Travelogue for the Universe: Woodchuck Day Bizzard 2011

Rerun of 2011 post on Woodchuck Day
Aka Ground Hog Day



Travelogue for the Universe: Woodchuck Day Bizzard 2011: Well, the winter season is gearing up. As it is for a big part of the US. 8 inches of snow here this am for the prequel. 1-2 inches an hou...

Woodchuck Day and Blogging Forward

Woodchuck Day,

The Election season started,

The rodent's underground,

With all this climate changing,

He might just move to town.

He won't come out,

He's staying in,

In his nest,

With hibernating kin.

Don't drag or tug or drop

The Chuck,

Winter's here,

Suck it up.

:)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And a guest link from Meredith Angwin:
(Un) Natural gas update

Nuclear blogger Carnival 298 at Yes Vermont Yankee blog. New builds, old FUD, natural gas wins when nuclear goes... https://t.co/u4mLJCZY7u

— Yes Vermont Yankee (@yes_VY) February 1, 2016

Woodchuck Day 2015

Woodchuck Day

rerun from last year i liked it so much...

whew, cold winter so far...monkton, vermont

2014 by mary e. gerdt
all rights reserevd


They're called woodchucks
In the North Country,
No less like Hogs,
Than their southern cousins.

The day when Punxsutawney Phil is dragged from his nest,
The Vermont Woodchuck sleeps in frozen splendor.

Shadow or not,
Sunshine or clouds,
Woodchucks don't care,
Below the ground's hard frost,
Or in the hollow of a giant tree,
Or under a building in a nest made of leaves.

We know winter drags in the North Country Style,
Six weeks we'd be happy,
If the ground is bare and no piles,
Of snow, ice and gravel,
Sticks, bark and dirt.

The Woodchuck,
He says,
The spring will come when it's ready,
My friend,
Now back to my nest,
See you in 10 (weeks)

P.S., forgot about the official Vermont Woodchuck day greeting,
Reminded by Kia Comeau on WDEV FM that when greeted with
"Happy Woodchuck Day," The proper response is "Bug off!"
From Saturday am show
Music to go to the dump by...meg

Woodchuck Day

Woodchuck Day


They're called woodchucks
In the North Country,
No less like Hogs,
Than their southern cousins.

The day when Punxsutawney Phil is dragged from his nest,
The Vermont Woodchuck sleeps in frozen splendor.

Shadow or not,
Sunshine or clouds,
Woodchucks don't care,
Below the ground's hard frost,
Or in the hollow of a giant tree,
Or under a building in a nest made of leaves.

We know winter drags in the North Country Style,
Six weeks we'd be happy,
If the ground is bare and no piles,
Of snow, ice and gravel,
Sticks, bark and dirt.

The Woodchuck,
He says,
The spring will come when it's ready,
My friend,
Now back to my nest,
See you in 10 (weeks)

P.S., forgot about the official Vermont Woodchuck day greeting,
Reminded by Kia Comeau on WDEV FM that when greeted with
"Happy Woodchuck Day," The proper response is "Bug off!"
From Saturday am show
Music to go to the dump by...meg

Woodchuck Day 2013

Woodchuck Day

2.2.2013

 

 Vermonters head into

6 more weeks of

winter,

no matter

what the woodchuck does.

 

It heralds a point,

after the middle of

winter,

but it seems like

more than

half a winter to go.

(the real woodchucks burrowed up in a hole somewhere)

 

This winter up and down

temperature wise,

overall milder than some,

I do recall the blizzard of

Woodchuck day past.

 

Part of me was sad

when the old woodchuck

 up back

must have succumbed to

 nature's forces.

 

He looked like a big old dog

and he confined himself

to that little spot up back

preferring a patch of clover

to garden vegetables.

I thought he would stray down to our garden

but he stayed right up there.

I would look out the window and he never saw me,

They are nearly blind you know.

 

Some Vermonters choose

to celebrate

Woodchucks

instead of

Ground Hogs,

and after knowing our

woodchuck from a distance,

over successive summers,

I now understand.

 

 

 

 

 

Woodchuck Day

The Monkton Chronicles
documenting Woodchuck Day 2012
in
Vermont
as being on the milder side of winter,
without snow cover in the valley,
the ground is frozen mostly,
so woodchucks pretty much don't want to come out
in which case
it will be
6 more weeks of winter
or probably longer.
There has been a woodchuck up back
we see in summer, he
would keep his distance, blindly chewing
clover we happily mowed to keep him
occupied.
Happy Woodchuck Day,
Vermont 2012

Woodchuck Day Bizzard 2011

Well, the winter season is gearing up. As it is for a big part of the US.
8 inches of snow here this am for the prequel.
1-2 inches an hour so far since 8 am.

Happy woodchuck Day to all the woodchuck worshippers.
I grew to love our old woodchuck up back. He possibly lived under
one of Ed's old buildings. At first I felt threatened by his large appearance.
He was close to the garden and our main food source.
But then I watched him from the upstairs window. He really stayed up
by the building and did not go to the garden.
We mowed some areas up back to keep the bugs and critters back.
When we mowed it, clover came up, just like Dad said. The sunlight caused the dormant seeds
to sprout. Is that what it means "every thing's coming up clover". anyway, the tune was in my head.
Anyway, woodchucks love clover.
Which is why he did not ever leave his patch of heaven.
And I could enjoy seeing that dog like huge rodent (and they are nearly blind-I do not believe he could see me.)
Now he is gone, another natural consequence of living.
I dedicate this blizzard to him.
Happy woodchuck's Day

Happy Woodchuck's Day from sunny cold Vermont

Happy Woodchuck's Day in Vermont.

Herrad was kind to ask about this fun holiday, February 2nd.
PETA wants a mechanical ground hog (pennsylvania style) instead of the traditional ceremony. The ground hog may get a little snappy but he by and large has a better life than being roadkill, or eagle treats. Here is my explanation of the two closely related but dissimilar holidays, a cultural event no matter what you call it.


February 2nd. Ground Hogs (big rodents) in Pennsylvania predict the weather. When the ground hog sees his shadow and goes back into the hole (sunny day), 6 more weeks of winter. If he does not see
his shadow  (overcast day), then it would be an early spring. A local radio station WDEV Waterbury Vermont adopted woodchuck day since Vermont always has more than 6 weeks of winter on Feb 2nd. The WDEV broadcast explains the woodchuck greeting. When you say happy woodchuck's day, the appropriate local response is "Bug off!" Just to show the extreme of winter cabin fever this far north.

So Happy Woodchuck Day to you and I won't be offended if someone comments, Bug Off!



I'll use this as my post.

Thanks for asking...