Of Marmots and Groundhogs

I am missing stuff today. Things, people, places, activities. So my mind is rambling allover the place, or maybe I’m missing stuff because my mind is rambling. Probably.

This is the first time in 88 years that my mother did not wake up on Groundhog Day with an opinion on whether spring was imminent or not. She was born on February 2, so the groundhog jokes were just part of the package, and she was usually the one making them. I’m missing her today, so all that other stuff is probably just me distracting myself.

Apparently Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog prognosticator made famous in Bill Murray’s iconic movie, is predicting an early spring. Two of Canada’s most famous groundhogs, Fred la Marmotte & Wiarton Willie, agree. Shubenacadie Sam from Nova Scotia predicted 6 more weeks of winter, but the day actually started with a storm and then the storm cleared and the sun came out . . . it was a confusing situation.

Here in Western Canada we have marmot’s, not groundhogs, and Van Isle Violet (of Vancouver Island’s Marmot Recovery Foundation) says 6 more weeks of winter on the island. Up here in the north people tend to rely more on the Old Farmer’s Almanac. But I do know that the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood. I think if Mother were here, she too would declare an early spring in spite of it. That’s what I’m going to believe, anyway. And that’s good enough for me because, let’s face it, the groundhogs and marmots are only right 36% of the time anyway.