Jan
31
Those of you who know us, realize we love the theater. We have spent the last 23 years, around our wonderful world, on one side or the other of those beautiful curtains and bright lights.
Very few people realize or remember that it all started with a Groundhog. Dan was 7 and cast, as a furry fellow, looking for his shadow. He remembers the excitement of crouching motionlessly in a brown box, whiskers on. The spectacular moment took place to what seemed like a standing room only crowd, in the Kingston Elementary School cafeteria.
At the right moment, bushy Dan, leaped up looked around and with shadow in view, then sunk quickly back into the box. He always wondered what his life would have been like if they would have given him lines?
Groundhogs! What is so magical about this meteorological mammal to predict our much-needed spring, as well as to cause Dan to live life “Out of the Box” most of the year?
The answer to this is found deep in German folklore, where a Bagger or a Bear wakes up and starts looking for a good reason to go back to bed for 6 weeks. In American, we must have found Groundhogs friendlier to watch. You see if the emerging mammal wakes up on Feb 2 and decides to climb out of its burrow, (as the entire village watches) and if this furry creature is blinded by the sun (unable to see the entire village watching), he or she will turn around and notice its shadow coming from the bright winter’s sunshine. At this point they bumble something about going back to bed for another 6 weeks.
Now if at this very moment of time the bright winter’s sun goes for a rest behind a cloud, and the Groundhog, or other unfriendly varieties of bushy mammal, do not notice its shadow, they will go for a jog: if this happens, the entire village does the same and everyone thinks it is spring.
Research shows Groundhog Day forecasts are accurate 75% to 90% of the time, except in Canada where for the past 30 to 40 years the success rate is only at 37%. This must have to do with the alertness of so called animals on either side of the border or perhaps it is cloudier in the North and more people jog year around which causes great confusion to all, including the Groundhogs.
Whatever the case sunny or sweat suit, we hope you get outdoors this season, look for your shadow, a groundhog or a bear, then go back to bed.
See you all in 6 weeks.
Living Life (presently in Paraguay where there are no Groundhogs thus no snow!),
DUZIE
2010 DUZIE.com
