Staten Island's Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day!  Okay, so this isn't a holiday that many folks get too excited about, not unless you're a hardcore Bill Murray fan.  There is at least one place I know that they get pumped about it, though - Staten Island Zoo!  Every February 2, the media flocks to the little New York zoo to greet one of their biggest celebrities, Staten Island Chuck, the groundhog, and to watch as he makes his annual prediction.

I'm sure that no one above the age of ten actually thinks that a groundhog predicts the weather or has any bearing on how much snow we receive.  Still, it's a great tradition that is offers one more aspect of how animals interplay with our lives, history, and culture (and one in which no animals are harmed - though not everyone agrees), so I'm all for it.  Happy Groundhog Day - and see you in the (hopefully not-too-distant) spring!