Happy Candlemas!

[urbpan]

Blessings of the returning of the light! (at least to my Northern Hemisphere friends--To my Southern Hemisphere friends: wish I was there)

Today is the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. If I was in charge of holidays, this day would be the big winter holiday that everybody looks forward to (as opposed to the one that we have, that happens four days after the Solstice).

Comments

A little action for the groundhog.

[(Anonymous)]

According to an article in some nature magazine that I got recently, the reason the groundhog wakes up fromhis hibernation in early February is to check up on his lady friends. The male groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, visits the homes of the local female groundhogs and stays for the night. No hanky panky, though, just a friendly snuggle. After the little census of his "harem", he crawls back into his own hole and sleeps for another month or so (presumably to rest up before the big orgy that happens in the spring).

So, now you know!

-Turtle

Re: A little action for the groundhog.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Huh.
Never heard that one before. What magazine did you say that was?
The woodchuck I take care of doesn't hibernate, but stays hidden basically from before Halloween to almost May. But she's female.

Re: A little action for the groundhog.

[(Anonymous)]

It was in the National Wildlife Federation's magazine. The article is on-line here:

http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=73&articleID=1043

-Turtle