Happy Groundhog's Day!!

[L7]

The bestest holiday of the year!

Wiarton Willie kicks Puxatawnie Pete's ass by the way.

[gincognito]

Wait. Wasn't that yesterday?

[PaSucks]

The bestest holiday of the year!

Wiarton Willie kicks Puxatawnie Pete's ass by the way.

It's Phil, not Pete, and no, Willie doesn't.

[basom]

no. its today.

and thats Punxsutawney phil there L7, not Puxatawnie Pete.

Phil Says Six More Weeks of Winter!

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

On this Groundhog Day, February 2nd, the year 2005 on Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil, King of the Groundhogs, Father of all Marmota, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators has been summoned by Groundhog President William Cooper. Phil gleefully exited his burrow at 7:31 a.m. to be greeted by his longtime friend and handler, Bill Deeley, who held him high so he could greet the large throng of Faithful Followers. He wished them all a "Happy Groundhog Day." Bill placed him atop the old oak stump where he surveyed his surroundings. He then turned to President William and in Groundhogese directed him to the scroll which reads:

Natural disasters have been a terrible thing; tsunamis,
downpours, floods, landslides, heavy snowstorms, avalanches,
frigid temperatures, sleet and freezing rain.
They all cause much destruction, suffering and pain.

When it seems like too much with which to cope;
The coming of spring brings us new hope.
Changing seasons is a wonderful thing.

Now it's Groundhog Day and we think of spring.
Will Spring come early or will it come late?

It's time for me to prognosticate.
As I study the sun
It's all about fun.
But I'm sorry to say
I see my shadow today.
When my shadow I see,
Six more weeks of winter there will be!

[L7]

Phil, pete, whatever yes he does.

Feb 2 here at least.

[gincognito]

I could've sworn I read this thread yesterday...
Come to think of it, my morning commute seemed remarkably familiar as well.

[rip]

dont worry Gin, I get it.

[Squirrel99]

Phil Says Six More Weeks of Winter!

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
But I'm sorry to say
I see my shadow today.
When my shadow I see,
Six more weeks of winter there will be!

Umm.... How about 6 weeks of winter? I guess that's a little good news for a winter that never was (in PNW).

[KQ]

Handler Bill Deeley holds Punxsutawney Phil, left, as Punxsutawney Groundhog club President William Cooper reads the proclamation that there would be six more weeks of winter after Phil saw his shadow in Puxsutawney, Pa. on Wednesday.



Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil's prediction: more wintry weather to come

By Dan Nephin
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:00 a.m. February 2, 2005

Associated Press

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Punxsutawney Phil has spoken, and the news isn't good.
The world's most famous furry forecaster saw his shadow Wednesday on Gobbler's Knob, suggesting another six weeks of wintry weather.

The chubby critter delivered the prediction after he was pulled from his burrow in an oak stump at 7:31 a.m. by a top-hatted handler, and his prediction was greeted by boos from the thousands in attendance.


"He's only the messenger!" one of the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club – the volunteer group in charge of Phil and the town's Groundhog Day festivities – reminded the crowd braving the frigid weather.

In the years since The Punxsutawney Spirit first carried word of the groundhog's failing to see its shadow in 1886, this town of 7,500 people about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh has been dubbed the "Weather Capital of the World."

The tradition stems from the Christian holiday of Candlemas, and the belief that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow, winter will last another six weeks. If there's no shadow, spring will come early.

That was the forecast from Lilburn, Ga., groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, who did not see his shadow when he emerged as light rain fell Wednesday morning. Beau made his appearance with a female groundhog their handlers at Yellow River Game Ranch hope will produce offspring to continue the tradition if the aging prognosticator retires this year.

In Punxsutawney, an energetic crowd of about 2,000 people was already assembled by 3:30 a.m. Most were bundled against the cold, but at least one young woman braved the weather in a bikini top.

Nikki Wehrmann and her 9-year-old daughter, Arianne, had on layer upon layer as they huddled over coffee and hot chocolate. Arianne was taking the day off from school to see Phil, her mother said. They live in nearby DuBois.

"We considered this an educational purpose," said Wehrmann, who told her daughter about the history of Groundhog Day and plans to have Arianne do a project on the event.

"And anything that brings 20,000 or 30,000 people on some years we have to do it at least once," Wehrmann said.

Resident Sue Lingenfelter said the annual frenzy, and just how famous Phil is, still amazes her.

"I just placed a catalog order yesterday and the guy said to me, 'Is your town ready to go crazy?'" she said.

Ward Brown, 50, and his sister Suzy Fulkerson, 41, came from Sparta, Ill., although they tied the trip in with a visit to their sister, who recently moved to nearby DuBois.

"It was a good excuse to visit her," said Brown, who was toting a $75 stump of wood a craftsman had carved into the shape of a groundhog sporting a top hat.

According to the Punxsutawney club, Phil saw his shadow for the 95th time. He hasn't seen his shadow 14 times; nine years have no record of the outcome.

[Arty50]

"When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the of warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter."

[L7]

Wait. Wasn't that yesterday?

That was a little too subtle for me. I got it on the second go.

Was that the only movie Andie Macdowell didn't suck in? Ah she probably sucked but I liked the movie.

[acostiga]

anybody else ever been to gobbler's knob? or am i the only one dumb enough to decide that it'd be entertaining to see punxsy and the groundhog? i was there on 02/02/02 with something like 40,000 other people. at least now i'll know better than to ever head out to punsxy ever again...

[runethechamp]

"This is pitiful. A thousand people freezing their butts off waiting to worship a rat. What a hype. Well, it used to mean something in this town. They used to pull the hog out, and they used to *eat* it. You're hypocrites, all of you! You have a problem with what I'm saying, Larry?"