February Frolics: Groundhog Day

🐀 Fred Groundhog

I'm sure most of you know the this silly tradition of Ground Hog Day in North America. There is a list of Groundhog Day Forecaster! Here is another site:    GROUNDHOG-DAY.com . Theory goes, if they see their shadow, they get scared and hunker back into their burrow. Then, 6 more weeks until spring. Some Groundhog forecasters are not even groundhogs! 

It wasn't until we met our dear Fred Groundhog that I realized that they aren't even awake here on Feb. 2nd! Fred, AKA Whistle Pig (her whistles are epic), sleeps from September until March-ish. They are true hibernators. I found this uncredited image on Bluesky. It wasn't their image, after a search.

Fred The First seems to winter under the highway. Her offspring, Fred 2, hunkered down under the shed Sept. 12th and is buried under the snow in the burrow. 

Here were the 4 kits. The coyotes nailed 3 of them. She whistled for about 6 hours when they were being hounded by Coyote. It was like herding cats, though.

In April she was slim. 

It's hot work! 

 I think this was a yawn you can see those lovely teeth. 

May, 2025

I love their furry coats. They eat all Spring and Summer to bulk up for their hibernation. 

It's been an early winter. January had 93 cm snow. I don't think it is ending anytime soon. Last February we had a ton of snow, 71 cm. We shall see.