Among the ways to mark Easter Sunday is to celebrate with an Easter egg hunt. But a segment scheduled to air on “CBS Sunday Morning” Sunday, March 31 will take a slightly winking approach when it comes to eggs.
This Sunday’s installment will feature correspondent Conor Knighton getting into the Easter spirit -- with a difference. As the episode description says, Knighton “goes egg-hunting in Oregon for so-called ‘thundereggs,’ which are ancient stones made when water is mixed with lava.”
That’s all well and good, CBS. But just what do you mean “so-called?” As any Oregonian knows -- well, maybe knows -- the thunderegg is Oregon’s state rock.
Of course, we’ll note that some spellings insert a space, rendering it “thunder egg.” And, naturally, the thunderegg isn’t -- duh -- an egg.
The Oregon Encyclopedia provides more context about the thunderegg (OK, they spell it thunder egg: “In 1965, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) asked Oregonians to choose a state rock. Voters chose the thunder egg ‘by a landslide,’ according to the Oregonian. In officially recognizing the thunder egg, the legislature described it as a ‘remarkable and colorful agate-filled spherical mass of silicified claystone, and rhyolite.’ Thunder eggs are similar to geodes and are found in central and eastern Oregon. While the exterior of a thunder egg appears ordinary, the interior reveals agate, jasper, or opal. The town of Nyssa celebrates the state rock each year with a Thunderegg Days’ festival.”
Take that, CBS!
If you want to get into the thunderegg spirit locally, the Rice Rock Museum in Hillsboro is holding the “Great Thunderegg Hunt” from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the museum, 26385 N.W. Groveland Drive, Hillsboro.
“CBS Sunday Morning” airs at 7 a.m. Sunday, March 31 on KOIN-TV. You can also stream the show on Paramount Plus.
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— Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist
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