Feb 5 2024 - Groundhog Day for Lobsters

 

Groundhog Day came and went.  I think the lack of snow lessened the interest in whether there'd be an early spring. The groundhog who lives in Punxsutawney, PA came out as planned.  It looks like big crowds come out for the show.  This is the town where movie history started for Groundhog Day.  That was in 1993. What do they do with all the groundhog sightings?  Take an average or go with the most one way or the other?  I guess so - look at how many there are in Canada alone.  And how did a lobster get in there?  It would make one assume they don't have groundhogs in Nova Scotia. But that's not the case, there are groundhogs and Shubenacadie Sam slugs it out against Lucy the Lobster each year.   "Lucy the Lobster makes Groundhog Day predictions on February 2nd to kick off the Lobster Crawl festival in Barrington, Nova Scotia. The Municipality of Barrington says Lucy is the only prognosticating crustacean to make a prediction in Canada. Bill Murray was reported as being bemused by the idea of a lobster forecaster."   The summary headline says this:  "Canada's famous prognosticating rodents appeared to reach a consensus on Groundhog Day, as furry forecasters spanning three provinces predicted an early spring. Ontario's Wiarton Willie, Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam and Quebec's Fred la Marmotte all reportedly did not see their shadows on Friday morning."

We're looking for signs of spring with this Iris Reticulate picture from last year's garden. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Feb 4 2023 - Sad Dog Day

 

Sad Day after the wonders of Groundhog Day. Fred la Marmotte was found dead before he could predict which way winer is going.  I wouldn't expect he died just before.   The assumption is that he died during hibernation.  Somehow the map still has a prediction for him.  That turns out to be quite the norm. Missing groundhog, human substitution. That was the fate of Wiarton Willie (IV) in 2020.  The Wiartons were the albino groundhogs.  It wasn't publicly announced until November 2021.  His replacement became the first brown groundhog to assume the role.  There have been quite a few "Willies" since the original died in 1999 after 22 years - a very long time for a groundhog.   Here's the Wiarton Groundhog Day reported origin: The story of Wiarton Willie dates back to 1956. A Wiarton resident named Mac McKenzie wanted to showcase his childhood home to his many friends, so he sent out invitations for a "Groundhog Day" gathering. One of these invitations fell into the hands of a Toronto Star reporter. The reporter travelled to Wiarton looking for the Groundhog Day event. None of the townspeople knew about a festival, but one suggested he check at the Arlington Hotel, the local watering hole. There the reporter found McKenzie and his friends partying and was invited to join them. The next day, the reporter lamented to McKenzie that he needed some kind of story to take back to justify his expenses. So McKenzie grabbed his wife's fur hat, which had a large button on the front, went out to the parking lot, dug a burrow in the snow and pronounced a prognostication (which no one remembers). The picture of Mac and the hat ran in the February 3, 1956 edition of the Toronto Star. A year later, about 50 people arrived for the festival. Half were reporters from various media, including the CBC and Canadian Press. Seizing on the opportunity, McKenzie invented a festival that has been added to over the years. In May 2003, two of Wiarton II's Wee Willies (successors in training) disappeared. They were found dead in the burrow where they resided with Willie. Because groundhogs are known to be territorial animals, Willie was suspected of killing the two, an allegation that was never proven. Francesca Dobbyn, who looked after the groundhogs, informed her immediate supervisor who chose not to inform the Wiarton city council of the incident, fearing bad publicity; the council agreed to allow Dobbyn to keep her job despite the scandal. Our picture today is ripples in the sand on the beach in Florida. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Feb 2 2023 - Ground Hog Day Again

 

How did ground dogs get their name?  I don't think they eat dog food. They are marmots and closely related to squirrels.  They are closely related to Prairie Dogs.  They are both in the Marmotini tribe. The Groundhog that we celebrate today is a Marmota monad, or a woodchuck.  Groundhog Day was a "calling card" script - a showpiece to get a producers interest for Danny Rubin. When it passed to Harold Ramis who was to direct it, he took it over and rewrote it, a few times, it looks like.  Who did they want to play Phil?  Kevin Kline was Rubin's choice and Tom Hanks was Ramis' choice.  Michael Keaton rejected it - he did not "understand" the film.  Bill Murray's brother played Buster Green - the presider over the Groundhog Day festivities.  The production company trapped a while groundhog in the woods, named it Scooter, and it became the famous groundhog. Even Bill Murray tried to rework the script, in an attempt by Ramis to appease Murray, who was so difficult to deal with that Ramis and Murray didn't speak again until before Ramis' death in 2014.   Mention the movie and don't you hear "I Got You Babe" immediately? Danny Rubin had chosen the song from the beginning.   Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney became a tourist destination with tens of thousands of visitors rather than hundreds.   Of course, the time loop remains the wonderful mystery at the movie's core.  "In an early draft, Rubin had Phil estimate he had been there for 70 or 80 years. Later in life, once Ramis had married a Buddhist woman and adopted some of that philosophy, he started to quote a Buddhist doctrine that says it takes 10,000 years for a soul to evolve to the next level. In the end, there is no definitive answer." Isn't that such a satisfyingly answer, and perfect for the real Bill Murray.  He's made headlines repeatedly over the years.  Last year, the film he was on was suspended over his behaviour issues.  Chevy Chase gossiped on Stern's show in 2008 about Murray's behaviour.  "Charlie's Angels" director McG claimed Murray head butted him once.  Richard Dreyfuss had negative words hurled to him. Inexcusable and unacceptable language was used on Lucy Liu.  I guess there's more.   Would that be 70 years of bad behaviour with no change? It might be 10,000 years before Bill Murray evolves to a next level.  And in the end, we won't be here by then.   If Bill Murray sees his shadow today 6 more years of Covid. Why wasn't Bill Murray cast as Thor? Because nobody likes an electricity bill.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Feb 3 2021 - February Reds

 

There is a lot of summary coverage of yesterday's groundhog declarations of spring early/late.  Our own prediction from Wiarton:  Wiarton Willie (Groundhog) - shows a novelty outfit that Mayor Janice Jackson is wearing. The movie Groundhog day comes to life or is based on real life! There are lots of predictions so I asked how many Wiarton Willie's there are.  You might have guessed it: there are lots and lots.  The most famous one is Punxsutawney Phil (PA) of Groundhog Day movie fame.   There's a website listing all the known groundhog day celebrations by town/state and it lists what each 'groundhog' is - Check out the full list HERE  and find out that Harrisburg's is a dog dressed as a bear pretending to be a groundhog. There are/is taxidermied groundhogs, stuffed groundhogs, Gophers, Hedgehogs, Nutria, Skunk, White Squirrel, Armadillo (TX), Chicken (NY), Duck, Bullfrog, Aardvark, Owl, sock puppet, Beaver, and Otter.  I wonder what makes us call it Groundhog Day.   Typically the month of February has a colour palette themed around red.  I particularly like the Mardi Gras Colour Palette below, as it has an alternate palette with more colours in it.  The Colour trends for winter 2021 keep referencing Ultramarine Green and Sheen Green.  So who knows where February will get to during Pandemic winter 2021?   It definitely is colourful and that's great for a white winter wonderland outside.     Our image today has two hearts perfectly full of February reds.  Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Feb 1 2021 - Tomorrow Is...

 

Our quote yesterday feels like a Christmas story ending::   "Everybody will get their mittens" The beloved Bernie Sanders' mittens have a manufacturer. 18,000 pairs have been requested so far.  And today we're looking ahead to a big day tomorrow. Which day would you say is more significant?  World Play Your Ukulele Day?  Groundhog Day?  It has to be Groundhog Day! You can scroll through countless quotes from the movie.  I've chosen a few for today. Phil Connors: Do you want to throw up here or in the car?  Ralph: I think both. Phil Connors: (to the groundhog) "Don't drive angry! Don't drive angry!" Phil: "This is pitiful. A thousand people freezing their butts off waiting to worship a rat. What a hype. Groundhog Day used to mean something in this town. They used to pull the hog out, and they used to eat it. You're hypocrites, all of you!" Phil: “This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.” “Phil: Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster? Mrs. Lancaster: I don't think so, but I could check with the kitchen.” This last one is my favourite. Here's our February railroad calendar. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca