Thursday, August 7, 2008

Punxsutawney, PA


Didn't quite get to Punxsutawney, we got off to get fuel, went left and it was right. Maybe next february, who kmows! Don't even know where we'll be tomorrow, let alone next february!










Pennsylvania is a very pretty state, lots of mountains, lush, green. Now I'm gonna make a statement that Gary was shocked to hear, I've always thought Oregon was the most beautiful state I had ever seen, NOT anymore! We have seen some beautiful states out on the road, Oregon unfortunately takes a back seat to some of them, don't get me wrong Oregon is pretty and I have ties and attachments and a history with Oregon, just not at the top of my list any more. In that little slender stick of West Virginia that sticks up on the north side of the state, it's about 14 miles across where we went thru. It was very beautiful, when it was hot in the other states it was nice and cool there, we also stopped and went to Target while we were in the little 14 mile stretch and it just seemed so clean, there was just this feelimg I had while I was there that felt welcoming, I don't know it's hard to explain, just the way I felt. Gary said I could probably talk him into moving to Tennessee but not Pennsylvania, West Virginia or any of these other northern states, his reason "there's to many YANKEES here!". Guess that's that!


















Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the holiday:
Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.
How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!
How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!
Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.
On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.
According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.
The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."
Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.
So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.
























We are often asked, "Just who are these guys in the top hats?" Well, these gentlemen are known as the Groundhog Club's Inner Circle. They're a group of local dignitaries responsible for carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day every year. They're the ones who are not only responsible for planning the events every year, but they're also responsible for the feeding and care of Phil himself!











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