Ah yes, today is the long-awaited, strangely popular Groundhog Day. Good ole Punxsutawney Phil, who lives in the town library by the way, predicts our weather’s fate courtesy of his shadow (or lack there of).

When I was in college at IUP, Groundhog Day somehow happened to be this major deal. Surely it must’ve been because it gave Western PA its annual 15 minutes of fame. I remember during my freshman year some of my dorm mates traveled via shuttle up to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsy for the legendary event. I opted to stay behind, which was smart because some of them were slammed with underage drinking citations.

Groundhog statue pic taken from the car

It wasn’t until my junior year that I actually traveled to Punxsy–and no it wasn’t to see the rodent. My friends and I drove through the town en route to Dubois and they made a special stop just for me because, being an Eastern PA girl, I had never been there before. We took a few photos and ran over to the library to catch a quick glimpse of Phil himself then hopped back into the car. Sort of like the artsy donkeys scattered around the Valley, in Punxsy you’ll find, appropriately enough, artsy groundhogs.

Unfortunately for me, and those who loathe winter, Phil saw his shadow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter. Or, to put it in better terms, six more weeks until spring. That sounds so much nicer, right? We’ll see…

Winter and I have a love-hate relationship. Most of the time he’s rather dull and unattractive, but from time to time we actually get along with one another.

Like today, for instance, I quite enjoy these lovely warmer temperatures. But I know he’s going to turn a cold shoulder and show me his ugly face without warning. The funny thing is, I snowboard. So when I say I hate winter, people tend to ponder my choice to partake in such a winter sport. I may not exactly love the cold, but what I do love is the adrenaline rush that comes with snowboarding.

This season, my first trip to the mountain actually came on New Year’s Day for a nice evening session at Windham Mountain in New York. Really nice place! Unfortunately, only the lower half of the mountain is lighted so my group and I didn’t really have the opportunity to experience the more challenging runs. It snowed the entire time we were there so it was really nice to ride on real snow rather than the man-made stuff you find around here.

Speaking of man-made, on Wednesday night I drove up to Bear Creek for a quick two hours. Did you know they added a Waffle Hut at the bottom of the mountain? They had one of those at Windham, too. Must be the new thing.

Another thing they had at Windham was a Big Air Bag. Skiers and snowboarders launch off a small-ish kicker and land onto a huge air bag that sort of just immediately dumps you off. A few of us really wanted to try it at Windham, but riders need to wear helmets. Fortunately, Blue Mountain just added one, so perhaps in the very near future I will check it out.

Despite the cold that winter brings, the after-Christmas sales are seriously hot. I’ve managed to avoid the mall, surprisingly, but today at lunch Gap was calling my name as I walked by. I gave in. And walked out with a great sweater dress, two button-down shirts with ruffles, and a pair of tights for next to nothing. All sale items were an additional 25 percent off. How could I say no? I’m having a bit of buyer’s remorse, but I know as soon as I wear those items I’ll realize it was totally worth it.

Winter, sometimes I love you and most of the time I hate you. Actually, I just love to hate you. Spring, I am so incredibly looking forward to our reunion.

Although the fall season is definitely not my favorite, there are a few fun activities that make the cooler weather a bit more bearable–like picking pumpkins. You’re never too old to pick a big ol’ orange round guy. Over the weekend, Mike and I did just that.

We visited Amore Farms on Route 512 and returned home with five pumpkins in varying sizes, shapes, and colors (I found a pretty ghost pumpkin and a teeny tiny one that fits in the palm of my hand). Before taking the hayride to the pumpkin patch, we walked through Tombstone Alley and paid our respects to the deceased marked by handmade cardboard grave markers. We skipped Puzzle Woods (a word association game) and the corn maze to spend more time picking the perfect pumpkins. It reminded me of being seven again!

One of my most favorite Halloween memories is walking to my next-door neighbor’s home with my sister, Jess, and raking her leaves to fill giant orange pumpkin trash bags–after jumping in the piles of course. We transported the bags to our lawn and set them out front for everyone to see. I remember mulling over costume ideas and usually settling on something simple like a dead cheerleader because I already had the uniform (thanks Mountainville!). One year my sister and I were dice. I have photos from when I was an infant dressed as a cat. Now that I think of it, I wish someone had kept a list of all of my costumes.

Costumes, haunted houses, hayrides, apple cider, corn mazes. Next up, I plan to make candy apples, carve one of our pumpkins, and pay a visit to the Eastern State Penitentiary for a good spook. What do you have planned for Halloween? Do you have a favorite autumn tradition?

This Friday, March 20, marks the first official day of spring. Finally! Know what that means? It’s Free Rita’s Ice Day at Rita’s Italian Ice locations across the Valley. Looks like I’ll be making a lunchtime stop. But it also means a must-needed relief from the gray, cold winter season that many of us are admittedly sick and tired of. No offense Mother Nature, but the snow has got to go.

Perhaps it was because I was born in April that I have a deep love and appreciation for this particular season. Sure it can be rainy and quite dreary, but that smell of spring in the air just perks up my senses. Who doesn’t love that bright warm ball of sunshine beaming down on the Earth’s surface? It instantly infuses me with bubbly happy cells sure to put me in a better mood.

You can tell spring has sprung around the Valley just by opening up your door and taking a peek outside. Not only are green buds popping up on trees but neighbors and friends are retiring from their seasonal hibernation and enjoying the warmer temperatures outdoors.

One of the nicest things about this time of year is simply doing just that; enjoying the warmer temperatures outdoors. I can’t tell you how excited I become after looking at the forecast and seeing temps in the 60s. Fortunately for our area, there are handfuls of parks and recreation areas for hiking, biking, running, walking, playing, and lounging. Just the other day my boyfriend said it was almost bike weather – and by bike he means motorcycle. But it’s also just about time for us to dust off the 10-speeds and head down to the Delaware River to ride along the tow path.

Warmer temperatures and pleasant weather also means more residents will partake in Bethlehem’s First Fridays. I first attended a First Friday in Philadelphia several years ago and found it rather exciting. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned Bethlehem held a similar monthly event. Although not at large as Philadelphia’s, First Friday is a unique way to view local art while enjoying the offerings of our local retailers.

You really should plan to attend April’s or May’s if you’ve never had the chance to experience a First Friday evening. Although parking can be a hassle (unless you’re a seasoned frequenter and know the secret spots), you can’t beat the free performances, free artwork, free drinks (at select spots), and free fun for any and every age.

With the change of season underway, I have lots to do! Better check my list and hop to it. Oh yeah, Easter is coming up, too! See you next week… 

*Photos by Randy Hoffman