Some Groundhog Day fun

Our groundhog gets no respect on his biggest day of year
By James Fuller

For most groundhogs, early February means it's time to stop hibernating, refill their bellies and find a date for the Super Bowl.

Not me.

This groundhog awoke to bathe in the glory of the one day of the year devoted entirely to me. I'm so famous, crowds gather just to get a glimpse of my shadow.

It was about 9 a.m. when I strolled outside ready for the glare of the flashbulbs and paparazzi. Smiling, I greeted … no one.

What the heck? Where is my adoring crowd? Did everyone forget?

I headed out to find my public. First stop, back to my roots at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton. Maybe people hadn't heard I dumped that hole in the ground and got my own apartment.

When I arrive, the only people there are some cross-country skiers.

"Are you here for some sort of YouTube video?" Asked one lady.

"Um, no, I happen to be a groundhog," I replied.

"Oh yeah, Groundhog Day. That's coming up pretty soon, right?"

"That would be today," I reply, in disgust. Seriously, who doesn't know when Groundhog Day is? I decide to go to a place where I'm sure to find some fans on my special day.

When I arrive at Cosley Zoo in Wheaton I'm a bit taken aback at the lack of cars in the parking lot. The calendar for the zoo clearly says there will be a Groundhog Day event.

"We had to cancel that due to lack of interest," said the receptionist in the gift shop.

"Lack of interest?" As I pondered what she said another zoo employee approached me.

"Are you a singing telegram?"

"No! Look, I'm a groundhog here to hang out with my fans. Isn't there anyone who wants to cheer for me or something?"

A third employee comes out and tells me there's a meeting with the Junior Zookeepers taking place and I can pop in there if I want. As I leave the gift shop, I'm asked if I saw my shadow this morning.

"Not yet, but I'm so big it's kind of hard for me to see my own shadow."

"I don't think that whole six weeks more of winter thing means anything up here anyway," the receptionist said. "That's more in the South."

Clearly, she was just jealous of my fame and trying to bring me down. I had to find my real fans.

I headed into the zoo's barn to find the Junior Zookeepers. They all sat in a circle around a senior zookeeper.

"Do you guys know who I am?" I asked.

Puzzled looks.

"A guy in a costume?"

"I'm a groundhog! Don't you know about Groundhog Day?"

I could see that struck a note with the senior zookeeper.

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon."

I couldn't believe it. Even the zoo had forgotten my day. There weren't even any other groundhogs there. Although it seemed some of them knew about my day, I couldn't stay and listen to the young zookeepers get brainwashed.

Feeling pretty bummed, I took the search for my fans to the Morton Arboretum near Lisle. They, too, were scheduled to have a big Groundhog Day party.

As I approached the gateway to the Children's Garden, a woman approached me with someone who looked familiar.

"You must be here for Groundhog Day," she said.

Finally, a fan.

"You know it," I said. "But who's that you've got with you?"

"This is the pelt from a real groundhog."

I could feel the fur on my nape spring to life as I shuddered. This was no party. It was an ambush. I didn't get a good look at the pelt, but it appeared they'd already gotten Uncle Bob.

"It's OK," the arboretum staff reassured me. "This one died of natural causes."

I always told Uncle Bob he'd pay for it one day if he didn't cut back on the dandelions.

And then I saw him. The smiling little boy walked right up to me.

"Hi, do you know who I am?" I asked.

"A groundhog?" Answered Jackson Roach, a 7-year-old from Glen Ellyn.

"Yup. Do you know what I'm doing here?"

"Trying to find your shadow?"

"Do you see it?"

"Umm, no."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means the winter is going to be over sooner."

Bingo. Finally, a true fan. As it turned out, everyone at the arboretum was a groundhog fan.

It made me feel a little guilty.

You see, it's not easy being just an average rodent. Groundhogs get all the love-- a holiday, even a Bill Murray movie. All that hype, but do most people even know what a groundhog looks like?

Thankfully, I found the answer is no. And it made it a lot easier for this chipmunk to leave the groundhog's shadow and steal a little glory, even for just one day.

Watch the video of my day as a groundhog: