More Winter?

You may not have realized it, but today was Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his winter hiding spot (a ceremonial tree stump) this morning to check for his shadow. And yes, you guessed it, he saw it. According to tradition, this means we’ll have six more weeks of winter.

I hate winter. If I could skip it altogether, I would. The only time I mildly enjoy winter is when I’m snow skiing. Winter weather and snow is great for a weekend trip to Colorado, but I don’t want to live with winter weather (or cold temperatures) here at home. We’ve already had too many cold snaps this season. I’m done. I’m so ready for spring and then summer. Those are my favorite times of the year. Wakeboarding, swimming in the pool, cycling, sun, warmth — oh, how I long for you!!

Alas, I must endure six more weeks of winter according to the famous groundhog. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Phil has seen his shadow 99 times. Only 15 times in Phil’s history has his shadow been absent. The tradition of groundhog day goes back to medieval times, according to an article on CNN.com, “all hibernating animals emerged from their caves and dens to check the weather on Candlemas, which is halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox in March. Seeing their shadows would mean winter would go on for another six weeks, and they could go back to sleep.”

I do have a slim ray of hope, though. Most meteorologists don’t put much faith in Phil’s predictions. He’s only been right 39 percent of the time. Could there be a silver lining in those gray winter clouds? Could the wait be less than six weeks? I sure hope so!