Groundhog Day is Feb. 2. People look to the furry creature to forecast the coming of spring. Watch video
By Al Warr
Groundhog Day is Feb. 2. People look to the furry creature to forecast the coming of spring.
Where and when this idea jumped into our culture is lost in the fog of history. But meteorologists everywhere soon will be talking about the groundhog. No doubt the animal will enliven their forecasts.
The groundhog model of forecasting the weather is an either-or proposition. If the groundhog sees its shadow, we can expect six more weeks of winter. But if it is cloudy, then spring is on the way.
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Get up close and personal with groundhogs this Saturday afternoon, Jan. 30, 1-3 p.m. That's when the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association is offering visitations to the burrows of groundhogs resident there.
Hike to the burrows and learn all about the animals. Then warm up by the outdoor fire, sip a warm drink, and make crafts celebrating Groundhog Day. While you are there, pay a visit to the Watershed's Nature Center.
Which of 3 N.J. ground hogs has been accurate?
The Watershed has some 14 miles of trails for hiking across 860 acres. It's located at 31 Titus Mill Rd., Pennington. For more information, call 609 737-3735 or visit TheWatershed.org.
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If you have never seen a groundhog, you can find one in a work by artist Darlene Foster. She specializes in digital photographic painting interpretations.
"I do photography montages," said Foster. She travels all over New Jersey and beyond photographing landscapes, buildings, birds, found objects, and more.
"Antique and vintage objects that have had previous lives are elements I collect that eventually find their way into my work," she explained.
"I use my own photographs and then put together pieces of these to form a montage," she explained. She also incorporates old cabinet cards and antique photos into her works, creatively retouching and coloring to bring everything together.
Groundhog Day 2014 is the title of her work that uses part of a photograph she took of a groundhog ambling about her backyard. The animal now rests in the lap of a young girl, brought together with several additional scenes captured all over Hunterdon.
See the result at DarleneFosterArtist.Blogspot.com, along with her own words describing how she creates. See even more at DarleneFoster.com and on Facebook. Call her at 908 561-8161.
Foster will be exhibiting additional works at River Queen Artisans Gallery, Lambertville, in an upcoming show called A New Gambol. It opens Saturday, Jan. 30, 3-6 p.m. This show will showcase many works by different artists and artisans working in this area.
"I'll have 3 pieces in this show, and I plan to be there," Foster told me. In addition to her personal artwork, she does photographic painting, retouching and restorations for photographers and the general public.
River Queen Artisans Gallery is located at 8 Church St., Lambertville. It is owned by Jane Spencer Wesby and Edward Dumchus, and they also curate the art found at Caffe Galleria. The gallery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, open the other days. Call 609 397-2977 for more information or visit RiverQueenArtisans.com.
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Groundhog Day will be featured Tuesday evening, Feb. 2, in the Tuesday Trivia night beginning at 7 p.m. at the American Spirits Roadhouse. Trivia is hosted by DJ Marco from "By Request" and he also hosts Tuesday Karaoke which follows.
Get your Groundhog Day facts firmly in mind and head on out to American Spirits Roadhouse for a fun evening.
"We are now featuring live bands three nights each week," said Marie D'Costa. "These are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. And the incredible Open Mic night is on Wednesdays -- hosted by the super-talented Mike Pfeiffer. He is a multi-instrumentalist musician and writer in his own right."
Marie and Pete D'Costa bought the iconic Landslide Saloon in January of last year. For months, the place was renovated and updated. It opened as the American Spirits Roadhouse last summer.
"We enlarged the stage, added lighting and installed a nightclub-quality sound system," said Marie. "A sound engineer was added to provide the best experience." The menu has been upgraded and expanded.
Music here spans different genres -- from rock to folk to blues and country-western, she said.
Thursday, Jan. 28, it's the Michael Long Band. Tomorrow night, Slackjaw will do the honors. And on Saturday, it's IDB Band.
Next weekend it's Mark McMannus on Thursday, Feb 4, Phido on Friday, Feb 5, and Road to Ruin on Saturday, Feb. 6.
There's more. World Tavern Poker brings in players on Monday nights.
"It's a solid night for advanced players, as well as for novices and those who have never played and want to learn," she said. "It's a national program, where local competitors can go on to state and regional competitions until the best of the best meet up in Las Vegas."
On Sunday, Feb. 7, the NFL Super Bowl will be playing on all televisions plus the 180-inch projection screen. The place should rock.
For more information, call 908 735-0101 or AmericanSpiritsRoadhouse.com. Also on Facebook and Twitter.
Al Warr can be reached at 610 253-0432 or AlWarr16@gmail.com