hogchuck

today is Groundhog Day!
the groundhog/woodchuck/whistle pig etc is a type of ground squirrel
& it lives in North America..

in weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day & fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end
if on the other hand, it is sunny & the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, & winter will continue for 6 more weeks

the yearly Groundhog Day celebration has made the groundhog famous,
as has the film of the same name, where Bill Murray's character finds himself repeating the same day over & over again & after indulging-in-all-manner-of-hedonistic-pursuits, he-begins-to-re-examine-his-life-&-priorities

deep, but not as deep as the associated tongue-twister:

how much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
a woodchuck would chuck what a woodchuck could chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood

several versions exist - this i heard 1st via my ex-rogue landlord
.
[this post will not be repeated tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that]