$#@#$$%%^ Punxsutawney Phil

Skin and quarter your Wood Chuck and par boil him in salted water for 20-30 min.

chop and render 4 slices of Bacon.
add quartered wood Chuck.
1 Lg. Onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 Lg. carrot, chopped
2 Bay Leaves

When Onion is translucent add,
1 can of BEER
1 cup of chicken stock
water if needed
Bring to a boil,cover, reduce heat, simmer 2-2.5 hrs.

Remove from heat, let cool, pull meat from bones and return pot to stove,
Add meat,
1 cup frozen or fresh peas
6 Lg. Mushrooms, sliced.
S+P to taste
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 min. until done.

Garnish with shredded Cheddar and Chives.

"More winter! Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow"

by

Doyle Rice

February 2nd, 2014

USA TODAY

Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most famous fuzzy forecaster, popped out of his burrow Sunday morning and predicted six more weeks of winter, much to the disappointment of the crowd gathered at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa.

According to folklore, if it's cloudy when the groundhog emerges, the critter will leave his burrow, signifying that winter will soon end. If it's a sunny day, Phil will supposedly see his shadow and, frightened, retreat back into his burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks.

Phil emerged at 7:28 a.m. ET to the cheers of thousands of cheering fans who braved temperatures in the 30s to hear his prediction. Many wore knitted hats in the shape of groundhogs or had groundhog paw marks painted on their cheeks.

Phil was brought to the podium by a group of local dignitaries known as the Inner Circle, all men clad in top hats and old-fashioned black frock coats. It was the 128th time Punxsutawney Phil had made his prediction.

Punxsutawney is pronounced "Punk-sit-taw-nee."

The Inner Circle brought out two scrolls, one predicting six more weeks of winter, one predicting spring around the corner. The crowd then chanted "Phil! Phil! Phil!" to wake him up.

The Inner Circle knocked on his burrow, and he was brought out to a cheering crowd. Phil spoke in "groundhogese" to the Inner Circle and directed its president, Bill Deeley, to translate for him. Put into English, his prediction was:

"A Super Bowl winner I will not predict,

but my weather forecast you cannot contradict.

Why that's not a football but my shadow I see,

It's six more weeks of winter it must be!"

Despite the hoopla and festival atmosphere in Punxsutawney, Pa., an analysis of weather data from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., shows that Phil's forecasts are, on average, inaccurate.

"The groundhog has shown no talent for predicting the arrival of spring, especially in recent years," according to the center. "Phil's competitor groundhogs across the nation fared no better."

The center found that from 1988 to 2012, the groundhog was right 10 times and wrong 15 times. In other words, 10 times, the national average temperature for the remainder of February matched what would be expected based on what the groundhog predicted.

Last year, the furry rodent, also known as a woodchuck, did not see his shadow, so there should have been an early spring. Phil gets a mixed grade last year — the nation had a slightly warmer than average February but a chillier than average March.

Since 1887, the groundhog has seen his shadow 100 times (meaning six more weeks of winter), and not seen it 17 times to predict an early spring. There is no record of the prediction for nine years in the late 19th century.

Although Phil is the most famous hog of them all, other prognosticating groundhogs include West Virginia's French Creek Freddie, Georgia's Gen. Beauregard Lee, Ohio's Buckeye Chuck, North Carolina's Sir Wally Wally, Alabama's Smith Lake Jake and New York's Staten Island Chuck (full name: Charles G. Hogg).

Groundhog Day has its origins in an ancient celebration of Candlemas, a point midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, according to the climate center.

Superstition has it that fair weather was seen as a prediction of a stormy and cold second half to winter, as noted in this Old English saying:

"If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter has another flight.

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Winter will not come again."

Groundhog Day [Wikipedia]

Punxsutawney Phil [Wikipedia]

"Favorite season" poll

Favorite season...

Spring...1
Summer...0
Autumn...1
Winter...0

How fortunate the Earth is to experience seasonal changes--thanks to the Moon and Sun. Deprived are the citizens that live in polar and equatorial regions that don't experience seasonal changes. Sure, there are extremes in the summer and winter seasons but it is always comforting to experience spring and autumn.

Full Hunters' Moon or Harvest Moon

It is a time of reflection on the passing of Summer and beginning of Fall. I suppose Fall, resplendent will a palate of colors, is a reward for mankind's tedious Summer blast of blazing sunshine and incessant humid, hot weather...soon to be replaced with bitter cold, ice, snow and dreariness. But then, that's what Spring is for. Nevertheless, Fall is a fine seasonal break and symbolically expressed by colleague's offering of the following for the event that will occur on the evening of October 14th--the Full Hunters' Moon or Harvest Moon.

"With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt. Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can ride over the stubble, and can more easily see the fox, along with other animals, which have come out to glean and can be caught for a thanksgiving banquet after the harvest."

Photograph taken by

Catalin Timosca

Romania

Persephone [Περσεφονηία]...change of seasons

Persephone symbolic/mythological natural explanation of physical phenomenon, bringing about the change of seasons as would be fitting since Fall has just begun. Sure, there are scientific explanations for the change of seasons but it is always soothing to think about the ancients and their explanations. Enjoy, the mythology of Persephone and the season.

Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful young woman that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. One day, when she was collecting flowers on the plain of Enna, the earth suddenly opened and Hades rose up from the gap and abducted her. None but Zeus, and the all-seeing sun, Helios, had noticed it. Broken-hearted, Demeter wandered the earth, looking for her daughter until Helios revealed what had happened. Demeter was so angry that she withdrew herself in loneliness, and the earth ceased to be fertile. Knowing this could not continue much longer, Zeus sent Hermes down to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate (or the seeds of a pomegranate, according to some sources). When she later ate of it, it bound her to underworld forever and she had to stay there one-third of the year. The other months she stayed with her mother. When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. In the Eleusinian mysteries, this happening was celebrated in honor of Demeter and Persephone, who was known in this cult as Kore.--Encyclopedia Mythica.

All will be fine for Persephone.