Emily the Groundhog

This is the story of Emily, the most sleepy of all groundhogs. Emily will hibernate for three months, living on fat stores in her body. During the summer, she eats more than enough so she can sleep until warm weather is on the horizon. She also works on her burrow during the summer, which is thirty-feet long and has a bedroom, a summer room, and a bathroom. Emily is a true hibernator, reducing both her body temperature and her heart rate to ensure the best sleep. As the spring days approach, Emily will leave her cozy burrow with enough body fat left to carry her until new plant life grows.

You might think that Emily is a most lazy creature because she sleeps for three months, but this is not the case. The winters are very cold where she lives and she has to be in a place that she can call home. While she is safely tucked away in her cozy burrow, she is caring for her body, giving it the rest that it needs. Perhaps we all need a place to call home …