Rats!

Flirtatious: " Let's see how you look in this Groundhog wrap?"

Real Mood: Competitive

Prediction: There will be AT LEAST six more weeks of Winter.

Yeah, we heard about the Punk rodent from Pennsylvania. You know he always sees his shadow.  Big deal!

We've got a 13 lined ground squirrel we call "Denver Dan." That's him in the picture.   He comes out of a Stone Wall every Spring and tells us when it's okay to turn on the sprinklers. We're a little hurt that we don't get very much media attention for this special Homo Erectus-Rodentus connection. Why does that other rodent get all the glory. 

The map I'm looking at puts Punksutawney northeast of Pittsburgh. Looks to me like it might be a two hour's drive south to reach  Valley Forge. Let's see?  Valley Forge! Isn't that where Washington's troops were freezing their _____'s off?

Get to the point? Okay.  So Punksutawney Phil sees his shadow on February 2th and WOE is us.  My goodness.  Now there'll be SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER.

When wasn't there six more weeks of Winter?  I lived a Winter not too far northeast of Punksutawney?  I didn't see a molecule of snow melt before May 15th. And I think they were calling that an "Open Winter." (for the uninitiated "open winter" means you can walk to your neighbor's house without suffering severe frost bite.)

Out here in the Rocky Mountains we brag that we have more than "3 Hundred Somethin' " days of sunshine a year.  But even we would jump up and down with glee if we thought Winter was only going to last until the "Ides of March!"

We'd throw a huge celebration if one of our Prarie Dogs saw it's shadow and barked out, " I Proclaim Winter Will Be Over Before College Basketball Wraps it up For The Season."

Now THAT would be March Madness! But we know better. Our rodents are "straight" with us.

How dare I compare a Groundhog Proclamation with a Ground Squirrel Chat or a Prarie Dog Pronouncement? Arn't we talking apples and oranges? Well here's something you may not know.  I think I'm accurate when I say that Punksutawney showboaters stole their tradition from a German Hedgehog.

Truth be known? I think the rodents are playing with us.  They're down there in their big Tunnel Party Rooms, drinking "root" beer,  just laughing so hard their little buck teeth are about to crack.

Well this year I'm going to tune them all out. I'm the higher species here. I should be telling them when Winter is over.  And you know what? I can do that! I just need to squish me a "wooly worm," or see "How High" the skunk weed has grown.  What? You didn't know that's how you rate Winters?

Denver Dan and I will just talk about something else this Spring. I'LL decide when to turn on the sprinklers, thank you.