Imagine being a hibernating animal who just rose from a long winter's nap. Most people would probably think of a peaceful chilly morning and the desire for food and companionship.

That's not the case for one hibernating groundhog who is abruptly grabbed from his burrow only to be put upon a stump for the world to see.

And that's in Punxsutawney, Pa. -- the home of the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, and many other groundhog-loving fans. From the fireworks at 6:30 a.m. to Phil's family picnic last Sunday afternoon, the town of Punxsutawney readily prepared for the groundhog's weather prediction.

But a glimpse at the weather forecast does not come without consequences, as Bud Dunkel, former groundhog handler and now president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, knows. The groundhog handler is responsible for reaching into the burrow to pluck the reluctant rodent from its slumber. Obviously, Phil does not appreciate the interruption.

"My fingers got shorter and shorter so I became President (of the club)," said Dunkel, who was the handler for 12 years.

Punxsutawney natives are not the only people awaiting the prediction. This year, Dunkel has received many boxes of letters addressed to Punxsutawney Phil. The letters are from grade school children in Alabama asking about Phil's favorite food, age and why he sees his shadow. Dunkel answered their letters in the place of Phil with one reply.

"I'm having a difficult time answering your letters, my paws are still numb from the cold," Dunkel wrote. He went on to explain that he was born in 1887 and his favorite meal is carrots and spinach.

The Groundhog Club formed in autumn of 1899, when the townspeople rode their horses up to a nearby mountain and dug a groundhog out and ate him. It was considered an end-of-the-summer feast for the next few years. In 1906 the journeys to Gobbler's Knob were changed to Feb. 2 because of the national popularity of the ritual.

Phil is brought out of hibernation at 7:15 a.m., and then the numerous booths set up for the media begin taking pictures of the following events. If Phil sees his shadow there are six more weeks of winter, but if he does not see it, spring is just around the corner.

Last year about 5,000 people attended the groundhog festivities, said Laurie Lash, a member of the Groundhog Festival Committee. The weather was unbearable with the temperature at minus 13 degrees, but spirited fans filled the crowd -- including a few shirtless college students who had "Go Phil!" spelled out upon their chests. The British Broadcasting Company also covered the events last year.

This year NBC, CBS and John Cigna from Pittsburgh will be broadcasting live beginning early in the morning.

Some students are not too concerned with the tradition and weather prediction. Shelly Stevick (junior-communication disorders) remembers Feb. 2 for her aunt's birthday rather than for Groundhog's Day.

"I don't think I can ever remember a time they said winter is going to be shorter -- it's always longer," she said.

Although the cameras, reporters and thousands of spectators leave Punxsutawney, Phil will still rise in the morning to greet the morning sunshine and go on with a typical groundhog day -- six more weeks of winter or not.