On Groundhog Day Feb. 2, 2021, standing inside the Activity Barn and out of the snow at Alfred B. DelBello Muscoot Farm, Curator Jonathon Benjamin lifted Cluxatawney Henrietta out of her coop and found an egg, signaling an early spring.
Benjamin said: “As you know Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog who has predicted the weather in Pennsylvania for years and years. We don’t have a groundhog on the farm, so we use the next best thing – Henrietta, our weather predicting chicken.”
This was Alfred B. DelBello Muscoot Farm’s third annual egg laying in honor of Groundhog Day. Cluxatawney Henrietta, a 3-year-old Ameraucana Chicken, predicted an early spring in both 2019 and 2020.
Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation Kathy O’Connor said:
“Each year we await Cluxatawney Henrietta’s Groundhog Day prediction. Although Winter Storm Orlena makes spring seem far away, we look forward to the days becoming longer and hope you will take some time to explore our many parks.”
Henrietta agrees with Groundhog Staten Island Chuck, who didn’t see his shadow but Punxsutawney Phil the longtime prognosticator of the winter weather did see his shadow. Remember the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, Phil is in that movie.
So we will have to wait and see who got it right, and if its 6 more weeks of winter or an early spring. But Westchester Loves the idea of Henrietta the Hen! Go Muscoot!
