Happy Groundhog Day!

Oops!!! I thought this was posted this morning! Well, now I see it isn't but hey YOU didn't know that so...the follow up is at the end as it should be, but you didn't have to wait for it!! So relax, wind back in time to this morning and here we go.

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I'm posting this early so you can get every minute of groundhog joy out of the day! For those of you who don't live in America, Groundhog Day is not just a movie. From the website devoted to Phil the Groundhog, here is the pertinent info:


Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the holiday:

Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.

How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!

How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!

Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.

On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.

According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."

Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.

So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.

Of course there is a LOT of info about Phil, and Groundhog day but we're just going for the highlights here. Happy Groundhog Day!

Follow up - what happened? Inquiring minds and heater fuel bill payees want to know!

Unfortunately, Phil saw his shadow today, which means six more weeks of winter. Oddly enough, the forecast was for heavily overcast skies. So much for forecasts (excepting Phil, of course).