With one snowy day behind us, and a chilly forecast for the week ahead, my thoughts have begun turning to the halfway mark of winter…and the anticipation of predictions to be made by rodents awakening from hibernation.

On February 2, the most popular groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, will awaken at daybreak to give our nation his weather prediction. Will Phil see his shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter? Or will it be a cloudy, shadowless day in Pennsylvania? Will spring be on the way?

I prefer to rely on our local groundhog, Woody, who will be making his appearance at the Natural Science Center in Greensboro. Woody, unlike Phil, may not make his prediction based solely on his shadow. It is rumored that Woody may be influenced by the crowd. I hope that no one present is going to be cheering for Woody to predict six more weeks of winter.

As we begin the second half of winter next week, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the colorful crocus and daffodils that will be piercing the landscape soon. Daylight savings time can’t be far behind!