Groundhog Day Retrospective

GNC Visitor's Center

I took Lucas and Loudon to "Moms and Kids" at Gorman the other day, Feb. 1.  "Moms and Kids" is wildly popular weekly program offering presented by Merrill Tawse.

Merrill Tawse

This from the GNC website about Merrill:  Merrill is now semi-retired from the park district, but continues to teach the youngest of Gorman Nature Center's visitors.  His incredibly popular "Moms and Kids" programs  are on Wednesday mornings.  Merrill specializes in insects, animals and is a real expert on bats.

Since it was the day before Goundhog's Day, Merrill chose to discuss the groundhog with the little ones.  He displayed some of the resident taxidermy.  This one, he said, might have been donated by a local bar.

Marmota Monax

The story of Groundhog day that Merrill shared was not dissimilar to the one I learned growing up.  If the groundhog sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner.

He concluded the lesson with a search for groundhog holes near the Visitor's Center.  We saw hole which were too small, a little larger, abandoned and one humongous active one.

Groundhog Hole

It was under some kind of bush and had much dirt which was excavated by the rodent.  It impressed me.  Merrill said that we should observe the hole the next day starting at about 6:45 AM.  Those instructions sounded like a "snipe" hunt to me so I disregarded them.  I did go back to photograph it.  

Groundhog Hole

 For me, Groundhog day has always been a special day.  I was taught about it as a child.  I think that the adults among whom I grew up, having an agricultural background, looked forward to getting out into the fields for spring planting.  I learned that same, "cabin fever" point of view in the winter.  As I recall, Groundhog Day was always discussed with a slight smile.

At one point in my life I made Groundhog Day Cards and mailed them to friends.  As I look back, I wanted to celebrate the fact that spring was only "just around the corner" or "six weeks away."

I think that the whole thing is about winter being half over.  It is a glass half full thing.  We look forward to spring instead of back six weeks to the beginning of winter.  On a year when winter has, so far, been unusually mild,  The cabin fever thing is not so intense but still I look forward to spring.  Now that I know where he lives, I will look for the groundhog, maybe each day!

I wonder what Lucas and Loudon remember about the Groundhog and his/her day.  I will ask them when I see them again.

Thanks Merrill for the lesson.

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