The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Looking back at records ofstories I've written for the "Journal" I found my only story about Groundhog Day was written in 2019 when Sherry and I were living in Whitlash while she served the Presbyterian Church there. I learned about the hairy marmot that lives in the Sweet Grass Hills but folks up there pooh-poohed the idea of a marmot predicting how much longer winter might last.

Closest I could get to finding furry weather forecaster back on the prairie was Marmaduke Marmot, a mythical creation of writer Robby Lucke. Lucke created Marmaduke in a 1986 column in the "Havre Daily News" under the pen name of "Howdy Beaver." He wrote about the fictitious weather forecaster again in 2016 noting Marmaduke had a den somewhere in White Pine Gulch south of Chinook. Robby Lucke died in 2018.

Chinook Chuck spent February 2, 2023 visiting and spreading cheer

My wife, Sherry, and I committed to bringing Chinook Chuck to lunch for a Groundhog Day celebration at the Chinook Senior Center. But to do that we had to create the character. We looked all over for an existing groundhog costume and came up empty handed. So, we improvised. After a trip to a thrift store, some construction paper and pens and a brown shirt and pants we had Chuck's costume. Then we spread the word about Chuck around town.

Finally Groundhog Day arrived. First we went visited the Funshine Preschool that meets in Wallner Hall. We had little cookie treats, made to look like groundhogs, in cups of chocolate pudding (the groundhog in his den) that we shared with the kids. However, we could tell by the look on their four-year old faces that the concept of a groundhog predicting weather was way beyond their experience level. However, the pudding cups with a cookie were a big hit.

Then to lunch at the senior center. There was a good crowd and the folks seemed excited to learn if Chuck saw his shadow, the sign winter would soon end. Speaking as Chinook Chuck I told the guests I did not see my shadow but admitted, in a little talk Chuck gave, "it really doesn't mean much that I didn't see my shadow as you all know we will still have plenty of winter weather."

I shared that since February 2 is about midway through winter the date became important to people centuries ago who wanted some indication of how much longer winter would last. In Europe they looked for the hedgehog. In the New World, with no hedgehogs, the immigrants began to watch the behavior of the groundhog (also known in some regions as the woodchuck or whistling pig). With no ground hog sightings in Montana for more than a century the tradition of a groundhog forecasting how much winter was left never really took hold.

Chinook Chuck (L) poses with Mrs. Chuck during the recent Groundhog Day celebration at the Chinook Senior Center. The couple did not see their shadows but still are forecasting at least six more weeks of winter, after all, we are in north central Montana.

During my little talk about the history of Groundhog Day my wife, unbeknownst to me, had created her own costume, came running in to the dining room at the senior center and yelled, "Chinook Chuck, I can't live another winter without you. I love you!" and ran to me, threw her arms around me and hugged me. Needless to say I was surprised and the audience members told me later my surprise showed by my reactions.

So what's next? Still speaking as Chinook Chuck I told the seniors and guests that despite not seeing my shadow I was forecasting six more weeks of winter...after all we are in north central Montana. But, here's the good news: six weeks from February 2 is March 16. That's St. Urho's Day! The day in honors the made up Finnish saint who ran the grasshoppers out of Finland and saved the grape crop. We can still look forward to another celebration that day with hard tack and fish head soup. It's not all bad news despite the fact we have more winter ahead of us.