At the end of this week , it's Groundhog Day, February 2nd.  If the little bugger crawls out of his hole and sees his shadow, we have 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we'll enjoy an early spring.  Sometimes he's right and sometimes he is wrong. Same thing with NOAA and NASA weather satellites which help to create long range forecasts.. sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong. What does a member of the rodent family (latin genus / species: marmota monax) know about the weather ? Everything and nothing is the most accurate answer. While it's true most animals provide the best clue to natural trends -  birds, insects, squirrels, deer - you never know when even they might be fooled by a freak snowstorm or cold snap. Likewise, the same goes for a stretch of unseasonably mild weather. The air currents on high answer to neither man nor beast. Besides, as of Feb 2nd, we still have at least 6 weeks of winter anyhow, more like 8 before we really start to warm up in style, even here in the south.  But…… the groundhog is fun. What a joy for children to pin prognostication on a witless rodent which looks like a stuffed animal.  It's one of those joys in life which comes absolutely free. Go, Groundhog, Go ! Long may your tradition endure ….