Still Waters Posted February 2, 2019 #1 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Punxsatawney Phil has predicted spring will come early for the US - as the country tried to recover from a crippling polar vortex. The world's most famous groundhog - or woodchuck - emerged from his lair on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania, just after 7am (12pm GMT) on Saturday. To chants of "Phil, Phil, Phil" from the thousands-strong crowd, he crawled out and was lifted by the president of the Punxsatawney Groundhog Club before it was announced that he had not seen his shadow so there would be an early spring. https://news.sky.com/story/punxsatawney-phil-did-he-see-his-shadow-11625637 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skliss Posted February 2, 2019 #2 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Happy Birthday Mom! Ever tried to make a cake that looks like a groundhogs? Don't bother, they usually end up looking like bunnies or chipmunks...lol 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Commander Travis Posted February 2, 2019 #3 Share Posted February 2, 2019 The logic of this has always escaped me. He doesn't see his shadow, so therefore sun's not shining? So that's a harbinger of spring? How do they figure that? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bison Posted February 2, 2019 #4 Share Posted February 2, 2019 (edited) According to the article linked below, Punxsutawney Phil has a recent record of only 40 percent accuracy in predicting either an early Spring, or six additional weeks of Winter. On this basis one could do better by taking his predictions and reversing them. That would permit 60 percent accuracy. For this year, that would mean a late Spring, rather than an early one. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-phil-prediction/index.html Edited February 2, 2019 by bison 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightly Posted February 2, 2019 #5 Share Posted February 2, 2019 But he means well. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post +susieice Posted February 2, 2019 Popular Post #6 Share Posted February 2, 2019 2 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep73 Posted February 2, 2019 #7 Share Posted February 2, 2019 4 hours ago, bison said: According to the article linked below, Punxsutawney Phil has a recent record of only 40 percent accuracy in predicting either an early Spring, or six additional weeks of Winter. On this basis one could do better by taking his predictions and reversing them. That would permit 60 percent accuracy. For this year, that would mean a late Spring, rather than an early one. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-phil-prediction/index.html Beats the Bible! And he's contemporary, so you can scrutinize him! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skliss Posted February 2, 2019 #8 Share Posted February 2, 2019 It's just a farmers way of marking the halfway point of winter. Normally it's 6 weeks until the spring thaw from Feb 2nd. Today is actually Candlemas which was the traditional day you would bring candles to church to have them blessed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+susieice Posted February 2, 2019 #9 Share Posted February 2, 2019 (edited) It is an old farmer's superstition. Just like a wooly caterpillar in the fall can predict how bad the winter will be by how thick the hair is. It is a cute, old tradition though. They even wear long-tailed tuxedos and top hats to pull poor Phil out of his burrow. Edited February 2, 2019 by susieice 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hankenhunter Posted February 2, 2019 #10 Share Posted February 2, 2019 I've never paid any attention to ground hogs unless a farmer is willing to pay to get rid of them. My weather marker is simple. When the snow is off Iron mountain, it's time to plant. When snow shows up at the tip, it's time to harvest. Hasn't failed me in 20 years. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davros of Skaro Posted February 3, 2019 #11 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Thank you Phil! The frost around the orifice of my ski mask from my breath makes me look like I have been snacking on powdered donuts while pulling a heist. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seti42 Posted February 3, 2019 #12 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Gobbler's Knob. Heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 3, 2019 #13 Share Posted February 3, 2019 When I was a kid, we were told that if he saw his shadow, it scared him back into his den for a longer time so a later spring. Down here we'd have to substitute Nutria for the groundhog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+susieice Posted February 3, 2019 #14 Share Posted February 3, 2019 45 minutes ago, Seti42 said: Gobbler's Knob. Heh. Yep. Here he is. The most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imaginarynumber1 Posted February 3, 2019 #15 Share Posted February 3, 2019 What an idiotic tradition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 3, 2019 #16 Share Posted February 3, 2019 9 minutes ago, Imaginarynumber1 said: What an idiotic tradition Life is short, pain is long and I don't blame anyone for finding or creating a reason to relax and have fun occasionally. Down south in Mobile, Alabama, we CREATED modern Mardi Gras because of our traditions dating back to the times the French controlled the city. Mobile is nearly 300 years old. New Orleans quickly surpassed our little celebrations in size and scope but it all began in Mobile. "Fat Tuesday" is the day before the Catholic Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday. It's just an excuse for a couple of weeks of drunken revelry and most who take part have never seen the inside of a Catholic church. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imaginarynumber1 Posted February 3, 2019 #17 Share Posted February 3, 2019 2 minutes ago, and then said: Life is short, pain is long and I don't blame anyone for finding or creating a reason to relax and have fun occasionally. Down south in Mobile, Alabama, we CREATED modern Mardi Gras because of our traditions dating back to the times the French controlled the city. Mobile is nearly 300 years old. New Orleans quickly surpassed our little celebrations in size and scope but it all began in Mobile. "Fat Tuesday" is the day before the Catholic Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday. It's just an excuse for a couple of weeks of drunken revelry and most who take part have never seen the inside of a Catholic church. I don't need an excuse to be drunk. Right now ids a goof example 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 3, 2019 #18 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Touche! Have fun and be safe. Cabs are one hell of a lot less expensive than the alternatives. I speak from experience 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Commander Travis Posted February 3, 2019 #19 Share Posted February 3, 2019 7 hours ago, Hankenhunter said: I've never paid any attention to ground hogs unless a farmer is willing to pay to get rid of them. My weather marker is simple. When the snow is off Iron mountain, it's time to plant. When snow shows up at the tip, it's time to harvest. Hasn't failed me in 20 years. Rather like the Irish method of weather forecasting. If you can see the hills, it'll rain soon. If you can't see them, it's already raining. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Commander Travis Posted February 3, 2019 #20 Share Posted February 3, 2019 5 hours ago, susieice said: Yep. Here he is. The most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania... the look on his adorable little face says it all. "Put me back right now, or that hand, gloved as it is, will feel the consequences." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+susieice Posted February 3, 2019 #21 Share Posted February 3, 2019 4 hours ago, Imaginarynumber1 said: What an idiotic tradition Got him a holiday and a movie! Goes back to the mid 1800's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+susieice Posted February 3, 2019 #22 Share Posted February 3, 2019 30 minutes ago, Vlad the Mighty said: the look on his adorable little face says it all. "Put me back right now, or that hand, gloved as it is, will feel the consequences." Actually that little groundhog is well taken care of for it's natural life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skliss Posted February 4, 2019 #23 Share Posted February 4, 2019 21 hours ago, susieice said: Yep. Here he is. The most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania... My friend went to IUP Punxatawney...the whole thing is an excuse for drunken revelry, not that you need much of an excuse in college. When she went there Phil and his wife Phyllis lived the rest of the year in the Library according to her. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+susieice Posted February 4, 2019 #24 Share Posted February 4, 2019 1 hour ago, skliss said: My friend went to IUP Punxatawney...the whole thing is an excuse for drunken revelry, not that you need much of an excuse in college. When she went there Phil and his wife Phyllis lived the rest of the year in the Library according to her. Yes. Phil and Phyllis still live there. In an indoor attachment though they go out on occasion. They are really quite pampered. lol They're fed like royalty and love corn on the cob. https://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2017/02/groundhog_phil_do_rest_of_year.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevor borocz johnson Posted February 4, 2019 #25 Share Posted February 4, 2019 On 2/2/2019 at 10:12 PM, Imaginarynumber1 said: What an idiotic tradition I think they do it to make light of things that can't be explained. Maybe the invention of the holiday in 1887 was to mark a time when they were able to start predicting the weather, and they were poking fun of old traditions. Predicting stuff using methods that are unexplained like dreams of storms, and prophecy has a history of being dangerous for those who prophecy I believe, so maybe its help for those people, to shake off the evil that follows them through the darkness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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