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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Groundhog Day 2012

It’s HERE and according to that famed PA forecaster, groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, there’s six more weeks of winter. Earlier today, crowds gathered at  Gobbler's Knob, the tiny hill in Punxsutawney, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh to see Phil cast his shadow.

Here, just like last year, it’s raining. However, according to the Eastern shore forecasters at Rat Trap Creek, spring is just around the corner. As in 2011, Grenville saw Marshall and Mandy Muskrat getting ready for beach weather.

Tonight, we settle in for our annual Feb. 2 event  - groundhog daywatching Groundhog Day (but not over and over). This 1993 American comedy starred Bill Murray and Andie McDowall and was directed by Harold Ramis of Ghostbusters fame.

Plot: Murray plays Phil Connors, an egocentric Pittsburgh TV weatherman who, during a hated assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, finds himself repeating the same day over and over again. As the film progresses, Connors re-examines his priorities with predictable humorous results.

Some facts about the film . . .

  • Murray was bitten by the groundhog twice during shooting.
  • A family of groundhogs was raised for the production.
  • There are 38 days depicted in the film, partially or in full.
  • Director Ramis  wanted Tom Hanks for the lead, but decided against it, saying that Hanks was “too nice.”
  • One of the groundhog officials is Brian Doyle-Murray, one of Bill Murray's five brothers.
  • The movie was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, where a small plaque declares: “Bill Murray stepped here” on the curb where Murray continually steps off into a puddle.

And one more . . .

  • In 2006, the film was added to the U.S. States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

We’re not sure about that last item, but we DO know is that it’s a funny film – over and over.

18 comments:

Country Gal said...

Always has been a fun tradition here as well with our ground hog Wiarton Willie who says we are having an early spring here in Ontario . Either way first day of spring is always the 20th of March and day light savings is March 10th . Cant wait ! Have a great day !

Nellie from Beyond My Garden said...

It is such a beautiful day that I suppose the whole East side of the country is in form six more weeks. I'll just enjoy today.
nellie

Christer said...

It's not more than right that You'll get six more weeks of winter since You haven't had any yet :-) :-) :-)

Here winter has come to stay I'm afraid. It's really cold at the moment and it will be worse :-)

I love that movie! But I can't find it on dvd so I try to see it every time any channel shows it on tv.

Have a great day!
Christer.

grammie g said...

HI B.. Well I don't know if it matters either way , but we might just as well depend on a Groundhog,as any of these well educated weather forcasters with all there tinker toys that can't get the weather right!! ; }
I have never seem this movie ...guess I am behind the times...haha!@
Not shadow here today "cloudy"!!
Makes some popcorn and enjoy !!
Grace

MadSnapper said...

i did like the movie but half way through i just wanted the days to stop and get it over. i knew it was a lot of days but not how many. i do have a few days in my life i would like to do over, but not that many times

L. D. said...

We are watching the reruns of Stargate, SG 1 for the second time and they did a version of groundhog day that was done very well.

Susie Swanson said...

I loved the movie and I sure hope that groundhog is right..we could use some dry days also..Susie

jp@A Green Ridge said...

I'm going with our local GH...no shadow...ta~da! Welcome Spring...:)JP

Montanagirl said...

It's dry here - NO snow. We had a wildfire south of town today. We're in bad need of moisture, so I guess I'm okay with some snow falling--spring can wait.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Elaine, never heard of Willie - thanks for the info!

Nellie, there has been very little sintery weather along the east coast this winter. We reached nearly 70 degrees this week.

Christer, you are having the winter weather we are NOT. We will enjoy the movie for you :-)

Grace, this is a funny movie and hope you get to see it some day. We'll skip the popcorn tonight and enjoy a nice cup of tea and a cozy bed.

Sandra, if I hadn't found a reference online, I would not have known how many times the same day is repeated. Bet we all have some special days we wish would repeat.

Larry, never seen Stargate.

Susie, we really enjoy this movie every time we watch it, which is only once a year.

JP, we would have liked a bit of winter before spring but with mid 60s this week it's hardly like winter weather.

Doris said...

Six more weeks of the winter we had so far will not be too bad =) But it's still too cold for me....bring on the flowers and budding trees, sunshine and warm breezes!

Elaine said...

Our groundhogs here aren't due to come out until late March or early April, and I know for a fact that we'll have at least six more weeks of winter, unless the whole world goes topsy turvy and Punxsutawney Phil's prediction causes our winter weather to head south.

Connie said...

That is a funny movie. Interesting tidbits of information about it too! :)

Scott Law said...

I love that movie and I have seen it a few times, but I don't think we own it so we don't watch it every Groundhog day. Thanks for the fun facts too.

Out on the prairie said...

Quite a change between using Hanks and Murray.I laughed just seeinng Murray's pic on the cover.

possum said...

Never watched the movie... but then I only see maybe 3 movies in a busy year!
This has been a great winter here - flowers in bloom every day, complete with bees almost everyday. A little ice in the birdbath a couple days a week... I can live with it! Friends in Maine send pics of their snow. That works!
The Onley Possum says no winter! My first crocus opened 2 days ago.

Anvilcloud said...

Never seen it, but your tradition sounds like a good one.

Carole Barkett said...

I liked that movie too but have only seen it twice.