For Morley Conn, every day is Groundhog’s Day
Learning Support Center instructor has lifelong love of Gen. Beauregard Lee, Georgia's resident groundhog
January 31, 2018
Groundhog’s Day is a special day for Ms. Morley Conn, an instructor in the Learning Support Center.
She spent her early childhood in the Atlanta area near Lilburn, where Georgia’s resident groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, once lived at the Yellow River Game Ranch in a plantation known as “Weathering Heights.”
Her family would make regular trips to see “Beau,” which inspired her love of the groundhog. Beau has now moved to Dausett Trails Nature Center, north of Forsyth.
Ms. Conn enjoys writing e-mails to the groundhog to check in on how he is doing, and Beaux always responds.
I want warm weather! I want it to be spring and soccer season! — Ms. Morley Conn
“I usually tell Beau I hope he is having a good day,” she said. “I ask him fun questions like what language he speaks and why his door is red. He responded to why his door is red and said “Go Dawgs!” He has also told me to ‘have a diggin’ good day.”’
Ms. Conn hopes the groundhog does not see his shadow” on Friday, Feb. 2.
“I want warm weather!” she said. “I want it to be spring and soccer season!”
Ms. Conn goes through a lot of preparation each year for Groundhog’s Day. She always makes sure to email Beau the week of the special day.
“This year I got everyone bookmarks and tattoos with groundhogs to celebrate,” she said. “I accidentally ordered the wrong number of tattoos, and now I have 792 accidental tattoos. I also ordered a T-shirt.”
Despite her wish for an early spring, Mrs. Conn’s prediction for this year is that he will unfortunately see his shadow. She has been checking the advance weather forecast.