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Hope and hilarity By Chuck Terrill Last Updated: January 29, 2015 Possum night for VC? The New England states are expecting 35 inches of snow and here in Valley Center, we are experiencing record-high late January temperatures. With that much snow on the ground, Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pa., will have a hard time getting out of his burrow. It is doubtful that he will see his shadow Feb. 2. If Groundhog Phil were in our neck of the woods, he would already be out on the prowl. It would be difficult to hibernate through temperatures near 70 degrees. As far as I know, there aren't any groundhogs in our vicinity. If we had our own groundhog, we could promote him as the true predictor of an early spring. He wouldn't often see his shadow around here on the second day of February. Then we could always have six less weeks of winter. What we do have are possums. Our city council might consider changing Ground Hog Day to Possum Night. Our city officials could all line up wearing top hats and tails, just like they do in Pennsylvania. They could drag an old possum out of a hollow log in the middle of the night. Thousands would gather to watch the spectacle under blazing football stadium lights. "Valley Vermin" T-shirts would be sold by the score. Millions of dollars of tax revenue would come into the city treasury. I can imagine the flash bulbs going off in the face of that wide-awake, startled possum lifted aloft by a city official. TV crews would broadcast the spectacle live, by satellite, around the globe. If the possum saw a mayor or councilwoman leaving in an ambulance headed for the emergency room at midnight, it would signal an early end to winter. Most years we could guarantee that winter would end early. The entire nation would celebrate. Valley Center would be in the limelight. Intelligent elected officials would vacation in Punxsutawney, Pa., in early February. Just a thought, but Mayor Michael McNown might be retiring at just the right time. Chuck Terrill is pastor of Valley Center Christian Church. He can be reached at chuck@valleycenterchristianchurch.org or 755-1233. |
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