Happy Groundhog Day

Well, the results are in and the authorities in Pennsylania are predicting an early spring. What a strange holiday based on a peculiar rodent. The best thing about the Groundhog is that it has so many names (Groundhog, Woodchuck, Marmot). But my favorite is Whistle Pig (which apparently refers to the sound that the rodent makes when alarmed). It just sounds cool.

I'd never actually seen one of these guys until I moved to Connecticut. Here they are everywhere. My first apartment was next to a large mall and I would often see Groundhogs browsing on the grass near the parking lot.