Groundhog Day Mourning

What was supposed to be some midwinter festivities to celebrate hopes for an early spring turned out to be a sunrise wake for a 22-year old rodent Tuesday in Wiarton, Canada.

The crowds who gathered at Canada's top Groundhog Day festival got worse news than a bad weather forecast: They learned that celebrated groundhog Wiarton Willie had died.

Willie, who was 22, died of natural causes Sunday but his handlers decided to withhold the news until Tuesday's ceremony. Some children among the 200 distraught people burst into tears.

"We didn't really know what to do," said Sam Brouwer, Willie's caretaker for the past 10 years. "We were absolutely devastated." He said the albino groundhog had been in failing health when he went into hibernation last fall.

Willie was lying in state in a pine coffin for a public viewing Tuesday morning. His paws were crossed, pennies were placed over his eyelids and he was clutching a carrot.

Despite his death, Willie did make one last weather prediction: officials said the "spirit" of Willie indicated there would be an early spring