Egg-toting pranksters crack a big joke

SNOHOMISH — For mystery, this egg is hard to beat.

Large enough for a human to fit inside, a yellow egg turned up on the Ricci family farm south of Snohomish on Feb. 11.

Every morning for the next four days, the egg turned up in a different place on the 300-acre farm. Once, it was sitting up against a utility pole.

Then it disappeared and was gone for four days. When it returned on Wednesday, it was sitting in the middle of a large field on the farm along Elliott Road.

This time, it was white.

On Thursday, it was gone again.

“It’ll probably be purple next time,” said Darrell Ricci, 78, the farm’s patriarch.

Family members swear they did not hatch this caper.

They’ve stayed up late several times to see if they can spy the perpetrators, to no avail, said Brock Ricci, one of Darrell’s sons.

“We’ve tried, but we haven’t camped out all night,” he said. At times, the family’s dog barked, and “we’d look and watch and wouldn’t be able to see anything.”

They haven’t had many clues. No pterodactyl sightings have been reported.

“All we’ve noticed is tire tracks,” he said.

The egg is about 6 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, said Brock Ricci, 52.

“It feels like a hard plastic, or fiberglass. It’s hollow inside.”

The family grows hay, corn and pumpkins on the farm. Bob Ricci, Darrell’s son and Brock’s brother, runs Bob’s Corn, Maze and Pumpkin Farm on the property.

Darrell Ricci keeps about 50 chickens, but family members insist the egg is not a publicity stunt for Easter or anything else.

“We’ve been suspicious of a few people,” Brock Ricci said. “They deny it.”

When the egg was missing, family members actually went so far as to drive around the homes of friends to see if they had it stashed on their property, but didn’t see it, Darrell Ricci said.

“I guess it’s like that old Swedish joke — ‘The yolk’s on us,’” he said.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Traffic idles while waiting for the lights to change along 33rd Avenue West on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood seeks solutions to Costco traffic boondoggle

Let’s take a look at the troublesome intersection of 33rd Avenue W and 30th Place W, as Lynnwood weighs options for better traffic flow.

A memorial with small gifts surrounded a utility pole with a photograph of Ariel Garcia at the corner of Alpine Drive and Vesper Drive ion Wednesday, April 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Death of Everett boy, 4, spurs questions over lack of Amber Alert

Local police and court authorities were reluctant to address some key questions, when asked by a Daily Herald reporter this week.

The new Amazon fulfillment center under construction along 172nd Street NE in Arlington, just south of Arlington Municipal Airport. (Chuck Taylor / The Herald) 20210708
Frito-Lay leases massive building at Marysville business park

The company will move next door to Tesla and occupy a 300,0000-square-foot building at the Marysville business park.

Everett Fire Department and Everett Police on scene of a multiple vehicle collision with injuries in the 1400 block of 41st Street. (Photo provided by Everett Fire Department)
1 seriously injured in crash with box truck, semi truck in Everett

Police closed 41st Street between Rucker and Colby avenues on Wednesday afternoon, right before rush hour.

The Arlington Public Schools Administration Building is pictured on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Arlington, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
$2.5M deficit in Arlington schools could mean dozens of cut positions

The state funding model and inflation have led to Arlington’s money problems, school finance director Gina Zeutenhorst said Tuesday.

Lily Gladstone poses at the premiere of the Hulu miniseries "Under the Bridge" at the DGA Theatre, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mountlake Terrace’s Lily Gladstone plays cop in Hulu’s ‘Under the Bridge’

The true-crime drama started streaming Wednesday. It’s Gladstone’s first part since her star turn in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Jesse L. Hartman (Photo provided by Everett Police Department)
Everett man who fled to Mexico given 22 years for fatal shooting

Jesse Hartman crashed into Wyatt Powell’s car and shot him to death. He fled but was arrested on the Mexican border.

Radiation Therapist Madey Appleseth demonstrates how to use ultrasound technology to evaluate the depth of a mole on her arm on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Mill Creek, Washington. This technology is also used to evaluate on potential skin cancer on patients. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek clinic can now cure some skin cancers without surgery

Frontier Dermatology is the first clinic in the state to offer radiation therapy for nonmelanoma cancer.

Snow is visible along the top of Mount Pilchuck from bank of the Snohomish River on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Washington issues statewide drought declaration, including Snohomish County

Drought is declared when there is less than 75% of normal water supply and “there is the risk of undue hardship.”

Boeing Quality Engineer Sam Salehpour, right, takes his seat before testifying at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - Subcommittee on Investigations hearing to examine Boeing's broken safety culture with Ed Pierson, and Joe Jacobsen, right, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
Everett Boeing whistleblower: ‘They are putting out defective airplanes’

Dual Senate hearings Wednesday examined allegations of major safety failures at the aircraft maker.

An Alaska Airline plane lands at Paine Field Saturday on January 23, 2021. (Kevin Clark/The Herald)
Alaska Airlines back in the air after all flights grounded for an hour

Alaska Airlines flights, including those from Paine Field, were grounded Wednesday morning. The FAA lifted the ban around 9 a.m.

A Mukilteo firefighter waves out of a fire truck. (Photo provided by Mukilteo Fire Department)
EMS levy lift would increase tax bill $200 for average Mukilteo house

A measure rejected by voters in 2023 is back. “We’re getting further and further behind as we go through the days,” Fire Chief Glen Albright said.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.