Punxsutawney Phil is about to do his annual prognostication (OK, prediction) on how much longer we have to deal with cold, snowy, winter weather. After Clevelanders got socked with a rough morning commute to work in near white-out conditions and many schools canceled classes – spring can't come soon enough! …
Phantastic phfurry Phil is at it again Read More »
I grew up 30 just minutes from Punxsy but never experienced the fun and festivities of Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day.
In 2003, I decided to document all the crazy activities surrounding this world renown occasion. This video captures the residence of Phil (the Punxsy library), the members of the Inner Circle with their top hats and tuxedos and photos of the news media from around the world. Even Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell got it on the action!
You'll also witness Phil's wedding chapel where couples actually get married to coincide with Groundhog Day, Phil-themed games for the kiddies, vendors selling groundhog mementos, ice sculpture and wood carving contests and even a 5K race.
The last photo in the video is a three story groundhog located next to a burger joint on the edge of town!
Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney is a “must-see” event that will warm your heart.
Have you ever been to Punxsutawney to see whether Phil would see his shadow? If not, do you think you'll ever make the trip? Please share your thoughts with a comment here.
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Beyond the shadow-of-a-doubt – unforgettable Groundhog Day memories Read More »
February 2nd – the magical day when the world’s attention turns to a little town in western Pennsylvania where an over sized rodent predicts whether spring will arrive early.
I had the opportunity to witness the fun and festivities in 2003. My goal was to capture the essence of the celebration in just one photograph. A monumental task when you discover all the cool things going on around Punxsy (that’s what the locals call their town) during the week surrounding the great prognostication (prediction).
Although I created a photo that captures the spirit of the day; it required three different photos blended together in Photoshop to create the image seen here. I first took the photo of local high school boys on stage as they “entertained” the 25,000 spectators at Gobbler's Knob. About 18 minutes later – the fireworks were set off. In fact, the fireworks were in a different part of the sky – not over the stage. After I overlaid the fireworks over the boys, I had to digitally “erase” some of the fireworks so they wouldn’t appear to be exploding right in front the boys.
This year's festivities may be the best yet as they celebrate their 125th “Groundhog Day.” For more information, visit the official Groundhog Day website.
As a side note, I found that battling the photographers who came from around the world for best photo position was worse than photographing Jimmy Carter's arrival in Cleveland for the Presidential Debates in 1980!
Groundhog Day magic Read More »
