According to Wiarton Willie, Spring is coming soon. Apparently, he poked his head out of his burrow this morning and failed to see his shadow, which is the portent of an early Spring. The cynics among you will appreciate the irony that the weather in Wiarton was so inclement that people gathered under a giant tent to await the news. (Presumably, Willie did not benefit from the tent.)

And he’s not the only Marmota monax who failed to see its shadow. Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam and Puxatawney Phil in Philadelphia both failed to see their shadows, meaning an early Spring is on its way for those parts of the world, too. I’m sure that Nova Scotians were particularly happy by this news given the abysmal winter they’ve had so far this year.

Alberta’s Balzac Billy, on the other hand, apparently saw his shadow and fled to the safety of his burrow. So, it seems that Alberta’s in for another six weeks of winter, while the rest of us can toss away our winter coats, dig the sunscreen out of the cupboard and start basking in the sunshine.

Well… after all the^$!@$% snow that fell today melts!