Happy Groundhog Day!

Another Groundhog Day has dawned and Punxsutawney Phil has spoken.
I love watching all the hoopla on PCN TV ... but I'm not sure I buy Phil's "early spring" declaration, much as I want to.
But here are a few photos snapped while watching the grand ceremony this morning.
Spring? We can only hope!

Ready for more winter?

Yes, we all know by now that we should buckle up for six more weeks of winter.

Punxsutawney Phil was yanked from his abode on Gobbler's Knob and whispered into the Inner Circle's ears, saying he saw his shadow.

So he can retreat under ground while we shiver.

Since we really haven't had much real winter so far, maybe that's only fair.

But some of us were hoping that at least he would offer us some hope during what has been a lot of darks days since the November election.

But here we go. Good luck everyone. Maybe Phil will be wrong...

Here are a few shots from the PCN TV coverage that started at 6 a.m. Sorry that the quality may not be great... it was a little early and I wasn't there in person...

This guy looked dejected before the prediction was even made by Phil... 

LOVE THESE GUYS!

AND THESE!!

Time for the prediction!!

And from our at-home collection of groundhog items, we wish you good health and good luck...

Early spring??

So, Punxsutawney Phil has given us the word: an early spring -- NOT six more weeks of winter.
Believe him? We'll have to see.
But the gala at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney was as wild as ever! In case you missed it, here are a few shots, snapped during PCN TV's great coverage.

Oh, and Happy Groundhog Day from these two right here at home!

What's your prediction?

Everyone else may be consumed by what happens in Iowa, but the bigger question involves what will happen right here in Pennsylvania tomorrow. 

You know -- Groundhog Day!!
Will Phil see his shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter?
Or will we be fortunate and just skip more white stuff?

Yes, all eyes will be on Punxsutawney early Tuesday morning. And for those of us who can't -- or won't -- head out to that tiny town, you can catch all the action on PCN, starting at 6 a.m. Thanks to PCN TV, you don't have to miss out on any of the action.

And with any luck, we won't see more snow or the ice that accompanied a Groundhog Day several years ago, when we snapped this photo:

Good health and good luck to us all, as this little fellow is wishing us.
And tomorrow the question will be answered -- more winter or an early spring!

Welcome March !

Well, we've turned another page on the calendar.
It's March, nearly a month since that infamous groundhog promised us an early spring.
And even though we haven't been buried in snow ... yet ... we haven't exactly been basking in sunshine, either.
Take today, for instance...

Yes, another mostly gray day. When I left work shortly after 2 p.m., you could see a small patch of blue off in the distance. But we also found ourselves being pelted by a snow/rain mixture for about 10 minutes.
Welcome to March!

So March didn't exactly roar in like a lion, and it wasn't really as warm and fuzzy as a lamb. But there really wasn't too much to complain about, either. It just would be nice to see the sun for an extended period of time.
Of course Spring Mountain Ski Area -- that little patch of white you see off in the distance in the photo below -- probably would beg to differ!

As for Domino and Wotsit, well, they'll just keep snuggling close to fend off that chill. Hey, spring will soon be here, right Punxsutawney Phil?

Spring on the horizon?

It's still cold, it's still windy. There are still hints that snow may hit here and there, now and then.

But there also are glimmers of hope that spring will, indeed, arrive.

I saw my first robins this week, although I felt a bit sorry to see the mini-flock of birds as I left work
on Wednesday. It hardly seems that it's been warm enough this month to seduce any birds that had wintered in the south to head up north so early.

Guess they must have tuned in to watch Punxsutawney Phil offer his prediction of an early spring ... and actually believed  him!

I hope these early birds can hunker down and stay a bit warm until the temperatures rise a bit.

And, as if seeing the robins weren't enough, that same day about 10 red-winged blackbirds stopped by my feeders for a snack. Some people say that those birds are the true harbingers of spring and they are very handsome.

We can only hope these feathered friends know something that we don't and that those warm days will be dawning very soon. But at least it's less than a month for that first "official" day of spring!

HEY, PHIL, WHAT GIVES?

EXCUSE ME, PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL!
Wasn't it just a week ago today that you promised us an early spring?
I believe it was, since I got up early on a Saturday morning to see what you, my revered groundhog, would predict for the coming few months.
And yes, you decreed, "An early spring for you and me."
Then how do you explain Winter Storm Nemo?
How do you explain this?

Yes, this is what I awoke to here in Pennsylvania -- your home state -- just a week after your words of wisdom. And that was after several mornings of light coatings of the white stuff during the week.
Now, we really can't complain too much here in Pennsylvania; not after watching what happened in Connecticut and beyond. But still, it's COLD out there ... even these clothespins look frozen!

And look what happened to this poor cat -- that's on your head, Phil!

Here are a few more scenes to consider. Perhaps you need to be a bit more specific. Does an "early spring" mean a few days earlier than normal? Or a few hours? Guess we shouldn't get our hopes up.
Or maybe we have to stop listening to a groundhog!
Just kidding, Phil. I still love ya!

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!!

I was up long before the crack of dawn today to watch live coverage of Groundhog Day out in Punxsutawney, thanks to the great work of PCN TV ... and as you all know by now, Punxsy Phil says "AN EARLY SPRING FOR YOU AND ME!!"
Well, we'll see about that, but I love this day and it was fun to watch the antics at Gobbler's Knob and text about the silliness with my daughter.
These photos aren't the best, since I just snapped them on the TV showing PCN's coverage, but here are a few glimpses at this morning's excitement...

DOING IT PUNXSY STYLE!!

FIREWORKS!!

READY FOR THE BIG REVEAL!

EARLY SPRING!!

AND HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM PUNXSUTAWNEY, THAT GREAT LITTLE TOWN, FROM QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO DURING A LITTLE STOPOVER DURING THE SPRING.
PHIL LIVES AT THE TOWN LIBRARY AND A HUGE WOODEN STATUE IS FEATURED IN THE PARK.

AND, WITH PHIL'S PREDICTION OF AN EARLY SPRING, TODAY LOOKED NOTHING LIKE IT DID A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN GROUNDHOG DAY WAS ICY AND SNOWY... THAT GRUNDSOW STATUE BELONGS TO MY DAUGHTER AND IS SO CUTE!!

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!!
ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EARLY SPRING??