Welcome to Texas, where everything is bigger and we predict the seasons with a Texas icon: an armadillo.

BEE CAVE, Texas — Although the majority of the country watches a groundhog predict the timing of the spring season, Texas does things a little different.

In our state, everything is bigger and we predict the seasons with a Texas icon: an armadillo.

Bee Cave Bob has been predicting the incoming spring season since 2010 – and his predictions don’t always align with the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil.

To the dismay of many, Phil predicted six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day, in the annual ceremony held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Thankfully, Bob is “defiant and independent-minded,” according to his handler. He predicted an early spring for us Texans at the “Armadillo Day” event at the West Pole ranch in Bee Cave. But with a high near 80 degrees on Sunday, did you really need an armadillo to tell you that?

Bob has been assisting Texans in predicting an early spring or longer winter for over a decade. His legacy of detecting the oncoming season matches that of Pennsylvania’s Phil – with both critters, if they see their shadow, that means a long winter. No shadow means warmer and sunnier weather.

Credit: Sandra Bryant
Nacho, like Phil, predicted six more weeks of winter by choosing the stuffed snowman over the sunshine plush.

Meanwhile in Buda on Sunday, the city hosted its inaugural Ground-Dog Day at the Buda Amphitheater and Pavilion with Nacho the dachshund.

Nacho, like Phil, predicted six more weeks of winter by choosing the stuffed snowman over the sunshine plush.

The Buda event was started ahead of the city’s big wiener dog races. The 28th annual Buda Lions Club Country Wiener Dog Races kick off April 26-27.

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