Pleep Renames Groundhog Day As Monkeybutt Day

After spending all day yesterday watching the blizzard hit KC and Chicago, Pleep decided he was better equipped than a groundhog in Pennslyvannia to determine how much longer winter would last. He got up early this morning declaring, "It's Monkeybutt Day!  If I see my butt shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter!"   Heading out to the balcony where temperatures were in the mid 60's but it was cloudy, Pleep said he was not seeing his shadow and therefore it would be an early spring.

Pleep's friends on the ground in Kansas City and Chicago sent in pictures and advice.  Galen, our neighbor in KC, reported shoveling as much as a foot of snow and spotted the deer in our backyard where the snow was up to the deer's belly.  Coco, his Yorkie watchdog, spent the day stalking several deer from inside the house.  Chicago was hit very hard and George & Alice were lucky to make it out before the airports all closed.  Terry sent a picture from his house with advice that they stay where they were for now.   There does not appear to be as much snow as the 1967 storm where we were all out of school for several days.  Right now, we are all hoping Pleep is right and it will indeed be an early spring.

For those interested:  The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, the Feast of Jesus' presentation at the temple, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.  Delete pointed out monkeys are not hibernating animals and thus, Cubby Bear should have been the one outside making the prediction.