This is Vanese Ferguson with Coffee Talk.  Okay, I was this many years old when I learned the reason why we have the tradition of watching those furry little weather prognosticators emerge from their burrows.  Apparently its tied to medieval Europe, when farmers believed that if hedgehogs emerged from their burrows to catch insects, it was a sure sign of early spring.  Of course, there several things inherently wrong with the concept in Canada one being that we don’t have hedgehogs but instead depend on groundhogs.  Plus, the weather in Canada at this time of year, other than maybe the west coast, is not anywhere comparable to many parts of Europe in February.  Let’s not get bogged down in realistic expectations.  So, all eyes every February 2nd turn to Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and now Fred la Marmotte who is from the Val-d’Espoir area of Quebec and yes marmotte is French for groundhog.  So, I always wonder what we are supposed to presume if they have differing results you know with the whole if it sees its shadows then its six more weeks of winter and if they don’t that means we get an early spring.  All I know is by midweek here were in plus territory.  And And Lucy the Lobster in Nova Scotia? Yes, they have that.  Uh, she would be best served to stay put.  Eastern Canada has powerful nor’easter roiling up from North Carolina and those poor folks can expect to see another 50 centimetres of snow in some areas.