Today is the big day for Wiarton Willy our super groundhog who has been on the job since 2006! If he sees his shadow he will be hibernating for another six weeks, but if he doesn't, well, spring is around the corner ! Ontario has been blanketed again for the fifth time and more coming in the afternoon.

Spring can't come soon enough for me because the Dragonboats www.dragon-boats.net go in in March, whether there is still ice on the Lake !

Cool. Thanks for sharing this bit of Ontario culture. It's been about 10 years since I was there. I'd love to go back. It would be fun to see Ontario or Montreal in the winter, although I don't know I could spend a whole winter there.

When I was in Utah, my friends and I used to have a groundhog barbecue every February 2. Ground hog, actually, as in bratwurst and the like, with beer to wash it down. ;)

Hah, well you know Alder, I lived in Michigan and atter hunting season we used to attend wild game dinners. No one knew (or were supposed to know) what were in the pots. It could have been anything, maybe something I wouldn not necessarily eat, but they always posted after what was available, moose, deer, squirrel GROUNDHOG. So, I can say I have probably eaten a few in my time too. Good beer too, and always lots of fun in the UP!

By the way, he saw his shadow, so he is gone for another six weeks. Not happy with that decision. We already have too much snow on the ground and more coming !

Thanks for replying Alder, always enjoy your posts

The tick

I saw in the newspaper today that Punxsutawney Phil has a stellar accuracy rate of 39%. That's worse than a coin flip! My wife suggested that there are always six weeks of winter between Feb 2 and the equinox, so maybe it's just cloudy that day in Pennsylvania 39% of the time.

What's Willy's track record?