First Draft to Published

The world’s most famous groundhog saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting that this already long winter will last for another six more weeks, according to the Associated Press. I wonder with a cold winter already on the east coast was there any question that winter would continue for another six weeks? Did they need a groundhog to tell them it would? What is the magic of this groundhog being able to predict what the next six weeks will hold? According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb 2 - the Christian holiday of Candlemas - winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early. Since 1887, this little groundhog named Phil, has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn’t seen it 15 times and there are no records for nine years. My paternal family line is from Pennsylvania and they lived near Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, 65 mile northeast of Pittsburgh. My paternal grandmother, born in 1904 used to shar...