JACKSON, Ga. — Georgia’s two groundhogs made their predictions on Monday with one predicting six weeks of winter and another predicting an early spring.
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It may seem like a silly holiday to some. But for Alan and Kathy Shane, Groundhog Day holds a special meaning.
“We were actually married on 2/2/02. So that’s why we continue to honor the groundhog. We picked it for the numbers, but we’ve been all around the country to different ones,” Kathy Shane said.
Kathy and Alan made the trek from Florida to Butts County, Georgia to see the famous Gen. Beauregard Lee make his call. It’s their latest stop on their groundhog tour over the last 24 years.
“We’ve been to Nebraska for Unadilla Bill. He’s actually a dead, stuffed groundhog. We’ve got to ride in the parade and we were the grand marshals,“ Kathy Shane said. ”And we went to Woodstock, Illinois, which is where they filmed the Groundhog’s Day movie."
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The couple usually renews their vows during their trips as well. They also got to experience something different with Georgia’s groundhog tradition.
“I like the fact that Beauregard is allowed to do this own thing. Everywhere else they grab them, they hold them. He does his own thing,” Kathy Shane said.
As the sun rose on the Dauset Trails, Lee decided to come out of his home and give his prediction: six more weeks of winter. The Shanes don’t mind it.
“We like it. When you live in Florida, it want it as cool as it will be forever,” Kathy said.
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