Spring has officially begun.  As a gardener I watch the pattern of shadows move across the yard throughout the year.  In December my Camellias were in full sun in the back yard against the house, and now they are covered under the canopy of the Chinese Elm tree again, where they will be safe from the harsh summer sun.  The vegetable garden is almost fully exposed to the sun again as well.  By June it will all be sunny, and hopefully productive.

The chickens also seem to notice the change in season.  My Buff Orpington is back up to her normal 3 to 4 eggs a week with the increase in daylight hours.  I have read that chickens produce the most eggs when the daylight hours are closest to 14 hours.

Here is a link I use to check the number of hours of daylight at different times of the year.  I like it because it can be set to individual geographical locations.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=137