Groundhog Day 2011

The report out of Punxsutawny is that Phil the groundhog did not see his shadow and therefore spring will come early. Now, a woodchuck (aka groundhog) in his right mind would not be out on a day like this - cold and snowy. Plus, his hole would be socked in with deep snow. In mid-winter, sensible woodchucks are sound asleep and snoring comfortably in their underground dens. Anyway, it is a group of men in top hats having some fun making the prediction in Punxsutawny and they are just being hopeful.

Until spring arrives - early or late -- I am enjoying this season. Today is another fabulous snow day. With great sympathy to those who have to drive in this weather, I love all this snow. Kodi does too. We discovered this morning that he is faster than a gray squirrel in powdery snow. But the squirrel wriggled away and scampered safely up the tree anyway.

More than four dozen goldfinches chow down on the Nijer seed and black oil sunflower seeds, requiring me to fill the feeders twice a day, at least. One tree sparrow, with its rust head and black dot on its breast, showed up at the feeder today amidst the storm. And then the petite red-breasted nuthatch darted in for a seed. A pair of white-breasted nuthatches, a few juncos, a mourning dove, and a tufted titmouse round out the feeder visitors.

A fox is living in a driveway culvert just up the road. During each snowstorm - and I am losing track of the number of successive storms -- the plows bury the fox den. By the next day though the fox has dug its way out. Kodi tentatively sniffs the hole each time we pass. Most mammals seemed to be hunkered down this winter.

To prepare for the snow still to fall today, we finally removed some of the snow from the front roof. Srini used the roof rake to pull off the snow, now more than two feet deep up there. The front fence is barely visible above the snowbanks and the shed is now engulfed in snow; I wonder how many mice have made snug nests in there.

From here it looks like spring is a long way off.