© Doran Roggio 2000

On February 2 the country celebrated the 123rd Groundhog Day. As is the custom Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather telling Groundhog, came out from his winter hibernation on Gobbler’s Knob. Viewed by thousands of enthusiasts worldwide Punxsutawney Phil offered up his yearly prediction of winter’s end and spring’s arrival. Seeing his shadow, Phil predicted that six more weeks of winter would remain with us before we would experience the warm air, sunshine, and exuberance of spring.

Here in Kansas City the weather is often full of tricks and unpredictable. Being in the center of the US our weather can change quickly and drop or rise 30 or 40 degrees in a few hours time. Front’s coming in from the North and South, East and West with varying degrees of frigid or extreme heat make for tumultuous conditions. Hence comes the Kansas tornadoes or horrific thunderstorms.

As a result it is not rare to get an unusually warm day in the middle of winter. Yet, the last few days have not only been unusually warm, in the last two weeks we have had several warm days. My intuition says that this year Punxsutawney Phil may be in error and spring is coming early.

Let me explain why I have to question Phil’s prediction. Yesterday the temperature reached 68 degrees. Not only is that unusually warm for this time of the year but there was other signs of early spring. The robins have returned to KC and I watched several of the red-breasted feathered fowl hop across my lawn, doing their ritual ‘worm hunting’ dance and digging in their search for a juicy, wiggly worm.

I took advantage of the exceptionally warm day and took my little dog, Ellie, for a walk at the neighborhood park. It soon became obvious that others with spring fever had opted to do the same. The park was filled with the early enthusiasts of springtime, walking dogs, sitting on park benches and sharing in camaraderie.

This morning, though the early morning temperature was only 35, the air had a fresh lukewarmness, indicative of springtime, instead of the icy bite that is characteristic of winter. Several varieties of birds were flittering about from tree to tree and filling the air with their melodious songs. The squirrels came out of their winter nests. I watched as pairs of squirrels scurried up and down the backyard fence or playfully raced across the lawn, jumping at each other as if they were playing a game of tag.

Overnight, under the still barren bushes the early Common Snowdrops have sprouted showing their tiny, delicate, white buds. The air even smells fresher, filling the nostrils with that indescribable smell of rebirth. Now I don’t mean to infer that in any way am I a predictor of weather, but my senses are feeling spring is in the air. So move over Punxsutawney Phil, I am predicting a sooner arrival then six weeks of the warmer season and I am more than ready to welcome the glorious springtime.