Well, I guess the groundhog did see his shadow after all.

Weatherman Al Roker was a bit skeptical when he saw the sun shining in Punxsutawney, Penn., on Feb. 2.  But after the northeast is now going on two weeks of ice, snow and frigid temperatures, my guess is Roker may be thinking that woodchuck was right.

And now it looks like nasty weather is going to show its face in Mississippi.

I’m typically ready for the cold to be gone after the first of the New Year but I will admit I did enjoy the snow we had this past January.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

I had been asked to take pictures of the snow at the Vicksburg National Military Park and before 7 a.m. I was making my way down the North Loop of the park.

The atmosphere there was one I have experienced when snow skiing in the mountains.

It’s a quiet, peaceful aura that only a blanket of snow can bring.

Admittedly, I was sad to see it melt the next day.

This weekend is set to be a cold one, but there was not much talk of snow.

Wintry mix has been mentioned, which for me only calls to mind storms of the past.

You know the ones, where the roads are icy and driving in a hilly city is nearly impossible. And then there are the powerlines that falter under the weight of the freezing rain.

Ugh. I absolutely hate it when my power goes out.

I certainly hope that if there is any kind of precipitation, it will just be a tranquil snowfall.

With temps forecast to dip into the teens and with wind chills in the single digits, this weather prediction as Yukon Cornelius said in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” is not fit for man nor beast.

Therefore, unless called out on an assignment, I plan to hunker down in front of the fireplace.

But that will not be the case for our first responders and Entergy workers.

I’ve often wondered how the men that sit up high in the bucket trucks fixing powerlines keep their hands warm enough to work.

Mine would be frozen to the point I couldn’t manipulate anything, much less small wires.

And for our first responders, they just can’t seem to catch a five-minute break. From COVID to chilling weather extremes, they keep doing their jobs.

Sunday is Valentine’s Day, a day to not only celebrate romantic love, but also friendship and admiration. So remember those who have gone above and beyond this past year, and who may be called to do even more this weekend if the weather turns bad.

Don’t they deserve a little love, and maybe a box of chocolates?