egg hunt, in autumn

I've run into a little problem lately.

Finding a good place to buy eggs has been quite a challenge.

In the months since I wrote this post, that particular source hasn't worked out. She never seems to have eggs on the days when I stop by her house; there's generally a handwritten note on the porch which reads something to the effect of "No eggs today, will have some tomorrow." This really doesn't work for me. So, I've set out to find different sources.

Until recently, I bought eggs every week from a friend who lives in a town up toward the mountain. I stopped by once a week after I would pick up our CSA basket. But the CSA program is finished for the year. I can't rationalize making the drive up all those windy roads on a weekly basis now. And to top it off, her hens seem to be "laying off," if you'll pardon the pun. The last few times I've asked about it, she hasn't had any eggs available for me.

Sometimes the farm where I buy our raw milk has a few dozen eggs available. But more often than not, the shelf under the "Eggs" sign is empty. This isn't a reliable source for me, either.

And I need reliability. Our family really likes eggs.

A few months ago, I noticed a yellow sign along the route for my "milk run." In painted red letters, it announced, "BROWN EGGS." I pulled in, and since then I've been getting a dozen eggs or so from there fairly often. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the eggs - nice orange yolks. Good stuff! When my friend's supply tapered off, I figured I'd start buying more from the couple who live in the trailer with the yellow sign. But lately they've been having less and less eggs available, and last week there weren't any. None at all.

I really prefer to purchase my eggs from an individual, as opposed to a grocery store. I feel that I'm getting a better product, at a better price. Also, I like to support "the little guy" when I can. And so the quest continued.

Two weeks ago, I started taking a slightly different route on my milk run. It goes right by our new house, and is more of a straight route south. What should I find, two mere minutes from our future home, but a sign which read "Fresh Eggs." I had stopped last week, but received no answer to my knock.

Yet this week, I tried again. Driving back to the apartment after picking up the milk, I had struck out. There was even a place which had a sign up a few weeks ago, and I'd hoped to try there. But the sign was gone now. Every single source had come up dry. I had nary an egg to show for myself, and I'd used our very last egg that very morning.

And this time, someone answered the door. Did she have any eggs available? She did have some, two dozen eggs...and what's more, she gave me her card. She usually isn't home during the day, but she said to call ahead and she could leave them out for me. Her 40 hens are laying well enough at the moment.

Of course, this source could dry up for a while, too. The weather is colder every day. Winter is coming on, and that may well put a dent in my egg-buying plans. Nevertheless, it feels like a good start. And this place is a mere two minutes from the new house. I walked back to my van with a spring in my step. I had a good feeling; this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Besides, the yolks? Are gorgeously orange.