Groundhog: Six more weeks of winter

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, thus we will have six more weeks of winter.

Today is Groundhog day, and according to the traditional belief, if the groundhog can see on February 2 his shadow because it's a sunny (and normally also cold) day, spring is still far away. This tradition was "imported" to the USA by German settlers, who immigrated in the mid-1800s. In Europe at that time, groundhogs were rare, so people watched for badgers, bears, and hedgehogs, as signs of winter's end.

Punxsutawney Phil lives in Pennsylvania and his weather forecast on Groundhog day attracts every year thousands of people. Therefore, he is probably the most famous weather forecaster in the world.

Massachussetts doesn't want to depend any longer on Phil's forecast. There is Mrs. G., a female groundhog, who is living at the Drumlin Farm, a property of the Audobon society, and according to an initiative Mrs. G. is to become Massachusetts State groundhog.

Well, if this initiative is rejected, I would have to offer an alternative:

In my garden here in Arlington, MA lives this handsome groundhog fellow - no name yet, but I bet he is also good at weather forecasting. Didn't see him today, though. Perhaps a good sign - since the weather was fine and he would have seen his shadow (or is he a she?).