Ground Hog Day Revealed

I was offline for the big day yesterday, but wanted to post something on the giant weatherforecasting creature known as Phil.

I've actually attended the official Groundhog Day activities at Punxsutawney and I can say it is more surreal then the movie.

(WARNING. ANYONE NOT WISHING TO KNOW THE TRUE STORY BEHIND GROUNDHOGS DAY SHOULD STOP READING HERE.

Gobblers Knob is really on a hillside several miles outside town. The year I went, for work of all things, the site was packed with drunken Penn State college kids who had been there all night drinking beer. How they stood the cold is a tribute to youth and alcohol. The combination of which allows anything foolish to be accomplished.

The day was freezing and snowing, yet the rat managed to predict and early spring.

I chatted with one of the top-hatted fellows who yank the terrified varmint out of the tree stump and he said they get together the day before and hold a drawing to see if it will be more winter or spring. One is six is an early spring. (The guy tasked with pulling Phil out of his stump has to wear very thick leather gloves because the average groundhog has claws that could rip his fingers off.)

To say I was devastated would be an overestimate of how I felt. All I really wanted was to go back to the hotel because I was freezing.

One more Phil tip. He lives in a glassed in cage in the public library's window.