February 2 ~

Punxsutawney Phil, the King of the Groundhogs,
Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators,
Weather Prophet without Peer,
was awakened from his borrow at 7:28 am
with a tap of the President’s cane.

Phil and President Deeley conversed in Groundhogese
and Phil directed him to the chosen Prognostication scroll.

The President tapped the chosen scroll and
directed Phil’s Prediction be proclaimed:

My new Knob entrance is a sight to behold
Like my faithful followers, strong and bold

And so ye faithful,
there is no shadow to see
An early Spring for you and me.

The Groundhog has made his prognostication, so now I must make my plans for the next 6 weeks. Phil is from Pennsylvania where weather is a bit more stable. As is typical here in the Northeast, though, it was cloudy and then sunny, then cloudy and sunny again--- all within 1/2 hour this morning. So, as usual, our spring will be in fits and starts, but still, warm weather will come earlier than it did when we moved here 32 years ago. I love winter, so I am going to savor every last second of it, but in honor of the gopher's wisdom, I started a new batch of alfalfa and radish sprouts and making some new business plans.

Groundhog......"grounding"....this next 6 weeks before Spring Equinox will be full of careful planning, setting a good foundation for all the garden and teaching work of the rest of the year.