It's That Day Again

Hello, groundhog lovers.

Yes, today is Groundhog Day. The day when somehow one groundhog in Pennsylvania predicts the weather for the whole world by going outside amongst some men in top hats and standing on a stump. I love science.

I hope you all don't believe that whole Phil Seeing His Shadow on February Second stuff. It's groundhogwash. And I know this because I know a groundhog. The groundhog pictured above. His name is Herschel.

Herschel lives at Mr M's, aka Poderosa East. He doesn't live in the Poderosa, he lives in the back yard. He occasionally comes up on the deck, where the picture was taken, often when Mr M and I are playing clarinet duets and have the French doors in the kitchen open. He likes clarinet music, apparently. Or the sound of arguing.

And Sherman likes clarinet music too, and he loves animals of all kinds, and so he and Herschel have become great friends. It's quite sweet, really, because Sherman doesn't speak Groundhog, and Herschel doesn't speak Sherman, but Sherman will gather some twigs and grass and put it at the opening of Herschel's burrow, and Herschel will come up on the deck and chew on the charcoal bag, and somehow they communicate quite well.

By the way, it didn't start so chummily. It started one spring when Sherman was working on his garden out at the back of Mr M's yard, and Herschel tried to steal his rake. Herschel had the pointy end, Sherman had the handle, and they were going at it like nobody's business. They were in a serious tug of war that lasted for hours, then finally, both exhausted and burning up from the sun, they let go at the same time. They shook hands and that was that.

And you'd be surprised what Sherman has told me he's learned via Herschel.

First of all, groundhogs have very bad eyesight. In fact, Herschel once asked Sherman if he could get him a pair of glasses just like his so he could see a little better. Also, groundhogs have spent months in a hole, so when they come outside for the first time, their eyes hurt. Everything's a shadow to them, and to be honest, sometimes they're still half-asleep when they come out into the cold light of day. The whole idea of coming out and seeing a shadow is, according to Herschel, "ludicrous." ("Ludicrous" in Herschelspeak being a third piece chewed charcoal and four twigs.)

So don't believe all that Groundhog Day stuff.

However, in the spirit of fun and tradition, Sherman and Peabody have had their very own Groundhog Day celebration this day every year since they've made Herschel's acquaintance. They both don top hats and red, white, and blue ribbons, and stand outside the burrow starting about 6 am, awaiting the arrival of Sherman's friend. He eventually ambles out, Sherman gives him a grub and a piece of moss, and Herschel walks around in the grass (or snow, as it may be) a little. Then Peabody gives the next six weeks' weather forecast based on the weather machine he built. Everyone claps, then they all go out for ice cream.

Herschel prefers twig ice cream with dirt sprinkles. And after the ice cream, they return to Poderosa East, Sherman and Herschel have a little grass and charcoal time, then Herschel goes back to bed.

It's a nice celebration. Herschel's a nice groundhog.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* Well, my dirt tolerance finally found its ceiling. I spent about an hour cleaning my kitchen floor. It's still drying. And thank God for that.