Trailheads: #Groundhog

Please check the PHMC Events Calendar if you're planning ahead. I've included some highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room to the right of your screen has all kinds of online offerings--great for when you're trying to stay warm.

The limbs of a leafless tree against a gray winter sky. There is snow on the ground.

A stark, but beautiful, landscape at Pennsbury Manor (photo via Facebook)

So, before we could even start digging out from the latest snowstorm in southeastern PA (and elsewhere, of course), Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of this...stuff. Great. Well, at least it looks pretty, as evidenced by these posts from the Trails of History.

The folks at Cornwall Iron Furnace have a lot of snow to clear. Even though our sites are closed to the public, there are staff members reporting for work on site to keep everything maintained and safe.

We are still clearing snow here at Cornwall Iron Furnace. Show us your snow photos!
Posted by Cornwall Iron Furnace on Thursday, February 4, 2021

Ephrata Cloister always looks beautiful in the snow!

The site looks beautiful covered in snow!
Posted by Historic Ephrata Cloister on Thursday, February 4, 2021

In addition to clearing snow for people, site staff also are on site when there are animals to take care of, such as here at Pennsbury Manor.

Our barnyard residents are enjoying our beautiful site in the snow! ❄
Posted by Pennsbury Manor on Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Bushy Run Battlefield is the closest Trails of History site to Punxsutawney (I think).

It’s official, six more weeks of winter ❄️ it was prognosticated this morning by our neighbor to the northeast Punxsutawney Phil. #groundhogday #punxsutawneyphil #bushyrunbattlefield
Posted by Bushy Run Battlefield on Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Upcoming virtual events

Friday, Feb. 5 and 12

Learn at Lunchtime, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 12:15-12:45 pm: today's (2/5) program is an artist conversation between fine arts curator Amy Hammond and photographer Ron Tarver (info and registration); next Friday (2/12), join Dr. Walter Meshaka, senior curator of zoology and botany, and nature educator Beth Erikson as they talk about how Pennsylvania's reptiles and amphibians survive winter (info and registration)

Thursday, Feb. 11

Winter History Class (Week 2), Ephrata Cloister, 9 am-noon: we're in week 2 of the 9-week class, and today's topics are compulsory military service during the American Revolution and illuminations in Ephrata and Snow Hill manuscripts and prints (info, registration, and complete class schedule)
ADDED: Ephrata Virtual Academy, 7-7:30 pm: enjoy a short presentation on artifacts in Ephrata's collection created by the PA Museum Extension Project in the 1930s as part of the Works Progess Administration (info and registration)

Tuesday, Feb. 16

What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase, 7-8 pm: this month's theme is Love and Relationships, in honor of Valentine's Day. Staff from six Trails of History sites will share objects related to the theme, and the audience will vote on their favorite (info and registration)

A groundhog eating (credit D. Gordon, E. Robertson via Creative Commons)

In what is likely a first (hedging my bets, here), Punxsutawney Phil will deliver the annual prognostication of winter's length virtually. Since I've never gone to Gobbler's Knob in person and really don't like being out in the cold, it's all the same to me, although I know there are plenty of folks who love that sort of thing. Anyway, you'll find Phil and the gang at www.groundhog.org if you want to catch the excitement from home (I just might). I'm sure many of you know that Phil is not Pennsylvania's only whistlepig (and I'm not talking about his brother Gus). I haven't been able to find out info on all of them for this year. I can tell you that Octoraro Orphie is sitting this one out, but Mount Joy Minnie will make a prediction. (I know this is the content you all come to Trailheads for.)

Regardless of what the groundhogs predict, hopes for spring spring eternal on the Trails of History. Pennsbury Manor has announced a project to revitalize the Upper Court, or formal gardens, behind the Manor House. Gardens always require a degree of hope (and spring).

We are pleased to announce the launch of an exciting endeavor that will enhance the aesthetics and educational value of...
Posted by Pennsbury Manor on Wednesday, January 27, 2021

David Miller, museum educator at Old Economy Village, posted some descriptions of George Rapp's garden, along with a lovely image.

From the Museum Educator: When the Duke of Saxe-Weimar visited Economy in 1826 he had this to say about George Rapp’s...
Posted by Old Economy Village on Wednesday, January 27, 2021

And to get a start on your own garden, Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum's Heirloom Seed Project has begun taking orders for seeds.

Whether your garden consists of a few pots on the patio or a full scale vegetable garden, nothing tops heirloom veggies!...
Posted by Landis Valley Museum on Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Of course, we have Bernie memes!

Historic Hope Lodge found Sen. Bernie Sanders, with his sensible coat, mask, and warm mittens, in the unheated (at the moment) parlor.

Welcome to Hope Lodge, Mr. Sanders. Better late than never!
Posted by Historic Hope Lodge on Saturday, January 23, 2021

Senator Sanders also, apparently, found his way into the black bear diorama in the State Museum's Mammal Hall.

How does he do it? #Bernie is welcome to visit when we reopen, but for now visit Mammal Hall 360 to see the dioramas -> statemuseumpa.org/PAMammalHall #BernieMemes2021 #pamammalhall #bernieatmuseums
Posted by The State Museum of Pennsylvania on Friday, January 22, 2021

And to everyone's astonishment, Bernie was able to climb aboard Oliver Hazard Perry's boat as he transferred from Lawrence to Niagara.

Wait. That's not how we remember it... #bernie #memes
Posted by Erie Maritime Museum on Thursday, January 21, 2021