You Gotta Be Kidding

Could he really have seen his shadow? Come on, now. Anyone who lives in the Northeast has to be a little suspicious of reports that Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow on February 2, 2008. My first thought when I awoke yesterday was that winter, such as it has been so far, was over. There was NO WAY the old boy would see his shadow. Dark, dreary, overcast, yukky, whatever adjective you want to use for "no sunshine", that's what it was.

Even though hubby and I are gettin' outta Dodge very soon, we were rejoicing for our friends and loved ones who have to endure the next six weeks here. Looked to us like they would be easing into spring. But, NO! We turned n the television and what did we see? Good Ole Phil, and his shadow.

Now let me tell you a little about Punxatawney. Growing up in Pennsylvania, the first thing I knew about Punxatawney {or Punxy as the natives call it} was that it was the oddest name {outside of Tidioute, prounced titty-ute) in the whole state. And for many years that was as far as my thoughts about that little hamlet in southwest Pennsylvania went. Enter Lonnie Witt. Now this was one good looking dude. I don't know when exactly he arrived on the local scene, but by the time I was 15, I was noticing him, along with all the 16, 17 and 18 year old girls in my school. All this to say, he came to us from Punxatawney. In my mind, that was a reason to think Punxy was a pretty cool place.

Much later in my life, I began to realize the Punxatawney, and by default, Pennsylvania were famous for - you guessed it - Phil. You know, I bet if you woke Lonnie Witt up early in the morning on February 2, dragged him outside and shined bright lights on him, he'd see his shadow too.