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  1. #1
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    Smile Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    What's it gonna be? My state doesn't seem to have a local Marty-the-marmot weather predictor so I'll be watching for Punxsutawney Phil's say on the matter.


    from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day
    "Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grundsaudaag, Murmeltiertag) is a day celebrated
    on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from
    its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog
    will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter
    weather will continue for six more weeks.
    Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are
    held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow.
    In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate the holiday
    with fersommlinge, social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and
    one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania
    German dialect is the only language spoken at the event, and those who speak English
    pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime, or quarter per word spoken, with
    the money put into a bowl in the center of the table.
    The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog
    Day, already a widely recognized and popular tradition, received widespread
    attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day.

    History: The celebration, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in
    southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins
    in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the
    prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. It also bears similarities to the Pagan
    festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is
    celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication and to St.
    Swithun's Day in July.
    Historical origins:
    The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the
    group of large ground squirrels.
    Banner of Grundsow Lodsh Nummer Sivva (Groundhog Lodge Number Seven), of Pennsburg,
    Pennsylvania.The first documented American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in
    a diary entry, dated February 4, 1841, of Morgantown, Pennsylvania, storekeeper
    James Morris:

    Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans,
    [9] the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops
    back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the
    weather is to be moderate.
    In Scotland, the poem:
    If Candle-mas Day is bright and clear,
    There'll be two winters in the year.
    An English poem:
    If Candle mas be fair and bright,
    Winter has another flight.
    If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
    Winter will not come again.


    Alternative origin theories: In western countries in the Northern Hemisphere, the
    official first day of spring is almost seven weeks (46–48 days) after Groundhog Day,
    on March 20 or March 21. The custom could have been a folk embodiment of the confusion
    created by the collision of two calendrical systems. Some ancient traditions marked
    the change of season at cross-quarter days such as Imbolc when daylight first makes
    significant progress against the night. Other traditions held that spring did not
    begin until the length of daylight overtook night at the Vernal Equinox. So an
    arbiter, the groundhog/hedgehog, was incorporated as a yearly custom to settle the two
    traditions. Sometimes spring begins at Imbolc, and sometimes winter lasts six more
    weeks until the equinox."


    Predictions of various groundhogs since 2013:

    2014 ? ? ?
    2013 Early spring[19] Jimmy the Groundhog Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[20] Flatiron Freddy Boulder, Colorado
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[21] Malverne Mel Malverne, New York
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[20] Stormy Marmot Aurora, Colorado
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[22] Shubenacadie Sam Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[22] Fred Val d'Espoir, Quebec
    2013 Early spring[22] Wiarton Willie Wiarton, Ontario
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[22] Manitoba Merv Winnipeg, Manitoba
    2013 Early spring[22] Winnipeg Willow Winnipeg, Manitoba
    2013 Early spring[23] Potomac Phil Washington, DC
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[24] Western Maryland Murray Cumberland, Maryland
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[25] Octorara Orphie Quarryville, Pennsylvania
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[26] Poor Richard York, Pennsylvania
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[26] Dover Doug Dover, Pennsylvania
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[26] Susquehanna Sherman Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania
    2013 6 more weeks of winter[27] Pine Grove Grover Pine Grove, Pennsylvania
    2013 Early spring[28] Nibbles Asheville, North Carolina
    2013 Early spring[29] Dunkirk Dave Dunkirk, New York
    2013 Early spring[30] Woody Howell, Michigan
    2013 Early spring[31] Punxsutawney Phil Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
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    "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover."
    -Mark Twain

  2. #2
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    Placitas, New Mexico, USA
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    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    Hope we get 6 more weeks of winter seeing as we have not had any real winter this year. It has been the warmest winter since moving to New Mexico in 2000. Scary really.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    My Tulips are not popping up yet so more snow for us. Gary have you considered a trip North for some COLD air? We have had our share of below 0 days.
    Richard

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    Looks like 6 more weeks of winter weather on the agena according to Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island (NY) Chuck. If we had a marmot of our own here, in coastal Oregon, he would have seen his shadow this morning also -- it's sunny and 55 degrees F.

    Gary -- I hope you get more snow and rain, the southwest is dangerously dry, as is the west coast.
    Richard -- Brrrr that's cold there, but the snow/water is a good thing. Water is more precious than gold!
    "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover."
    -Mark Twain

  5. #5

    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    Quote Originally Posted by Crow Haven View Post
    ...If we had a marmot of our own here, in coastal Oregon, he would have seen his shadow this morning also -- it's sunny and 55 degrees F.
    Up here in north Willamette valley, it is 38 F. But wonderfully sunny.

    We do need both snow pack and rain, though. Unless like in years past, we just have a nominally rainy summer. I would rather have the snow pack and winter rain.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    Hello fellow Oregonian! Yes, people here are worried about wells drying up! Really record chilly temps a few months ago in Florence too, I think -12F wow and that's cold!
    "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover."
    -Mark Twain

  7. #7

    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    Quote Originally Posted by Crow Haven View Post
    Hello fellow Oregonian! Yes, people here are worried about wells drying up! Really record chilly temps a few months ago in Florence too, I think -12F wow and that's cold!
    And a howdy to you, fellow Oregonian. Always nice to "see" people from the same area.

    Last time I was in Coos Bay and Florence it was a perfect week on the dunes. Other than some weirdness when we ran into a witch hunter, but that is another story. We haven't been back that far south in years (but not because of the hunter). My wife and I generally don't go further south than Yachats these days. We usually hit there for a couple weekends during the winter for the storms, which also have been mostly absent this year. Bummer.

    Well, back to working on a font. Tedious work made palatable with Buddy Guy's Sweet Tea playing with the volume cranked to 11...

    Take care, Mike
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  8. #8
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    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    A witch hunter -- that must have been a really weird experience!
    Yep, the dunes area is pretty impressive, longest stretch of them on the west coast. Here's a pic I took on a drive back from Eugene and the scalloped effect of the wind and fog rolling in were interesting...and one of Cape Arago.
    Love your pics too!
    ---Maya
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    "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover."
    -Mark Twain

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    Well considering the polar vortex is over my head (right now), Ottawa, IL for all intents and purposes is the climatological "north pole" - it was 30 below zero F, last week, at least its above zero, today, but we got 7 inches of snow yesterday, 8 more coming next Tuesday. The groundhog isn't going to even come out of his hole around here - too dang cold and snowy. I don't want 6 more of weeks, but I don't need a groundhog to tell that its here anyway...

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Groundhog Day - Feb. 2 - Early Spring or 6 More Weeks of Winter????

    I wouldn't blame any groundhog for wanting to remain underground in 30 below temps. Brrrrrr! That's just too cold. The most snow I've experienced was the 90's blizzard in NY along with an impressive ice storm there (the lowest temp. in the 4 years I lived there was 5 degrees). The trees' branches could be heard cracking but in the sunlight they glittered like crystal which was pretty to look at.
    "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover."
    -Mark Twain

 

 

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