Spring is on its way!
All that study. All that money. All that high tech equipment.
And a capricious rodent is probably more accurate than all the professional weather prognosticators on the planet.
Go figure.
Yay!! It’s Groundhog Day all over again!
I live in Maine !! We don’t have groundhogs this time of year lol (frost 4’ deep) We always have six more weeks of winter lol lol
Even in summer.
Punxatawny Phil is all right for part of the nation. I’ll stick to mesquite and mimosa for my prognostications in the west. Jim
… statistically, Phil’s batting average leaves a lot to be desired.
[b]Of these 116 predictions on record so far, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an “early spring” 15 times (13.8%). As to his accuracy, according to the StormFax Weather Almanac and records kept since 1887, Phil’s predictions have been correct 39% of the time.
[/b]Yep - spring will get here when spring gets here.
In the meantime, I hope it takes a while to get here in this neck of the woods and that we get a lot more snow before does. Otherwise, there may be a lot of trout living in ugly conditions.
John
The word on the street some guy from Newton, KS killed the KS groundhog to make dubbing and groundog BBQ. He had a strange name, start with a Z.
Uncle Jesse, That weren’t no ground hog, it were a prairie dawg
No early spring please!! Haven’t had enough skywater yet!!!
Is there a difference, other than locale?
[http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/prairie-dog/
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/groundhog/](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/prairie-dog/)
Waaaaaay different!
As of this morning, the Bitterroot Basin snowpack is at 86% of the long term average. Not good. On a scouting trip to the west side of the Bitterroot Mountains yesterday, it looks like the Idaho side is in even worse shape. Actually, compared to last year, it looks pretty much like a disaster in the making over there.
FORTUNATELY, our local marmot, Bitterroot Bill, says we are in for another six weeks of winter. Good on you, Bill.
John
We didn’t have many burrowing animals back home in Mississippi, moles are the only thing that comes to mind, so I have never really been around either of the creatures. I had never considered the lack of burrowing animals back home before, maybe the tendency of much of the state to flood periodically before we started building dams was a deterrent. Of course the abundance of snakes may have played a part also. And they probably taste like chicken.
Living in a place that had " ‘Possums is Good Eatin’ " as the unofficial motto of some members of society might have had something to do with it. I’m not saying that your family was involved, but is doesn’t take many, dedicated marmotovores to thin out the local supply. (Do you like 'em roasted or made into a pot pie?)
Ed
I was told at a young age that a possum was a 4 legged buzzard. Although I certainly would not turn away a properly cooked dish of raccoon, I have really never had any of that to the best of my knowledge. An occasional rabbit or squirrel would certainly have been welcomed and bobwhite quail was high dining. But mostly, as a child we had farm raised pork, beef and chicken, the chicken was usually really fresh. Some of the best dining I remember was shortly after killing hogs. My dad was apparently very skilled with the necessary task and I know he mixed up a good batch of sausage, the kind you make in patties. Later there was smokehouse cured ham and bacon, consumed with real biscuits and red eye gravy. I have made myself hungry and there is no where I know of that I can cure the particular hunger.
Groundhog—dubbing—flies—maybe the groundhog won’t be around next year. 
Larry —sagefisher—
Groundhog, shmoundhog…I just wanna fish!!!