Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Whistlepig Wednesday

 

Holy Munchin' Marmots, Batman!

The furry brown creature so dear to the hearts of weather-watching
folklorists in Pennsylvania's Dutch Country and all around the nation
emerged from his earthly home this morning and saw his shadow!

According to tradition, this means that we will see six
more weeks of winter weather!⛄


Groundhog 
(Marmota monax)
(2017)
Picture courtesy D. Gorden E. Robertson/Wikimedia Commons


No foul weather, however, could stop the crowd from gathering
 this year at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to
witness the tradition of the rapacious rodent seeing his shadow.

There is talk these days about replacing the real live groundhog  
 used in these yearly ceremonies with an animatronic robot, 
 after complaints from handlers that these cute little
creatures are not only capricious in nature, but,
 have a set of impressive, razor-sharp claws, not to mention
 four chisel-shaped incisors, that can easily gnaw through 
gloved fingers as well as roots and other vegetation.

But then again, what can you expect from a sleeping wild critter  
snatched up from his cozy underground burrow at the break of dawn
 on a cold winter's morning in order to predict the weather?



* A "whistlepig" is an old-fashioned word for groundhog.⛄



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