A Day with the Groundhog in Woodstock then the Bars of McHenry and Johnsburg

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Drove to Woodstock, Illinois, for the last day of their Groundhog Days Festival.  I saw the movie "Groundhog Day" in the big screen at the Woodstock Theatre which was in the movie as the Alpine Theatre where Bronco Billy Murray and date went.  I didn't know the date was Mrs. Gary Fencik, Chicago Bears player from Super Bowl XX.

The place was packed and everyone was laughing at the comments.

Then took a walk around the Woodstock Square past the Top Top Cafe (now a Mexican restaurant) and Bill's Puddle, where Ned accosted Bill, the Pennsylvanian Hotel (Woodstock Opera House) and the bar where they drank to world peace.

Of course, the entire square itself was the site of Gobbler's Knob where the groundhog was pulled out of his burrow.   It also was where they danced in the gazebo, where Bill did his ice sculpture and the snowball fight.

Stopped at Wayne's Lanes which was the bowling alley in the movie where Bill saw his glass as half enpty and where the drunks got in the car and led the cops on a chase.  They now have a cut out of Bill Murray at the spot he was sitting at.

Drove to McHenry and had Bloody Marys at the Polish Legion  ($2.75), mixed drinks at the McHenry American Legion (rail drinks $3) and beers at Sunnyside  ($2).

Busy Day.  That Darn Goundhog's Got To Be Stopped.  --RoadHog

Thanks Groundhogs, Sunnyside, Legion, a Band and Chili!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Went to Sunnyside on a really cold day.  Thanks a lot Groundhog!!  Willie and that six more weeks of winter!!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

First Saturday of the month means the Fox Lake American Legion was having their monthly music in the bar from 3 p, to 6 pm.  Where else you gonna get entertainment on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of winter (thanks Groundhogs)?  And today's group was the Three Aces who excell at 50s-60s and old country music. One of my favorite local bands.  You should hear themk do "The Auctioneer."

And, the Fox Lake/Round Lake Rotary Club was having their annual chili cookoff, so I was forced to judge and sample the 20 different entries.  Man, music, beer and chili in one day.  Nothing could be finer.

An Eager Volunteer, Believe Me.  --RoadChili

I Was Back in Woodstock... Again-- Part 2: The Groundhog Bit Murray

More Fun Facts:

**  Murray was bitten twice by the groundhog while filming and even had to get rabies shots just in case.

**  The film was not shot in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, but rather Woodstock, Illinois.   During a scene with Ned Ryerson, Phil's old classmate,  a sign for Woodstock Jewelers can be seen in the background.

**  Ramis, Murray and  Stephen Tobolowski (Ned Ryerson) have been honorary  Grand Marshals  in Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day.

**  Other famous actors were considered for the role of Phil Connors that director Ramis considered "too nice: were  Chevy Chase, Steve Martin,  Robin Williams and Michael Keaton.  Keaton reportedly turned down the role because he thought it was too confusing.

** Even though the movie was filmed in Punxsutawney, it had a big impact on the town.  Celebrations went from about 5,000 to 35,000 after the movie came out.

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How long was Phil stuck in deja vu?  No one really knows, but a whole lot.  The movie shows him reliving it 38 times.

--RoadPhil

This Being Groundhog Day and All: Some of the 'Hogs

Well, the predictions are in.  Punxsutawney Phil says six more week s of winter out in Pennsylvania.  More locally to here in northeast Illinois, Woodstock Willie says it will be an early winter.

From the February 1, 2022, ListVerse "10 Weather-Forecasting rodents not named Punxsutawney Phil" by Jaycee Miller.  I am just listing and telling the location.  For more information, go to the site.

Here are the names of other furry weather prognosticators who are having their day today:

10.  Buckeye Chuck--  Marion, Ohio

9.  Chattanooga Chuck

8.  Concord Charlie--  West Virginia

7.  General Beauregard Lee--  Jackson, Georgia     Reckon this name will have to be changed as it might offend certain folks.

6.  Jimmy the Groundhog--  San Prairie, Wisconsin

5.  Mount Joy Millie--  Central Pennsylvania

4.  Octararo Orphie--  Quarryville, Pennsylvania

3.  Shubenacadie Sam--  Nova Scotia, Canada

2.  Unadilla Bill--  Nebraska

1.  Wiarton Willie--  Canada

What?  No Woodstock Willie?  --RoadHog

JSS: Pi Day-- Freezing Rain & Snow On the Way-- The Drive's 20th

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  PI DAY--   Yesterday was National Pi Day thanks to the date being 3/14, the first three digits in that math thing called pi.  So, I went to the local Jewel and bought a fresh-made apple pie.  You'll probably never guess what I paid for it.

2.  FREEZING RAIN & SNOW ON THE WAY--  Just what I wanted to hear, this last week of winter as it was and Ides of March as it is.  And, we just recently got rid of the rest of the snow that we gathered in January and February last week.

Oh, well.  What can I say, but our local groundhog prognosticator, Woodstock Willie, lied when he said we were going to have an early spring back on Feb. 2.

3.  THE DRIVE'S 20TH--  All day, Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive will be playing the exact set list of songs they played om this date back in 2001 when they started playing Classic Rock.  Well worth a listen and it streams.

--RoadNoMoreWinter

STUDENT TEST ANSWERS:  The theory of evolution was greatly objected to because it made men think.

What?

Okay, It's Groundhog Day, Again. Did Our Local Varmint, Woodstock Willie, See His Shadow?

It is now 7:36 am on February 2, 2021.  As the old tale goes, if a groundhog sees his (or her) shadow at sunrise, there will be six more weeks of mean old winter.

Sunrise here in Spring Grove, Illinois, was at 7:06.  I am looking at the window here deep in the basement of Key North and, there can be no shadows for Woodstock Willie if they have the same clouds we have (and Woodstock, where the famous movie was filmed) is just 18 miles away.

So, it is going to be an easy winter from here on out, or so they say.

And, it needs to be.  After a fairly easy November and December, January was a real bear.  We received a lot of snow on several different occasions and very little of it has melted because of cold temperatures and a lack of sunlight.  That snow is really piled up.  Just this past week, we received about 5 inches on Tuesday and another 9 inches Saturday-Sunday.

And, starting this Friday and going through to Thursday, Feb. 11 our forecasts call for cold, real cold.  Highs for those days:  15, 12, 3, 8, 10, 12, 14.  Lows for those days:  1, -5, -6, -1, -4, -2 and 1.

It is time for those Canadians to quit sending us their weather!!!!!  Build that northern border wall!!!

By the way, that "other" original groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, did see his shadow.  But that's Pennsylvania.

Are You Sure Woodstock Willie Didn't See His Shadow?   --RoadCold

The Groundhog Speaketh: Early Spring (I'm So Happy)

Great news from the animal world, two resident groundhogs have made their prognostications.  Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, did not see his shadow, nor did more local Woodstock Willie, about 17 miles from here in Spring Grove, Illinois.

Winter is a season to hurry up and get through once we get past Christmas and New Year's.

This one hasn't been too bad so far.  A whole lot better than five years ago when we had the Groundhog Day Blizzard, one of the worst I ever experienced.  We have some snow nut friends who were caught yesterday in the blizzard that hit Utah and points east.  Fortunately, they were able to get to a truck stop in their RV.  You love the snow, pay the price.

We did have a sneak 11-inch November snow and an extremely heavy and wet rain/snow event that deposited anywhere from 4 inches to as much as 12 where it drifts across my driveway the Monday after Christmas.  I was finally able to get the Christmas decorations sitting on the ground out of the ice on Sunday.

I'll be watching some of the 24-hours of "Groundhog Day" movie marathon on Comedy Central today.

Little Furry friends.  --RoadDog