Groundhog Day has always been my favourite day of the year: Prognostication aside, I just love knowing that spring is only 6 weeks away.
I'd prefer, though, that the groundhog in question be figurative rather than literal. I hate the idea of a sleepy frightened rodent being rudely awakened just to gauge sunny or cloudy skies.
Perhaps the live groundhogs, employed during traditional Groundhog Day celebrations, could be replaced by virtual groundhogs who would see or not see their shadows dependent on local weather conditions ... sort of a new and improved Groundhog Day!
After all, it matters little if a groundhog sees it's shadow or not. February 2nd is, and always will be, exactly six weeks from the first day of spring.
So, let sleeping groundhogs lie, so to speak. Hibernating rodents know so much better than we, that the proverbial "six more weeks" means that spring really is "just around the corner".
I know it's true! A figurative groundhog told me so.
