Spring Has Sprung

Today marks the vernal or spring equinox – the astronomical first day of spring here in the northern hemisphere.  

On this day both of earth’s hemispheres receive equal amounts of night and day.  In case you are wondering this is the earliest arrival for this event in more than a century.  For those of us in the northern hemisphere our days will continue to get longer and our hopes for spring continue to grow stronger as spring green-up is about to begin.   

Hubba Hubba. 

There is a long-standing claim that you can stand an egg on its end ONLY during the vernal equinox.  Popular support for this myth is that not only are day and night equalized but gravity is equalized between the earth and the sun on this day.  Alas, it is but fiction.  You can stand an egg on end any day of the year.  Nevertheless, if you wish to engage in a friendly game of deceit I recommend that you let the egg set in the carton with the big side down so that the yolk (and the center of gravity) settles in the wider end of the egg.  To stand the egg on its end, try using a rough surface or an egg that has a bumpy end for better balance.  Bon Chance!  Go forth and fleece someone.  Make sure there's money involved..

In closing I would like to remind my readers to take careful note of the location of today’s sunrise (true east) and sunset (true west).  These compass points mark the celestial equator and the cardinal directions.  As you observe the movement of the sun across the sky each day you will note that it is shifting toward the north.  Birds and butterflies begin their northward migration as a response to this change in daylight following the path of the sun.   

Spring officially begins at 10:49 PM CST.