A balancing act

It’s the case of solstice versus equinox. It began back in March when photographer Mike Bousquet, a frequent contributor to this paper, and his wife set out to find out the eggs-act truth of an old folk tale — that you can stand an egg on its end on the vernal equinox. They were able to balance eggs on point and some of them stayed that way for several days. Some people say it can be done in September during the autumnal equinox as well, but detractors of the myth claim all you need is patience and a steady hand any day of the year. The Bousquets decided to give it another go last Thursday on the summer solstice, which is the day when the earth’s axis tilts farthest away from the sun. It also marks the first day of summer. As this picture attests, the crack investigative team was able to stand up a few eggs, debunking the idea it can only be done on the first day of spring.