groundhog day

This is Oliver racing through the river...and Ezra was wearing shorts and a t-shirt!

No shadow for Punxsutawney Phil today. Legend holds if Phil does not see his shadow the rest of us are in for an early Spring. Sounds harmless right? Well, the last time this little rodent didn't see his shadow we had the most miserable and oppressive summer I can remember...the summer of 2011 (cue ominous music).

I don't remember specific temperature details, but I do recall hitting over 100 degrees in June...and it seemed never ending. One night in September we dropped to 100 by 9:00 p.m. Without the raging humidity and sun beating down on you, it actually felt great! I drug Ezra out of bed so that we could go outside and play. We rode bikes, scooters, and hunted acorns...just being outside was liberating.

I try to remind myself that winter can be equally unrelenting in some parts. So what's the difference? They don't go outside from December to March...we don't go outside from June to September. The difference is that you can layer clothes, cuddle under blankets or sit by the fire...you can only shed so many clothes.

I hope Phil is wrong, but considering the mild winter we've had so far...I fear he's not.

Stock up on mosquito repellent now!