Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney, PA

I am not sure where to begin with this story.  I think it may take up a few blogs!

First of all....some fun facts!

1.  2013 was the 2nd coldest Groundhog Day on record since the 1800's!  It was 2 degrees when we got to the top of Gobbler's Knob!  12 degrees when we left the Knob!  The Knob is 1-1/2 miles straight up a mountain!

2.  Phil is the cutest rodent I have ever seen!

3.  Punxsutawney has approximately 6,000 residents.

4.  Yet, there were approximately 25,000 people (some say 30,000) at the top of the Knob in 2013!

5.  At 6:00 AM, on the Knob, they have the most fantastic display of fireworks - it is the 2nd best fireworks display that I have ever seen in my life!

6.  There are only a few homes for sale in Punxsutawney because people really do want to live there!

7.  Groundhog Day, the movie, was not filmed in Punxsutawney!

8.  Punxsutawney has a Weather Discovery Center and this year, they elected Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel into the Meteorologist Hall of Fame which is located at the Weather Discovery Center.  I was five feet from Jim during his induction!  Awesome!  Truly Fun!!

9.  Danny Rubin was the screenplay writer for the movie, Groundhog Day, and I stood next to him during the Jim Cantore induction at the Hall of Fame and I had my picture taken with him!  As soon as my niece gets the picture to me, I'll post!

10.  Spring is around the corner!!!!!  (Best news of all)

11. Similar to the cows in NYC and the horses in Saratoga, Punxsutawney has a ton of large groundhogs all over downtown!!!  See picture!!

As you can see, we were so, very bundled up for this picture.  Layers were a necessity!

There is so, so, so much more to tell and I have pictures....so I'll take some time this week to blog a few posts.

I have to say this, though!  If you EVER get the chance to go to Punxsutawney for Groundhog Day, you HAVE to go.  This is true AMERICANA and our heritage (whether it's fact or fiction), but witnessing the whole event was truly wonderful and one of the 10 best days of my life.....even though I froze and stayed in a SMOKING room in the hotel (yuk) and it snowed all day!  I have some truly wonderful memories and I can't wait to tell you more!!