Psychic of the Year 

What can I say, Spanish Joe is just one famous hog! And ain't he a cute little fella?

Today's weather here in Spanish.

You can visit him on his website at any time.

Spanish Joe on Tour 

Didn't know that Spanish Joe hangs with some pretty famous humans eh?

Yes, occasionally I do have time to keep up with the furry varmint. Check out what he has been up to, he does get around.

Check out his pictures at Spanish Joe on Tour and his Previous Visits too.

Spanish Joe Saves a Groundhog's Life! 

The Story of Marvin - by Rick and Kathy

It was a dark and stormy night .... ok, so it really wasn't, but don't all stories start that way? In March 2003, in the middle of the night, Rick bolted upright in bed and said "Spanish Joe is telling me that there is something wrong". Without any further hesitation, Rick jumped into his clothes and into the truck and he quickly departed, Spanish Joe in tow.

They both returned a couple of hours later with a very tiny baby groundhog, who barely fit in our hand. Apparently, Spanish Joe had psychically informed Rick that there was an orphaned baby groundhog nearby and he needed to be rescued, pronto. The rescue site was next to a bridge in a high traffic area, and Spanish Joe found out that the groundhog's family had been unfortunate victims of that traffic. Now sometimes other groundhogs families in the area will take in an orphaned groundhog, but this was sadly not the case here. This adorable little groundhog was so young, we estimated only a couple of weeks old, that he had no fear of humans, plus I think Spanish Joe was a very calming influence.

A make-shift home for the baby groundhog was constructed. We used a new snowmobile boot liner, with the toe cut off, as his new burrow and Marvin took to it immediately as it was nice and warm and dark. When Marvin smelled the fresh dirt on any grasses we put in, he would go nuts and would start trying to dig and would continually nuzzle the dirt.

He was too young to feed vegetation to, so Rick asked Joe what to do. Joe suggested a natural baby formula mixed with Soya milk and using an eye dropper for a delivery system made feeding trouble-free. The baby groundhog attacked the eyedropper like a starving Siberian timber wolf when he was first fed, and he earned his nick name of "Starvin Marvin" at that time.

Marvin was very smart and learned quickly that when Rick made a certain sound with his lips to call him, that feeding time was at hand and Marvin would go ballistic. He started to gain weight like crazy and was gradually weaned off the special formula mixture. His new diet now included nice fresh grasses, clover, clover flowers and dandelions; with shaved carrots and lettuce for those in-between snacks.

After awhile it was time for Marvin to be returned to the wild. He was taken to a very remote and safe area, a secret spot where Rick knew other groundhogs were living. He had gained so much weight Rick had a lot of trouble getting him out of the boot liner, which we had already been adjusted once to accommodate his growth. He was finally free in the wild, and as he had been handled very little, he would adjust to the wild quite easily.

Rick tried to give him one final pat good-bye and Marvin promptly tried to bite him. I guess Marvin never heard of the saying "Don't bite the hand that feeds you!

The basic story here is true and we did rescue this little baby groundhog. We do drop by his new home from time to time and we are happy to report he is quite happy.

Groundhog Day Predictions 

by Spanish Joe

Spanish Joe is interviewed every year by Helen Morley of the Mid-North Monitor in Espanola for his Groundhog Day prediction along with other weather related predictions, ok, ok, and sometimes he rambles on about other things too!



Groundhog Day 2008 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 2007 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 2006 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 2005 - Saw Shadow Six More Weeks of Winter
Groundhog Day 2004 - Saw Shadow Six More Weeks of Winter
Groundhog Day 2003 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 2002 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 2001 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 2000 - No Shadow Early Spring
Groundhog Day 1999 - No Shadow Early Spring

You really must read his articles, they are quite silly!

Annual Predictions 

by Spanish Joe

Spanish Joe is often interviewed by local newspapers for his insight and predictions for the upcoming year.

Mid-North Monitor

2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002

Elliot Lake Standard

2007
2005

Sault Star

2007

These get REALLY silly!

Learn All About Groundhog Day 

All About Groundhog Day

Celestially speaking, Groundhog Day on February 2 is a "cross-quarter" day, about halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox in March, and is celebrated in some cultures as the mid point of winter. It's not far f...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Groundhogs! 

Range

Woodchucks are widely distributed in North America and are particularly common in the east where they are found from Alabama and Georgia in the United States to northern Quebec and Ontario. In the west, their range extends northward to Alaska, through southern Yukon and Northwest Territories. Woodchuck distribution is spotty everywhere on the edges of the range.

The woodchuck, like a small number of other animals (for example, the coyote), has prospered because of deforestation and agriculture. Before the felling of the forests of eastern North America, the woodchuck population was many times smaller than it is today. When large numbers of European settlers began to farm what had once been dense forest, woodchuck numbers skyrocketed among the woodlots, pastures, and cultivated fields. Although farming has been abandoned in many parts of eastern Canada, today's landscape of mixed bush and pasture still suits these familiar burrowing mammals.

Relatives and subspecies

Woodchucks are rodents and belong to the large group of mammals Rodentia, which includes squirrels, prairie dogs, and chipmunks.

Within this large group the woodchuck is considered one of the marmots. A close relative of the woodchuck's, the hoary marmot or whistler, lives in the mountains of western North America, from Washington, Idaho, and Montana northward into the Yukon and Alaska. It inhabits tundra, alpine meadows, and rock slides in mountains. Two other marmots, very closely related to the hoary marmot, but differing from it in colour, live only on high portions of Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula. The rockchuck, or yellow-bellied marmot, found from California, Texas and New Mexico to British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, is another close woodchuck relative. Where the woodchuck is brownish this somewhat smaller cousin tends to be yellowish. It favours rockier country and higher elevations (over 3000 m) than the woodchuck, but it is also found on agricultural land in foothills and valleys.

Scientists recognize as many as nine varieties or subspecies of woodchuck, mainly based on subtle differences in colour or skull characteristics.

General Appearance

Among North American rodents, only beavers and porcupines are larger than the marmots. Woodchucks are stocky little animals with a flattened head. They commonly weigh 2-4 kg, and large ones may ... more

Great Groundhog Stuff on eBay 

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Great Groundhog Stuff on Amazon 

Stuffed Chuckwood Groundhog 11"

Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Ty Beanie Babies Punxsutawney Phil 2007 - Groundhog Beanie Baby

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Folkmanis Groundhog Puppet

Amazon Price: $16.34 (as of 07/25/2008)

8" Ground Hog

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

Wildlife / Domestic Animals : Groundhog 8" Plush Stuffed Animal Toy

Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 07/25/2008)

A few things from our eBay Store 

No, these have nothing to do with Groundhog Day, but this is a Squidoo Charity Lens, see below why these are here.

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Link List 

Welcome to HogHaven

This den on the Web is dedicated to Groundhogs everywhere. View photos and live videos, listen to recordings, take a crash course on Groundhogs -- even attend a Hoggie Hoedown!

Ontario SPCA

The Animal Sheltering and Wildlife Services Department of the Ontario SPCA strives to lead by example in the protection and rehabilitation of wildlife by: promoting and encouraging the ongoing protection of wildlife habitats; fostering an enhanced public understanding, appreciation, and respect for all wildlife; and heightening awareness of wildlife issues.

Woodchuck Care

Care for orphaned woodchucks. Also includes Squirrels, Chipmunks, Racdoons, Skunks, and Rabbits/Hares.

Wiarton Willie's Website

Now everyone can be a member of Wiarton Willie's Shadow Cabinet! Summer is in full swing and Willie's fans are coming out in record numbers. This year Willie has gone hog wild and added a couple of new features for his many fans to enjoy.

The Official site of Punxsutawney Phil

Lots of information here, everything you wanted to know about Punxsutawney Phil and groundhogs!

Hinterland Who's Who

Mammal Fact Sheets - Woodchucks, also known as Groundhogs.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory

WELCOME to the source on the web for information on wildlife rehabilitation. Here you will find information on what to do with injured wildlife and who to contact. Information is provided for the public and for the professional wildlife rehabilitator. Many links are provided to sites of interest relating to the field. Information is also present about wildlife in general that will appeal to everyone, so enjoy!

SquidAid 

Squidoo Fire Aid - Using the Internet to Aid California Fire Survivors

All Squidoo lensmasters are encouraged to create a lens or two or even three as part of the SquidAid and the Squidoo Fire Aid Challenge to benefit California Fire Survivors. We're asking all Squidoo lensmasters to make a lens or two or three with fun...

SquidAid Responders

SquidAid Responders are the Squidoo Lensmasters who responded to the call to aid the survivors of disasters.   All Squidoo Lensmasters are encouraged to become SquidAid Responders by make new lenses or modify existing lenses and choose the royalt...

SquidAid - Using the Internet to Aid Survivors of Disasters

In the spirit of LiveAid, BandAid, FarmAid and Tsunami Aid comes SquidAid, a way for the Squidoo Community to use the Internet to aid survivors of disasters. While it may be difficult for the Squidoo Community of Lensmasters to stage a major concert,...

Lensography - My Charity Squidoo Lenses

These are my Squidoo Lenses that I have 100% Proceeds donated to Charity. I hope to add more, so be sure to check back!

Leave some love for Spanish Joe! 

awelldressedbullet What an awesome day to have a birthday! Hope you had a great one! - Kathy Posted February 03, 2008

clouda9 Especially fond of any ground hog...we were born to celebrate. He/she to figure out the winter weather...me because it is my birthday! :) Posted February 03, 2008

awelldressedbullet LOL and Spanish Joe sends you very special furry ground hugs! Posted February 02, 2008

GypsyPirate Happy Groundhog's Day to Spanish Joe and his web maker! Posted February 02, 2008

fleur_de_lis_rising XOXOXO to Spanish Joe! Great lens! Educational and hysterical -- two of my favorite things! Posted August 08, 2007

P.S. If you buy something from this page... 

You will help more people than you know.

All proceeds will be donated to the SquidAid Group for helping people recover from disaster.

Doesn't that feel good?