Dear Kid,

Tomorrow is rodent day! Our favorite nose-twitching prognosticator will be yanked from his cozy blankets and shoved out into the cold, then asked to predict the next 6 weeks of weather.

Who thought this up? (Don’t get me wrong—I still want to go to Punxsutawney, but being woken from a deep sleep and thrust into the frigid outdoors is not likely to make the groundhog want to deliver good news.)

On the other hand, at least Phil has a good winter coat. A prairie dog or mouse would be a definite fail.

But what if other rodent-types were eligible for the job? Can you imagine the reality show this would have made?

Competing over the next six weeks, rodents from various walks of life will vie for the opportunity to win a year’s worth of food and the title of Prognosticator in Chief. Vote for your favorite on social media using the hashtag #WeatherRodent. This week, chipmunks, squirrels, and marmots compete. Next week, mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters. During the season we’ll also see lemmings, voles, guinea pigs, and porcupines!

Now let’s meet our judges, Mr. Hawk, Mr. Owl, and Ms. Coyote. Hmmm….looks like none of our contestants are eager to go first….

OK, maybe not my best idea ever.

Love, Mom

Happy First Day of February! Making 2017 a Good Year One Day at a Time