Happy Groundhog Day!

Today groundhogs all over the country came out of their burrows to look for their shadows. This delightful custom was started by a German groundhog poet many centuries ago who wrote:

Wenn's an Lichtmess stürmt und schneit,
ist der Frühling nicht mehr weit;
ist es aber klar und hell,
kommt der Lenz wohl nicht so schnell.

Or if your German, like mine, is a little rusty:

If Groundhog Day brings wind and snow,
Then spring will very soon show.
But if Groundhog Day is clear and bright,
Then spring won’t come so right.

Not a very talented poet, to be sure, but obviously showing much initiative to have created such a widely observed holiday.

Today, Chicago’s groundhog, Chuck Wood, didn’t see his shadow, so they’re in for an early spring. Neither did Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Staten Island Chuck in New York, Wiarton Willie in Ontario, or General Beauregard Lee in Georgia, lucky groundhogs all. But Metompkin Max in Virginia, Pee Wee in Montpelier, Vermont, and Sir Walter Wally of Raleigh, North Carolina all saw their shadows, meaning six more weeks of winter. Our very own Queen Charlotte of the Queen City also saw her shadow. Well, no big surprise for Vermont where they’ll probably have six more months of winter. But poor Virginia! Poor us! Nevertheless, I think it was very selfless of these working groundhogs to rouse from their naps, go out into the cold to face anxious crowds, and make (perhaps unpopular) weather predictions. I mean, why would they personally care if it’s winter or not? They have mounds and mounds of fur, by all accounts, so what’s a few more weeks one way or the other? Those of us with no fur, on the other hand, must suffer the cold for at least six more weeks. I do hope my hand-knit sweater shows up soon.