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Post by whollygoats on Feb 2, 2017 16:31:15 GMT
Well, here it is again...that curious annual event involving ground-dwelling rodents and their reputed connection to climatic conditions.
Otherwise known at the first harbinger of 'spring'. Some aver that it is, in reality, the 'first day of spring'....hence, the excitement about whether the rodent sees their shadow...which reputedly means that we will have 'six more weeks of winter'. Of course, six weeks will bring us very near to the spring equinox, mid-vernal day, which so many seem to think is the 'beginning of spring' (despite the impending arrival of the solstice, which is Midsummer's Day, in 12 or so weeks).
I doubt that marmots will be able to see any shadows cast today. In this immediate vicinity, at least. We've heavy cloud cover, blustery winds, and warnings of impending freezing rains.
After today, all the holiday revelers can fill in their holiday hog hole and put away all the marmot decorations. Next up...a BIG CANDY holiday...Literally, a Hallmark holiday. Mr. Valentine's Day.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 3, 2017 10:22:33 GMT
I'd like to see Groundhog Day, the musical by Tim Minchin. But it's playing in New York and I don't have the time to visit there. Pus DG has put a ban on visiting the US for the foreseeable future.
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Post by whollygoats on Feb 3, 2017 14:10:06 GMT
Yesterday, on Groundhog's Day, it was cloud cover and blustery winds all day...but, we did get about two hours of intense sunlight which broke through the cloud cover to illuminate the masses (presumably including the skittish groundhogs, who retreated in to their holes for another six weeks).
This morning, all of the streets are coated in a thin, but durable, layer of ice laid down by over-night freezing rain. The state police has released warnings to all that if you needn't travel, stay put....for your own safety.
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Post by JoeP on Feb 3, 2017 15:33:25 GMT
So you're saying Groundhog Day is one of those Marmot things ... you either love it or you hate it ...
[possible UK joke]
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Post by whollygoats on Feb 3, 2017 19:23:43 GMT
Well...I get the impression it takes faith, so I'm short on empirical experience to decide.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 4, 2017 1:11:34 GMT
I get the joke, if marmot is a pune of marmite.
So did the groundhog indicate that the winter would last 6 more weeks? I'm a bit confused about that one.
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Post by tangent on Feb 4, 2017 10:47:34 GMT
So did the groundhog indicate that the winter would last 6 more weeks? I'm a bit confused about that one. Whatever you want. Brilliant, if you only remember the sunshine, dire if you can only see the ice. Sufficient to confirm the accuracy of the groundhog's predictions.
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Post by whollygoats on Feb 4, 2017 13:45:52 GMT
If you receive any significant amount of direct sunlight on February 2, it is assumed that the groundhog came out of it's burrow hole, saw its shadow, and returned to the safety of its burrow, reputedly for another six weeks...the six more weeks of winter. If you have a day of entirely overcast, it is assumed that when the groundhog exited it's burrow, it would see no shadow, be not scared, and spring is here. A sunny day, or even a period of direct sun, on Groundhog's Day, and, wham, you're stuck with six more weeks of winter. We had about two hours of direct, shadow-casting sunlight, so by tradition, yes....six more weeks of winter.
To reinforce that, now that yesterday's ice is gone, the forecasters are indicating more snow on Sunday.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 5, 2017 5:18:15 GMT
So can I expect six more weeks of summer here? That would be nice.
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Post by whollygoats on Feb 5, 2017 14:21:43 GMT
So can I expect six more weeks of summer here? That would be nice. I thought Oz always got six more weeks of summer... It happens fairly regularly here....if you consider say, August 2 to be analogous to February 2 in the antipodes, summer often lasts in to mid- to late September.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 6, 2017 9:06:13 GMT
Well with Melbourne you never quite know. Last year we didn't seem to have an autumn or spring. But the year before it was beautiful even in May! I think it will be quite a nice long summer this year though. Even if it is rather freezing today compared to the glorious weekend we just had. I don't know what it was about Saturday, but damn it was just the perfect beach day. Everyone I spoke to at work or my family and friends just went on about how great Saturday was. The sun was out, there was no cold wind, it wasn't scorching, the water was cool but not cold at all. PERFECT!
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Post by tangent on Feb 6, 2017 10:58:13 GMT
We don't care at all, we're not jealous. So Saturday was a perfect day for the beach, we'd rather have ice cold wind and rain *sniffs*
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Post by Mari on Feb 6, 2017 17:29:16 GMT
We sat outside for lunch on Saturday. They're forecasting enough ice to skate on for next weekend though.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 7, 2017 11:05:50 GMT
We don't care at all, we're not jealous. So Saturday was a perfect day for the beach, we'd rather have ice cold wind and rain *sniffs* If it makes you feel any better tomorrow is going to be 34 but currently the water quality is very bad because we had very big storms over Sunday night so more bad bacteria and people can risk gastro, so even though the weather will be good, the water probably won't be.
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Post by tangent on Feb 7, 2017 11:10:06 GMT
Yes, that makes me feel better, thanks.
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Post by whollygoats on Feb 7, 2017 15:04:08 GMT
LOL. Me, too.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 9, 2017 10:46:41 GMT
Unfortunately, the EPA said the conditions were good in the end, so lots of people went to the beach. But I went for gelato and then ended up going to Milk the Cow next door and having cheese, cheese and lots more cheese.
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hexgoblinweb
Junior lady
Learn to take full responsibility for your own actions, life will respect you for it.
Posts: 106
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Post by hexgoblinweb on Feb 17, 2017 15:13:41 GMT
Don't be to hard on poor little Phil the Groundhog. He's doing his very best to be accurate. In fact, I learned through a Trivia question that he is right 34% of the time.
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Post by tangent on Feb 17, 2017 17:57:21 GMT
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Post by whollygoats on Feb 17, 2017 21:11:57 GMT
Such stunning standards!
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Post by raspberrybullets on Feb 19, 2017 22:27:34 GMT
So go the opposite of his prediction and you'll have a 66% chance of being right!
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