Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Hogs for a Day

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

It's Groundhog Day
It's a North American tradition; A celebration of winter; It's about the weather, and a yearning for spring; It's science; It's a bunch of hoo ha!

What's your take on Groundhog Day, and the weather in general?

They say that, "Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it."

What little secrets or inventions do you have to help you cope with inclement weather?

Don't have anything? - Make it up!

Predictions from groundhogs in the USA include:

A. For 2016: From Dunkirk, New York; Dunkirk Dave says, 6 more weeks of Winter.

B: For 2016: From Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania; Punxsutawney Phil says, Early Spring

C: For 2016: From Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia; Shubenacadie Sam says, Early Spring

Although the largest celebration of Groundhog Day in the USA is considered to be in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It is a celebration that is held in many other parts of the USA. Plus, it actually came from Europe. The celebration became an official function in 1887. When it was adopted by the USA. Punxsutawney draws about 40,000 or so people every year for the celebration.

The word Punxsutawney is a Delaware Indian word attached to the area because of it propensity to harbor mosquitoes or sand flies.

The Groundhog species is a rodent related to ground squirrels. They mature from 16 to 26 inches long. And, weigh 4 to 9 lbs. Groundhogs eat vegetation, insects, and grubs. The Indian name is Monax which means digger. They live in dens dug into the ground with several entrances to the tunnels. Wikipedia information states that they have one litter of babies per year, with 3 to 6 in the litter. Pennsylvania Game News says they can give birth up to 3 times a year with litters as large as 9 each time. Groundhog dens also benefit other species. Red Fox or rabbits and others can live in the abandoned dens and inhabit the tunnels created by Ground hogs.

As a person who has housed horses for years I can tell you the dens and tunnels are a hazard. Groundhogs prefer mowed land to build on and will put holes and tunnels any where. If you or a horse steps down into one they are deep. It can mean a broken bone or a bad sprain.

So, it is open season on them all year long. If you are a hunter, in this area, groundhogs are good target practice. Their worst enemies are man, dogs, and foxes.

So, how did they get to predicting the weather? My guess is it is one of the first creatures to be seen in the early spring. There is always newspaper articles about Groundhog Day. Last year the people in charge of the Punxutawney Phil celebration actually made the news by fighting over what Phil said about Spring and Who Phil whispered it to when he emerged into the light.

My feelings is the winter was so bad in 2015, it was inevitable for winter to make it to the equinox but some of the human group were just wishing for an early spring. This year it is a good guess we might get our early spring. The day long holiday is just a reason to have a party.

I’m retired so my holiday is every day. My only help for bad weather is reading, writing, and sleeping. I like to curl up snug in my blankets and sleep long hours on cold days. I need lots of light to be coherent. I’m very glad when sunshine shows up on any day cold or not cold.

Reference: Wikipedia, Pennsylvania Game News and my own experience.