Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day a short story

By Robert G. Serge

It all started back when I was a young boy living at home in Punxsutawney Pa.around 2166. Late one night I was setting at my desk trying to begin my book. So I was turning on my computer. First let me set the scene. (i am logging on to my computer with a secure pass word.) All of a sudden I hear this loud crash coming from outside. I jumped up and went to my window to see what it was. It was this huge rock that landed in my back yard. The rock was as big as our two story house it was glowing a bright red. The sound woke up the entire town before long everyone from Punxsutawney was in my back yard. When I got outside to see what it was you could feel the heat coming from this rock, but when I tried to get closer to it I stumbled in to the rock .and it was cool to the touch. When I stumbled in to the rock I must have triggered something because the rock opened up, and out came this Groundhog. It came to me and started to speak witch I thought strange because I could understand every word. He told his name was Bob and needed help, and if I took him in and feed him he would tell me everything after that. So the chief of police told every to go home and asked me to report back to him what I learn from the Groundhog.

Day two: After I feed Bob and let him clean up and sleep some .Bob started to tell me about his (great great grandfather Phil) who was a legend in his time back in 1966 before the corner of our universe was discovered, and time travel. Punxsutawney back then was a small community struggling with their identity to survive because manufactures were moving out left and right people were moving. The community was shrinking from around 15 to 20 thousand people to 5 or 6 thousand people. The needed something to keep the town becoming a ghost town like Walston PA did after the coal mines shout down. He told me this story that every year on February the second everyone from town would gather at gobbler’s knob in the middle of winter just before day break, and invited the media from all around the state. Bob said the called this Groundhogs Day he went in to great detail about this event which was the towns attempt to draw attention to their community. Bob and I talked long in to the night on this subject of Punxsutawney groundhogs day.  Bob said he would tell me about this holiday in greater detail after we eat and slept some more.

Day Three: I got up early this so I could but some coffee on and make a light breakfast, and setting up my computer to capture every word of bobs story for my book. When bob got up he told me that they have been celebrating Groundhogs day in Punxsutawney since 1886. So I asked Bob a lot of questions

Here are the answers to the Questions about the holiday that I had:

 Was Phil the only true weather forecaster groundhog? Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.
How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!
How many "Phil’s" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!
Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.
On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.
According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.
The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."
Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.

       So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.

       I ask bob if he could prove any of this he said yes but we would have to go bake in time to February the second 2012. So we did and I took these pictures

 More pictures as you will see on the next page.

Bob and also found these facts.

Phil's Past Predictions

1887	Shadow; first official trip to Gobbler's Knob.
1888	Shadow (Six more weeks of Winter!)
1889	no record
1890	NO Shadow (early Spring!) [Birthdate: Charles Correll ("Andy" on radio's Amos & Andy)]
1891	no record
1892	no record
1893	no record
1894	no record
1895	no record
1896	no record
1897	no record
1898	Shadow
1899	no record
1900	Shadow
1901	Shadow  [Birthdate: Jascha Heifetz, violinist]
1902	NO Shadow
1903	Shadow
1904	Shadow
1905	Shadow  [Birthdate: Ayn Rand, novelist-philosopher]
1906	Shadow  [Birthdate: Gale Gordon, actor]
1907	Shadow
1908	Shadow  [Birthdate: Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, Olympic swimmer/actor]
1909	Shadow
1910	Shadow
1911	Shadow
1912	Shadow  [Birthdate: Burton Lane, Broadway composer]
1913	Shadow at 8:08 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Day by John Frampton.
1914	Shadow at 9:34 AM
1915	Shadow at 11:45 AM; named Wiley William Woodchuck!
1916	Shadow at 9:07 AM; first movie film of Groundhog Day ceremony (17.5mm Birtac).
1917	Shadow
1918	Shadow; 18 degrees below zero.
1919	Shadow  [Birthdate: Forrest Tucker, actor]
1920	Shadow
1921	Shadow at 7:17 AM
1922	Shadow at 7:11 AM; Groundhog Holiday Dance.
1923	Shadow  [Birthdate: Liz Smith, gossip columnist]
1924	Shadow at 7:13 AM
1925	Shadow at 8:13 AM;   [Birthdate: Elaine Stritch, actress]
1926	Shadow at 9:17 AM
1927	Shadow at 8:35 AM;   [Birthdate: Stan Getz, jazz saxophonist]
1928	Shadow at 10:00 AM; program with Punx'y Rotary Club on KDKA Radio.
1929	Shadow
1930	Shadow at 7:11 AM
1931	Shadow at 12:27 PM
1932	Shadow at 9:11 AM
1933	Shadow
1934	NO Shadow.
1935	Shadow at 9:11 AM
1936	Shadow at 10:27 AM
1937	Shadow at 9:09 AM; early morning encounter with a skunk! [Birthdate: Tom Smothers, comedian]
1938	Shadow at 9:05 AM; "darkest shadow in history" (The Spirit, Feb. 2, 1938)
1939	Shadow at 9:10 AM
1940	Shadow at 9:00 AM
1941	Shadow at 4:25 PM
1942	Partial Shadow at 7:40 AM; "War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow." (The Spirit, Feb. 2, 1942)  [Birthdate: Graham Nash, guitarist, singer]
1943	Groundhog did not appear; relied on Quarryville's prediction - NO Shadow
1944	Shadow at 9:10 AM
1945	Shadow at 9:00 AM
1946	Shadow at 7:52 AM
1947	Shadow at 7:37 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Club at Gobbler's Knob [Birthdate: Farrah Fawcett, actress, model]
1948	Shadow at 8:46 AM;   [Birthdate: Jessica Savitch, NBC news anchor]
1949	Shadow at 7:32 AM;   [Birthdate: Brent Spiner, actor]
1950	NO Shadow
1951	Shadow at 8:41 AM
1952	Shadow at 7:52 AM; on NBC's Today Show on Monday, February 4
1953	Shadow at 7:38 AM;   [Birthdate: Penny Pulz, LPGA golfer]
1954	Shadow at 8:03 AM;   [Birthdate: Christie Brinkley, Cover Girl model]
1955	Shadow at 8:51 AM; 4" of snow on Groundhog Day; [Birthdate: Kim Zimmer, soap opera actress]
1956	Shadow at 8:33 AM
1957	Shadow at 7:47 AM
1958	Shadow at 8:27 AM;  [Birthdate: Holly Hunter, actress]
1959	Shadow at 8:23 AM
1960	Shadow at 7:33 AM; forecasts extremely bad weather on the Today show.
1961	Shadow at 7:41 AM; 25 below zero.
1962	Shadow at 7:29 AM;  [Birthdate: Garth Brooks, singer]
1963	Shadow at 7:41 AM
1964	Shadow at 7:35 AM
1965	Shadow at 7:58 AM
1966	Shadow at 7:21 AM
1967	Shadow at 7:25 AM
1968	Shadow at 7:29 AM
1969	Shadow at 7:29 AM
1970	NO Shadow
1971	Shadow at 7:29 AM; 14 below zero.
1972	Shadow at 7:30 AM
1973	Shadow at 7:29 AM
1974	Shadow at 7:28 AM
1975	NO Shadow
1976	Shadow at 7:29 AM
1977	Shadow at 7:27; in midst of the energy crisis.   [Birthdate: Shakira, singer]
1978	Shadow at 7:28 AM
1979	Shadow at 7:28 AM
1980	Shadow at 7:29 AM
1981	Shadow at 7:27 AM
1982	Shadow at 7:26 AM; coldest January this Century.
1983	NO Shadow; predicted an early Spring after a mild El Nino Winter.
1984	Shadow at 7:04 AM
1985	Shadow at 7:28 AM
1986	NO Shadow; visited President Reagan at the White House in March.
1987	Shadow at 7:29 AM
1988	NO Shadow
1989	Shadow
1990	NO Shadow
1991	Shadow
1992	Shadow
1993	Shadow; the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is released.
1994	Shadow at 7:28 AM
1995	NO Shadow; afternoon guest on the "Oprah Winfrey" TV Show.
1996	Shadow at 7:21 AM
1997	NO Shadow; 35,000 watched at Gobbler's Knob
1998	Shadow at 7:20 AM; predicting six more weeks of a mild El Nino Winter!
1999	NO Shadow at 7:23 AM; 37º  rain
2000	Shadow at 7:28 AM; 12º overcast skies with flurries
2001	Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º cloudy skies with light snow
2002	Shadow at 7:25 AM; 19º mist with a record 38,000 visitors driven to Gobbler's Knob by bus for security.
2003	Shadow at 7:27 AM; 30º overcast skies with PA Governor Ed Rendell attending the ceremony.
2004	Shadow at 7:27 AM; 17º clear skies with snow on the ground, crowd boos the forecast!
2005	Shadow at 7:31 AM; 14º clear skies with a wind chill of 3ºF.
2006	Shadow at 7:23 AM; 36º overcast skies with the crowd cheering the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
2007	NO Shadow at 7:28 AM; 26º overcast skies with light snow and mist under a Full Moon.
2008	Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º fog and mist with the crowd booing six more weeks of Winter.
2009	Shadow at 7:30 AM; 29º overcast skies as the crowd cheers the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII victory.
2010	Shadow at 7:23 AM; 15º hazy sun and a visit from actor Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson). Animal rights group PETA demands Punxsy Phil be replaced by a robot. LOL!
2011	NO Shadow at 7:25 AM; 34º with rain, snow, and ice covering Gobbler's Knob. The crowd cheers for Spring and Super Bowl XLV with the Steelers!
2012	Shadow at 7:24 AM; 30º overcast skies with PA Governor Tom Corbett attending the ceremony.

Shadow	100
NO Shadow	16
no record	9

STORMFAX and the STORMFAX logos are registered trademarks in the United States and Canada.

Tally to Date:

Saw Shadow: 100 No Shadow: 16 No Record: 9

 Phil's Accuracy: 100% of course.

Then i also recovered this history that universe

Groundhog Day:

It all began on February 2nd, 1886 with a terse Paragraph in The Punxsutawney Spirit (the local newspaper): "Today is Groundhog Day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow." The legendary first trek to Gobbler's Knob was reportedly made the following year, and the rest is a colorful history.
It has been called "one of the greatest ongoing publicity campaigns in history" and certainly, the borough of Punxsutawney would remain unknown to the outside world if not for Punxsutawney Phil. Prior to 1887, groundhogs were more likely to be eaten than revered for their weather forecasting ability; but the groundhog has risen from a food item to the lofty title of "The Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary."
It is said that in the summer of 1887 a group of local hunters and gourmets held a groundhog hunt and picnic and celebrated the event by barbequing their game and washing it down with locally brewed beer. The city editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper was a man named Clymer Freas. Inspired by the hunt, the fellowship or the beer, he dubbed the picnickers the "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club". He recalled the Pennsylvania Dutch legend of the groundhog as a weather prophet and claimed for the Punxsutawney Groundhog all weather rights. He created a home for him on Gobbler's Knob and a fame that is now worldwide.
W.O. Smith, a U.S. Congressman and owner of the Punxsutawney Spirit worked hard at keeping the legend alive. His successors followed suit... until today when network television covers the event and broadcasts it live around the world.
For many years, the Groundhog Club was headed by the rotund country doctor named Frank Lorenzo. He was an orthopedic surgeon who developed a screw used to mend broken hips and joints eroded by arthritis. On Groundhog Day he entertained his friends who included politicians, railroad officials, doctors, lawyers, judges, and newspaper people throughout the state. Chartered trains brought his guests to Punxsutawney for the day's events. Lorenzo promoted and defended the Punxsutawney Groundhog to all comers in ringing tones that defied argument.
When he died in 1952, the mantle and his cane passed to his friend, Sam Light, who infused the legend with his own colorful personality. A coal operator and sportsman, Light created the costume, a tall silk hat and cutaway coat, that is most familiar to followers of the Punxsutawney Groundhog. How did he arrive at this particular outfit: "The top hat and cutaway are the traditional dress for dignitaries greeting Very Important Persons" Light explained, leaving no doubt that he considered the Punxsutawney Groundhog very VIP indeed?
Light, who raised champion English setter dogs for a hobby and is in the Field Trial Hall of Fame, retired as Groundhog Club president in 1976, saying, "I've had a lot of fun, but the Groundhog only confers longevity, not immortality, on its followers."
He was succeeded by Charles Erhard who, as owner of Punxsutawney's first radio station, had worked with Light for many years in promoting the groundhog on radio and television. Erhard served until 1982 when he retired to Florida.
He was succeeded by Jim Means, a prominent local contractor, who had been Phil's handler for many years. The current president is former groundhog-handler Bud Dunkel who runs a local roofing company.
When Punxsutawney built an ultra-modern civic center in 1974, it included an air-conditioned, glass enclosed Groundhog Zoo. Built into a section of the children's library, the zoo has a plastic glass window fronting the town square. The zoo is the home of a pair of groundhogs known as "Phil," a relative and namesake of the famous Seer and his mate "Phyllis."
All Punxsutawney residents bask in the glow of the honors and fame of Punxsutawney Phil. In fact, no matter what degree of fame a Punxsutawneyite achieves, the town's most famous resident will always be the groundhog. The official Groundhog weather proclamation is a wondrous thing, full of dramatic "Hear ye's" and "whereases" and bone-chilling descriptions of the snow and sleet and ice to follow. The Seer's prediction is duly recorded in the Congressional record and routinely gets front page coverage in the nation's newspapers and in English-language newspapers throughout the world.
This is the end believe it or not



This story is fictional as to year and time and time travel. But as for the facts of groundhogs day and Punxsutawney Pa. those are true facts. I was born in Punxsutawney in 1946 in June.
Robert G. Serge