COUNTY LIFE
Will he or won’t he? Groundhog Day on Feb. 2
Groundhog Day offers a touch of whimsy during the often bleak midwinter chill. Across the country, eager celebrants await a rascally rodent to determine if there will be six more weeks of winter or if the nation will receive an early reprieve from the cold.
It is fun to guess if an early spring is coming, and even more so to rely on a large ground squirrel to play meteorologist. To further enhance the Groundhog Day experience, burrow into these interesting facts about the holiday and the animal itself.
• The world can thank the Germans for the Groundhog Day tradition. The see-his-shadow concept was adapted from a German Candlemas Day tradition in which clergymen would bless the candles they needed for the cold season. If the candles brought a sunny day, there would be six more weeks of winter. However, clouds and rain signified that winter would end soon. Germans who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s brought the custom to America.
• Germans once used a hedgehog as their animal forecaster. When relocating to Pennsylvania, groundhogs were used because they were more common than hedgehogs.
• Punxsutawney Phil is perhaps most revered for his forecasting abilities. However, more than a dozen states have their own prognosticating groundhogs. These include Buckeye Chuck in Ohio, Birmingham Bill in Alabama and General Beauregard Lee in Georgia.
• Phil has been predicting the weather at Gobbler’s Knob for more than 130 years. This is quite a feat considering groundhogs typically live between six and eight years. Folklore indicates Phil sips a magical drink that will prolong his life for seven more years.
• Phil’s full name is Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary.
• Groundhogs also are called woodchucks and are a species of rodent known as marmots. They typically weigh between 12 and 15 pounds. Woodchucks really have nothing to do with wood or chucking. The name stems from an Algonquian name wuchak.
• The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration says Phil has seen his shadow more times than not between 1887 and 2019. Statistically speaking, six more weeks of winter is often the norm.
• Groundhogs prefer to live in open country or at woodland edges. They are never far from a burrow made in well-drained soil. Most have summer and winter dens.
• Groundhogs are adept at predicting the arrival of spring, just not in the way people have come to know from Groundhog Day. Since they hibernate, when groundhogs emerge from their burrows, it’s a sure sign spring is on its way.
• The 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray helped solidify Punxsutawney Phil as a national hero and household name. Since then, crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have made the pilgrimage to see Phil in person.
Groundhog Day brings some levity to an otherwise uneventful time of year.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Montague County is inviting livestock producers, landowners and wildlife managers to participate in an upcoming online educational meeting focused on the New World screwworm, a parasitic pest that can have serious impacts on livestock and wildlife health.
The virtual meeting will be at 9 a.m. on June 23, via Microsoft Teams. Organizers say the session is designed to provide timely information about the biology of the pest, prevention strategies and best management practices for producers in the region.
The New World screwworm is known for its destructive larvae, which infests open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Left untreated, infestations can cause severe tissue damage and even death. Although the pest had been eradicated from the United States in the past and has now entered into Texas. Continued awareness and preparedness remain important for early detection and rapid response efforts.
“This program is intended to help producers and land managers better understand the threat and what steps to take if cases are suspected,” said Justin Hansard, from the Extension Service.
The meeting will cover several key topics, including, how the New World screwworm spreads; general livestock management practices; wildlife monitoring and surveillance considerations, participants will also have the opportunity to learn practical strategies for maintaining herd health.
How to Join the Meeting
The session will be conducted entirely online using Microsoft Teams, and participants can join in one of two ways by joining the directed link (recommended) or by copying and pasting the following link into a web browser and follow the prompts:
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/275071149431328?p=mOH2bhAqSVgo3AgtMK
Join using Meeting ID and Passcode:
- Meeting ID: 275 071 149 431 328
- Passcode: u84hq3qX
Participants may join from a computer, tablet or smartphone. No Microsoft Teams account is required; users can select the option to join through a web browser. Attendees are encouraged to log in a few minutes early to ensure their device audio and video are working properly.
More information and fact sheets, can be obtained at our Texas A&M Agrilife Extension website: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/new-world-screwworm.
The program is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, which continues to provide research-based education and outreach to agricultural communities across Texas.
The Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on June 23 at the office located at 607A Lindsey in Bowie.
Public comments and consent agenda open the meeting.
Discussions will include: Review of member notification of rate increase postcards and PUC letter regarding the increase; president’s report on employee unsigned contracts of employment; review of all expenses and update of scanners for meter reading, office systems and software.
An executive session is slated for a discussion of employees, followed by a return to open session for any action.
The Montague County Commissioner’s Court will meet at 9 a.m. on June 22.
The agenda includes: Montague County Historical Commission to receive a distinguished service award; discuss returning unused funds to the state from the county attorney, district attorney and sheriff’s office; open sealed bids for base rock and budget workshop.
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