Groundhog Day!

A Happy Groundhog Enjoying a Day in the Sun!

This Saturday February 2nd is Groundhog Day and a time to celebrate the groundhog and begin to start to think about spring. Of course down here in Florida where we never get winter, that's a bit of an abstraction. The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil of western Pennsylvania. Its a safe bet that he will not see his shadow tomorrow as the National Weather Service is predicting a 100% chance of snow. According to lore that would mean an early spring rather than 6 more weeks of winter.

We don't have Groundhogs down this far south, but I was fortunate to capture this magnificent, large specimen in western North Carolina near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park early last fall. Voracious eaters of tender grasses and vegetation the wild ones like this are very cautious and will run for cover at the first sign of visitors. Notice how large the feet and claws are toward the end of the video. They are on of the few mammals that truly hibernate. More information on Groundhogs Days  is at Wikipedia. Enjoy the day and maybe watch Groundhog Day, one of Bill Murray's funniest movies.