He most certainly did. That means six more weeks of winter for us! Of course, as metorologists would tell you, we would have had six more weeks of winter no matter what Punxsutawney Phil saw because the changing of the seasons doesn’t ACTUALLY alter with the whims of a large rodent – even one with magical powers of longevity. Give the harshness of this particular winter, it seems likely that Phil’s prediction will hold, however.
Groundhog enthusiasts are still looking to Phil to tell them how much longer they’ll need that winter coat though, unless, of course, they live in Alaska. In Alaska, thanks to Sarah Palin, if you want to know how long winter’s going to last you’ll have to ask a Marmot. Palin signed a bill last year to make Feburary second Marmot Day in her home state. The bill was introduced by State Senator Lind Menard, a Wasilla Republican. Groundhogs aren’t common in Alaska, so Menard thought that it would make more sense to look to local Marmots. Not, of course, that the government of Alaska can legislate rodent weather predicting talents – but Menard hopes that local school systems will produce more educational activities around the animal now that its taken over the popular holiday.
But Phil isn’t worried about the competition. Not only does he have his own movie, his own concert and his own Web site, he has learned to text so that he can share his predictions even faster. Marmot Day doesn’t have a chance.
Comments
No comments.