Groundhog Day

The ground is frozen here in cheese-head country.   I don't expect any groundhog will be up looking for his shadow.  Not in my neighborhood.

We got 3-inches of snow overnight - not enough to interfere with the Groundhog Day festivities down the road in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. 

from this year's Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Groundhog Day festivities website

The results came in this morning.
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.  Sun Prairie's Jimmy did not.

 Mayor Bloomberg does the honors in Staten Island (note the gloves) - NYC woodchucks bite

photo courtesy of the Mayor's Office

And in New York City, Staten Island's Chuck had the good sense to agree with midwestern wisdom.

Phil's accuracy rate - 39%.  Jimmy's - 80%.  Chuck's - 76%.

I'll go with Jimmy.

Keep in mind, February 2nd is always 6 weeks from the first day of spring.  

Regardless of whether Phil, Jimmy and Chuck see their shadows, technically we're in for 6 more weeks of winter. 

If you want to learn more about the history of this quaint celebration, click here. 

While I'm not likely to see any of Phil or Jimmy's cousins anytime soon, I have seen an unusual number of mammal visitors at my birdfeeding station lately:  a gray squirrel, a fox squirrel, an opossum and two cottontails.

Only six more weeks of winter.  I'm counting the days.