No more spring? (not related to real estate)

I spent a number of years teaching in Pennsylvania. Every year I looked forward to the Groundhog Day ritual of tongue-in-cheek reporting of whether Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow. Evidently even that dim ray of spring hope will fade, at least if PETA has its way.

I would think that a serious organization would have better things to do than focus on groundhog rights. Read all about their heroic efforts to let P. Phil live a normal, boring, whistle-piggish life. Incidentally, if PETA is successful, they have much work ahead. There are a number of other woodchuck forecasters in the U.S. and Canada, among them (according to Wikipedia), among them Buckeye Chuck, Sir Walter Wally, and Octoraro Orphie.

One more American tradition about to disappear? Another addition to the national unemployment roll? When winter comes, can spring be far behind? Maybe.