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THE FURROW: The online newsletter of Howell Living History Farm

Groundhog Day

2/2/2012

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Groundhog Bill didn't see his shadow today. This doesn't necessarily portend an early spring, however, as Groundhog Bill is a non-predicting groundhog.

Groundhog Day festivities were in full swing today, including a groundhog roping contest, groundhog-inspired food, and a groundhog creative arts contest. The following poem was penned by Howell Farm director Pete Watson:

Marmota monax, Seer of Seers,
has common names less glitzy
His word is held in trust by some
To me, it's whistlin' Dixie

In places where he hibernates
this celebrated squinter
Comes up to see his shadow fall
and cause a longer winter

In Punxsy he prognosticates
on February Second
While humans droll outside his hole
revere what he has reckoned

He's prone to sleep in Chesapeake
where Spring arrives with fishes
And Farmer Ed will shoot him dead
unless of course he misses

In Pensacola, Florida
his presence can't be rallied
The land is bare of shadows there
and winters are not tallied

On Moore's Creek Hill our rodent, Bill,
has never made predictions
Our weather comes from Ice Cream Jim
whose facts outshadow fictions

All in all, though tales recall
his legend, lore and wisdom
All that's for sure, is the allure
that Groundhog Day doth give him.



Postscript

Wuchak, Wojak, Ockguchaun
His names are quite prolific
To some he's Chuck or Gus or Phil
Don't eat him, he's horrific
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    About

    The Furrow is the online newsletter of The Friends of Howell Living History Farm. We will be updating this site about once a week with crop reports and other insights into life on a horse-drawn living history farm.

    Howell Farm is owned by Mercer County and operated by the Mercer County Park Commission.

    Funding for the Howell Living History Farm Furrow is made possible in part by an operating grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. 

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