Phil vs. the General...

Hey folks!

Groundhog Day was Tuesday and we seem to have some marmot disagreement! Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow at Gobbler's Knob, heralding another six weeks of winter. Our own furry fella, General Beauregard Lee, did NOT see his. This, of course, means that we should see an early spring. The prediction was delayed when Gen. Lee got away from his handlers and hid, then climbed a fence behind his mock-mansion home.

The Groundhog

Here's the part I don't get...if you were the rascally rodent that had the pleasure of "springing" the good news on Georgians, why would you run?!?!? I mean, I could see it if he had the six week sadness to send us, but he was golden!

Of course, if I were a groundhog, I would be somewhat troubled myself. No other species in the animal kingdom is forced to step up to the plate to hand humans a meteorological message of such "prognosticable" proportions. I don't think that's a word.

This reminds me. Years ago, on Groundhog Day, I was in the Backyard Garden, early in the A.M., on air, with my own version of the day's events. We didn't have an actual groundhog...but we DID have a hog on the ground. We had a guy bring in a giant hog...we then killed the lights outside and hit it with a flashlight. Bad choice of words...um...we shined a flashlight on it. He saw his shadow. And voila! Six more weeks of winter. Cheesy. I know.

Where is Bill Murray when you need him?

I love that movie.

Chief Meteorologist Ben Jones