Who is this Punxsutawney Phil Character Anyway?

I thought it would be interesting to delve into the facts and figures of Punxsutawney Phil aka "the little varmint that supposedly lets us know if we're going to have six more weeks of winter or an early spring."

From what was reported from Gobbler’s Knob park in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. Ironically it was done while snow was falling, as if the heavy snow in the northeast wasn't an indicator! Up to 27 inches of snow has blanketed parts of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

This year amid the coronavirus pandemic, it was held virtually. The celebrations dates back to 1887. The "Inner Circle" is the group that "communicates" with Punxsutawney Phil each year. It is told that actually the president of the "Inner Circle" club is the only one that can communicate with the celebrated groundhog using a language known as "Groundhogese".

Here's some facts and figures about the groundhog that you may or may not have known:

--Nicknames include Seer of Seers, Sages of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.

--The groundhog is also know as the woodchuck

--A groundhog's teeth can grow as much as 1/16th in one day!

--It's the only rodent that has a day named after them

--They are a solitary animal that has an elaborate home consisting of burrows that may be up to 80 feet long with multiple entrances. The groundhog may have three or four separate burrows, or settes, on their territory.

--The lifespan of a groundhog is six years.