I guess I have a few hours yet to wait – until sunrise in Canada. But why am I waiting for sunrise in Canada when I live in Fermanagh? Because I need to know what the groundhog will do.

Today’s Groundhog Day in North America and I want to know whether there will be 6 more weeks of winter or not. If it’s a bright, sunny day and the groundhog sees his shadow when he emerges from his burrow this morning it will frighten him. He’ll scurry back inside and then it’s 6 more weeks of winter. But if it’s a bit of a cloudy, overcast day he won’t notice his shadow and will stay outside. Then we’ll have an early spring. I guess there’d be a better chance of an early spring if he lived in Ireland…

But why should any of this matter to me when I live in Ireland? Well, I’ve always trusted the groundhog to tell me when spring will come. Are you perhaps sceptical about his abilities? Do you wonder why Canadians trust a small furry creature to predict the seasons? The Irish have believed in the magical powers of fairies and leprechauns for generations. So why can’t a Canadian believe in the special intuition of groundhogs?

So, if anyone sees that groundhog, let me know!