Handlers: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Longer Winter

[mystery-ak]

http://www.newsmax.com/PrintTemplate.aspx?nodeid=550372


Newsmax
Handlers: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Longer Winter
Sunday, February 2, 2014 08:00 AM

 

The handlers for groundhog Punxsutawney Phil say he's forecasting six more weeks of what already has felt like a brutally long and cold winter.

Pennsylvania's famed groundhog emerged from his lair in front of thousands of fans around daybreak Sunday.

Legend has it that if the furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another month-and-a-half. If he doesn't see it, spring will come early.

In reality, Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by a group called the Inner Circle, whose members don top hats and tuxedos for the ceremony on Groundhog Day each year.

Phil is the most famous of a small group of groundhogs said to forecast the weather, including Staten Island Chuck in New York and General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta.

[mountaineer]

The Marxist in NYC didn't have such good luck with that city's groundhog:

De Blasio drops NYC’s ‘Punxsutawney Phil’
By Beth DeFalco/NY Post
February 2, 2014 | 8:41am

The first fumble of Super Bowl Sunday belonged to Mayor Bill de Blasio — who dropped the Staten Island Zoo’s groundhog early Sunday morning.

De Blasio was trying to handle Staten Island Chuck when the anxious animal squirmed right out of the mayor’s hands and fell on his noggin.

“Next year they’ll need a net,” said Ann Jackman, who was at the park with her 14-year-old daughter. “Look how tall he is. Can you imagine falling from that height?”

Eventually, Chuck witnessed his shadow and ran back inside, predicting 6 more weeks of winter.

“Chuck likes the polar vortex,” de Blasio said to a parade of boos.

But at least the mayor got away unscathed. Unlike Mayor Bloomberg’s Groundhog Day mishap in 2009, Chuck did not try to chomp on his hand.

“In Brooklyn, we bite back so Chuck has been forewarned,” de Blasio said.[/quoqte]

[rangerrebew]

Longer?  It is already too long here in West Michigan.  We had over 40 inches of snow in January and there is no relief in sight.  Damn this global warming!

[Chieftain]

I have a great recipe for beer-simmered groundhog if anyone is interested....long, slow, moist heat.......