Groundhog Day

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For the record, people of Genesee County please know that at least one couple residing here takes issue with the 2021 foretoken of the season's weather revealed Tuesday.

That would be Stafford denizens Walt and Kathleen Kershenski.

"My Wife and I are going to dispute Punxsutawney Phil’s Prognostication regarding six more weeks of Winter," Walt declared in an email to The Batavian.

They have evidence, they claim, that puts the lie to the outlook of a world-famous woodchuck in the state below ours.

As everyone knows, on Feb. 2 furry Phil is awoken early by members of his "inner circle," all dressed to the nines, at Gobbler's Knob, borough of Punxatawney, Jefferson County, Pa. The rodent, a member of the family Sciuridae (belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots), manifests itself outside his earthen den to see if he can see his own shadow.

If the little seer does, as was the case the day before yesterday, lore has it that the end of this drear is not near.

In fact, there's suppose be a winter storm tomorrow and Saturday, dumping up to nine inches of lake effect snow, with wind gusts up to 45 mph, prompting the staunchly prescient Kershenskis to, hypothetically, yodel in unison "Pshaw!"

"To our surprise, on Groundhog Day this week we saw a flock of birds land in our crabapple tree next to our bird feeders," says Walt. "It was a flock of at least 20 to 25 robins. They stayed for a while and feasted on the crabapples and then left. Unfortunately I did not have my camera nearby, so I could not get a picture."

But we can imagine it nonetheless.

And know that monotonous chill will give way to green and warmth, that forsythia will suddenly sprout -- yellow as Harvey Ross Ball's original Smiley Face, and we'll be the happier for it.

"We just wanted to boost people's spirits," Walt says, adding hopefully "and maybe there will be an early spring after all?"

Information from Don Chmielowiec.

The results are in for Groundhog Day 2020, which was yesterday: Punxsutawney Phil could not find his shadow.

And as the legend goes, this means we're in for an early spring.

The Pennsylvania groundhog isn't the only weather-predicting rodent in this curious American tradition, although he's the most famous.

Groundhog Day is a good enough excuse for a wintry get-together at the Batavia home of Don and Cheryl Chmielowiec on East Avenue. This was their 11th annual event, but faux-fur Phil's first appearance there.

Mike Pullinzi debuted the rodent suit he bought off ebay several months ago. It was a big surprise for everyone who attended. Pullinzi revealed his true identity after friends and revelers took their group picture.

"We didn't know who it was for over an hour," says Don Chmielowiec, who had 60 Groundhog Day buttons made and still has two -- which means 58 people attended in 2020.

The Batavia tradition was taken over by the Chmielowiecs from their longtime friend and former city councilman, Dan Snyder.

Sunday was a cold, slushy day of lake effect snowfall and, this being Western New York, today it's 41 degrees and there are some clouds and some sunshine.

That's all the reason an optimist apparently requires to make a definitive statement on the season.

"Spring is here as evidenced by my motorcycle ride this afternoon," Don writes in a text message, ending with a toothy emoji that's laughing so hard it's crying.

UPDATE 4 p.m.: Don Chmielowiec clarified that no costumed groundhog showed up at their party until this year's, so we fixed that in the story. He also sent another picture of faux-fur Phil looking puzzled outside a City of Batavia police patrol car, noting in jest that: "We aren't sure he made it home without getting into trouble though."

Photos courtesy of Marcy Pullinzi.

Above, Marcy Pullinzi and Jacqueline Patterson.

Above, Batavia hosts of a Groundhog Day party, Don and Cheryl Chmielowiec, and their special guest.

Above, Punxsutawney Phil​ seems to ask "What the heck?" We're not sure if he was naughty or not.

Punxsutawney Phil climbed out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob yesterday to find his shadow and thus predict for us another six weeks of winter. From the Washington Post:

According to legend, if a hibernating animal wakes up and casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last six more weeks. If there is no shadow, spring will supposedly come early.

Early American farmers relied on groundhogs, though there is no scientific evidence that the animal has any weather-predicting skills.

What do you think?