Ground Hog Day 2008

Like many couples there are a number of aspects of our lives where Linda and I are on different sides of the proverbial coin. I have always been of the quiet type that much prefers an evening at home with a good book to a night on the town. Linda on the other hand is somewhat of a party animal. Just kidding, she does however like to have a much more active social life than the type that I lead.

In particular Linda likes events such as celebrations with big crowds. One of her life long dreams is to be in Times Square on New Years Eve. I on the other hand would consider being there an inhumane form of torture. Linda is the love of my life which I would gladly lay down for her but this is an adventure that she is going to have to find someone else with which to share.

Having said that my friend Henry goes every year to Gobbles Knob to take pictures and get in on the big celebration of Ground Hog Day. He called early in the week telling me to pack my sleeping bag and we could get there about 02:00 AM and party through the night until the big event at sunrise. My immediate answer was "NO WAY!" for which I was called a "kill joy" and a "party poop" a title which I shall gladly bear. When Linda overheard the phone conversation she remarked that she has always wanted to attend the Ground Hog Day celebration and I invited her to take my place on the trip.

Much to my surprise she accepted. Now part of this was based on the fact that two other friends of ours Lee and Betty were planning on making the trip with Henry so Linda would make it a foursome. Betty and Lee are both amateur radio operators like Henry and myself and they were going to stop at the Punxsutawney Air Port where the local ham club had set up a special events station to talk with other amateurs all over the world on Ground Hog Day. Linda while not licensed is very familiar with "hams" and their habits and procedures. So I knew she would be comfortable especially with Betty going.

Well the plan was to leave around 12:30 AM on Saturday morning and be one of the first ones at the site. The plan almost worked. Henry called me about midnight to tell me that the hill that Lee and Betty lived on was a solid sheet of ice and there was no way they would make the trip. I thought for sure at this point that Linda would abort the mission and stay home but she was determined to proceed. So I drove her out to meet Henry in Monroeville and the two of them were off.

I talked with Henry, on the road, and Lee at home until the wee smalls hours of the morning on ham radio and Henry was only about twenty miles from Punxsutawney when I signed off and went to bed. I had just gotten sound asleep when a friend of Linda's who also couldn't believe that she was headed for Gobblers Knob called to ask me it they had arrived safely. By this time the sun was up and I had expected Linda to call and let me know what Phil's prognostication had been but no word from the travelers. I tried a quick call on the radio to no avail so I said that we would just have to wait until we heard something from them.

Well the call came latter in the afternoon when they were well on their way home. Turns out there was no cell service at Gobblers Knob, at least not for T-Mobile users, so Linda had just turned her phone off. She said she had a great time and even though she basically stood in one spot for over four hours it had been a grand party.

I've heard some real horror stories in the past about the revelers at the Ground Hog Day celebration so I was glad to hear that the crowd had behaved themselves. It seems that the local officials declared that this was not going to be turned into the winter equivalent of spring break. From what I understand there are strictly enforced rules about no alcohol on the grounds.

As a matter of fact Linda told me that it has turned into quite a family affair. She spent the most of the night next to a lady from Hagerstown Maryland with her five year old son. The lady from Maryland had been on her way to her honeymoon when they passed the sign for Punxsutawney and had her husband stop and take he picture next to it. That was seven years ago and now she had brought her first born a son back to see the celebration. Her husband was home with their second child a baby girl.

As Henry had predicted with the event falling on a weekend they had a record crowd. Linda said that she had never seen so many people in one small place at one time. Literally packed in wall to wall people. She said they danced and sang song and bounced around large beach balls through the crowd. Evidently a great time was had by all.

Linda took a number of photos which I don't have loaded on my computer yet. Once I have them I will create a Google album and post a link so you can see the event as Linda did. The photo with the blog entry was shot by Henry who in his retirement has turned professional writer / photographer doing free lance work. Matter of fact he took some shots and is in the process for writing an article for one of the ham radio magazines.

Perhaps as I continue on my program to lose weight next year I will be in a more social mode and make the trip myself. Naw, I doubt it! For those into that scene though I wish them much enjoyment.