Imagine my surprise as I sat in my chair and looked out of the window to see this large furry rodent on my deck out back munching away at a leaf on a plant which was in a pot. I initially thought the animal was a beaver; but this guy did not have the familiar flat tail which beavers have.
Sunday Morning Photograph February 6 2022: Groundhog Day.
What I apparently saw was a groundhog. Since Groundhog Day was four days ago on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 — Punxatawney Phil at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania reportedly saw his shadow, which supposedly means that we will endure six more weeks of winter; but General Beauregard Lee in Georgia did not see his shadow, which purportedly means that spring will come early — I thought I would pay tribute to that day with these photographs.
The groundhog is a rodent which also known as a woodchuck and belongs to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. A mostly herbivorous lowland creature of North America, the groundhog is found throughout much of the eastern United States, across Canada, and as far north and west as Alaska.
Although groundhogs play an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodlands and plain areas, they are considered to be a nuisance around farms and gardens due to their burrowing capabilities — which can potentially undermine foundations — as well as their appetite to eat many vegetables which are commonly grown.
First officially commemorated on Wednesday, February 2, 1887, the annual tradition of the ceremony of Groundhog Day has occurred 136 times.
Final Boarding Call
I have not seen that groundhog again since I took those photographs of him — or her.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could if a woodchuck could chuck wood! Chuck would chuck the woodchuck if Chuck could.
Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate.
All photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
