Happy Groundhog Day 2023! Did Phil see his Shadow?
We’re dealing with some seriously cold weather, give us good news Phil!HappyGroundhog Day, will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Unfortunately, according to fox2detroit.com, Phil saw his shadow. And as the lore goes, that means six more weeks of winter.
Phil’s handler read this scroll early Thursday morning:
“I see that everyone knows their part, and I am merely the sage, but above all else, I see a shadow on my stage. And so, no matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather,”
Phil has been predicting long winters for the last 2 years. 2020 was the last time he saw an early spring. But as history goes, Phil has predicted way more winters than springs. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Clubkeeps records of all of Phil’s predictions. Phil has predicted 107 continued winters and 23 early springs as of 2023. Stormfax.com gives Phil a 39% accuracy rating.
The Farmer’s Almanac gives about a 72% accuracy rating, so Phil is not doing too badly. I feel though that 23 springs seems like an awfully low and depressing number. As Phil, played by Bill Murray, in Groundhog’s Day says:
“You want a prediction about the weather, you’re asking the wrong Phil. I’ll give you a winter prediction: It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be grey, and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.”
I mean according to those numbers, he’s not wrong! That’s 107 years of cold winters.
However, luckily, mother nature does not bend to the will of Phil. Unless the weather vastly alters in the next few days, we have a warm week coming ahead of us. Temperatures in the 40s.
Germans brought the idea of predicting the weather with a groundhog when they settled in Punxsutawney in the 1800s. Groundhog Day did not become recognized until Feb 2, 1887. And like 106 other times, Phil predicted a long winter.
Now, on the other hand, Michigan’s own Woody the Woodchuck predicted an early Spring!
Happy Groundhog or Woodchuck day everyone!
How about a little more about this Phil, or Bill?
Bill Murray "No one will believe you"
“No one will believe you”
“No one will believe you” said by Bill Murray after stealing a fan’s french fry and vanishing into a crowd, or that’s as the story goes. It’s Bill Murray’s birthday today! Happy Birthday, Bill! From SNL to Ghostbusters, Bill Murray has been making us laugh for decades. And he is a wild card that very few people can predict his next move. And he has a tendency to pop up unexpectedly in public. Like at a White House Press conference as pictured above to talk about the Cubs (Hey check out Big Jim’sranking of Bill Murray movies too).
Bestlifeonline.com has one list of some of the most hilarious Bill Murray encounters. Something about Bill that exudes comedy and warmth. He is the type of guy who steals the show and is the life of the party and you WANT to hang out with him as much as possible. Bill Murray is a wild card that everyone loves and lets him get away with just about anything. He can ruffle your hair, steal your fries and walk away and make you feel great about it.
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 02: Actor Bill Murray attends Game Seven of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on November 2, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.
And Bill Murray is not one to shy away from fans. As a matter of fact, he loves to pop up unexpected at events/gatherings/shops/birthdays and absolutely shock and delight everyone. These stories, or “Bill Murray Stories” have become a fun game where reality and fantasy often blur together. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell who actually saw Bill Murray and which ones are too crazy to be real. From birthday parties to bachelor parties to poetry readings, anything is game for Bill.
Here are some of the most unforgettable Bill Murray “sightings”
1. Let's get married
In 2014, Bill Murray noticed a couple taking engagement photos and decided to try to get them all to laugh while taking the photos. And of course, they got him to join in for an unforgettable photo moment.
In 2010, while attending the SXSW festival, Bill Murray and his pals, The Wu-Tang Clan, bartended at a bar called the Shangri-La. Bill served tequila only. And much like many Bill appearances, never happened again.
3. Slow Down Bill
A group of young filmmakers, instead of asking Bill for an autograph, asked him to walk down a hallway with them. In slow motion. Too good.
Yep, Bill Murray during a rain delay of his co-owned minor league team, Charleston RiverDogs, ran around on a tarp to entertain the crowd.
5. No one will ever believe you
This line has become famous as part of a story. Which, since there is no video or photographic evidence, we can believe it or not. The story is that a man while eating fries had a fry stolen, by Bill Murray. Before he can be confronted Bill says “No one will ever believe you.” and then he crossed over 7th avenue and vanished into a crowd of people.
6. Bill goes Local!
In Southfield, Michigan, there is a story about Bill Murray at Walmart. Not just any story, Bill was riding around Walmart on a bicycle, dressed in an old firefighter uniform yelling “You’re on FIRE!” No photographic evidence for this and the story also adds at the end the “No one will believe you” which makes me think, it may have joined the side of fantasy.
Hot Scott, aka Scotty, when not wrangling his chihuahua he's writing, painting, and playing games. Loves Dungeon and Dragons, comics, and everything nerdy and geeky. He has an uncontrollable beard and has been known to wear a kilt on the right occasion. Might be a robot, we are checking on that. Send oil.
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