Who Needs Punxsutawney Phil If We Could Have Nacogdoches Ned?
Yes, I know that the groundhog saw his shadow. However, I don't put much stock into that tradition. Year after year, people tune in to see what "Punxsutawney Phil" will predict for weather forecasts. And year after year, his prediction may or may not come true...I get it. There are no absolute sure things when it comes to weather predictions. Anomalies happen.
But here's the thing: We don't have groundhogs in Deep East Texas. They're not native to our area. If you're sitting there saying, "Mark, where are you going with this? What does that have to do with the groundhog predictions...?" It's simple, really. I say we should have our own weather prediction animal.
What Kind of Animal Would We Use in Deep East Texas?
If an animal isn't native to an area, then it can't really be trusted to predict the weather for that area, right? So, we can't really go with a prediction of a groundhog in Pennsylvania while we're all the way down here in Texas. We need a local animal. So what would it be? A squirrel? Maybe, but that's a bit mainstream...A bobcat? Probably too finicky as a part of the feline family.
READ MORE: Want a Racoon as a Pet? Texas Says No.
I've got it - let's go with armadillo. Face it, it's native to the area. It's a fairly laid-back creature. Plus, it's the state mammal of Texas - sorry, had to throw a Lone Star State symbol in there, as always.
What Would We Name It?
Naturally, you have to have a catchy name for the animal. It's got to be something that rolls off the tongue and is memorable. So, alliteration is a big bonus here. I may be a bit biased here, but Nacogdoches is a unique name. Sort of like Punxsutawney, right?
And then, to top it off, let's go with name that starts with "N"...something simple, not too hard to remember...Ned. Done. I think that Nacogdoches Ned would work like a charm. Now, just remember, any merchandise sales, photo ops, anything like that will need to have payments made out in my name, thanks.