by the hen’s breed. In general, white chickens lay white eggs and brown chickens lay brown eggs, but there is no strict rule. The bird’s earlobe is also a good indicator of shell color.
- Chicken eggs can be a wide range of colors including: white, brown, blue, green, olive, cream, chocolate, and pink.
- The yellowness of the egg yolk is determined by the hen’s diet. A richer, more diverse diet will yield deeper, more golden yolks.
- Chicken eggs are considered to be a complete protein, this means they contain all 9 essential amino acids. They are also quite good for you and offer a range of health benefits2.
- The word “yolk” comes from Old English and literally means, “the yellow part.3“
- Egg laying frequency is impacted by length of daylight. Ideally, hens need 14 to 16 hrs. of daylight, with maximum production occurring during summer4.
- Hens lay eggs regardless of whether or not there is a rooster present.
Information gathered from various sources, including The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the American Egg Board5.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
A dark and damp start to the morning (back in Cincinnati). I woke to the sound of rain falling outside the window. It seems the storm has moved south of us for the most part. The forecast calls for party cloudy skies and more unseasonable warmth, with a high in the 80’s, then thunderstorms overnight as a cold front moves through.
Outside the birds are singing. I can finally see tiny leaves appearing on the trees and I swear they were not there yesterday. Decided to go for a walk before it got too hot out and discovered a lot of noticeable changes. The grass has started to grow again, showing short stems and vibrant green leaves. The wild Common Blue Violets (Viola sororia) have blossomed and their tiny blueish-purple flowers dot the grassy areas. I also found small dandelion leaves but they are low to the ground and have no flowers or buds yet.
Dandelions aside, significantly more flowers are showing their faces. Tulip, hyacinth, bluebell, and grape hyacinth all in blossom. Sadly, most of the daffodils on my street are already past their peak. Sections of creeping phlox are covered in tiny pink and purple buds, just waiting to open. Speaking of buds, the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) tree is covered with tiny pink clusters already. Lastly, the ornamental Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) trees are also flowering and their showy blossoms can be seen practically every where you go.
Callery Pear Fact: According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, “As of January 1, 2023, Callery pear will be illegal to sell, grow, or plant in Ohio due to its invasiveness.”6
Pale Green Lace
There is a magical moment each spring when something subtle but powerful shifts. You wake up one morning to look out the window and suddenly notice the appearance of tiny leaves. It’s as if Mother Nature has drawn a magical veil of pale green lace across the landscape. And just like that, the world feels alive again.
It’s a strange thing, the changing of the seasons. It doesn’t really happen all at once, its more like a slow progression of little changes, but we don’t take notice of it until something significant happens. March often seems like the longest month of the year to me. It can feel like winter just drags on and on and doesn’t ever end. I am ready for a change of pace. Fortunately, it’s nearly April already.
A Moment of Mindfulness
May we welcome this softer season with a quiet sense of gratitude. May we enjoy all the different flavors of spring to the fullest. May we find a few moments to enjoy the little things. The sound of a bird singing we that haven’t heard before, a flower that has just started to bloom, the hint of color as tiny green leaves return to the canopy. All of that to say, I hope you find a little time to go outside and see what Mother Nature up to.
And for those who celebrate it, Happy Easter! 🐇
See you in April!
“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”
— Harriet Jacobs
What have you noticed in nature today?
- Red-Bellied Woodpecker – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/overview ↩︎
- Egg Nutrition – https://eggs.ab.ca/healthy-eggs/egg-nutrition/ ↩︎
- Yolk – https://www.etymonline.com/word/yolk ↩︎
- Laying Frequency – https://livestock.extension.wisc.edu/articles/life-cycle-of-a-laying-hen/ ↩︎
- Eggs – https://www.almanac.com/intriguing-egg-facts-and-folklore
https://www.incredibleegg.org/sunnyside-up/a-dozen-facts-that-may-surprise-you-about-the-incredible-invaluable-egg/ ↩︎ - Callery Pear – https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/invasive-plants/callery-pear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrus_calleryana ↩︎
I had chickens growing up. I never realized the daylight hours affected egg production. Very interesting!
Hi Josiah! I am envious that you had chickens growing up. I believe that artificial lighting can offset the lack of natural light, so that may be the reason you didn’t notice a difference. I only just learned about this as well. My sister had some newer chickens that started laying this spring and so I got curious and began looking into it. Anywho, I appreciate the comment!