By Harley Nefe
On February 2, as Punxsutawney Phil was awakened from his burrow around 7:25 a.m. to make his annual prediction, there was another critter making his appearance in the High Country — Sugar Grove Slim.
Every year on his favorite holiday, Jim Sparger of Sugar Grove stops by the High Country Press office along with his pal, Sugar Grove Slim, and the two have been making their rounds for many years.
“I just started traveling around with him, and we’ve become close,” Sparger said.
Sugar Grove Slim can be seen sporting a vest, hat and necklace. Where did he get his attire from?
“I wonder,” Sparger chuckled.
“I have always done this for entertainment, and I have always known that even when I first moved up here that my looks are different from a lot of people, and that’s not going to change,” Sparger said. “I was born in Texas, but I was raised basically all over the world.”
The inseparable pair of Sparger and Sugar Grove Slim have been seen visiting daycare centers, schools and churches to offer an entertaining educational experience.
“Groundhog Day is the day when people need to learn about animals like this,” Sparger said. “And this one is real enough, and with my theatrics, it is enough to keep people entertained.”
He continued, “We have a great time, and kids learn about the ears, eyes, nose, teeth and claws. And the nice thing about it is I can turn Sugar Grove Slim around, and the kids can see all the way around him. The whole idea is to let them know that this is one of the better wildlife animals that we have. Groundhogs keep a lot of the other things out. I’ve seen the ones in my area kill snakes. The major thing here is unless they’re in your garden, most people like them, and they’re neat little animals.”
Sparger went on to describe the hefty, long claws and how they can do some serious digging as well as groundhogs’ front teeth, which are for chipping away at things and gnawing on wood.
As for an appetite, “When I first met Sugar Grove Slim, he said, ‘Don’t feed me. I’m stuffed!’” Sparger laughed. But groundhogs typically like roots, berries and insects.
“I’ve just had fun with him,” Sparger said. “Like most animals that live with all of these others, I think groundhogs are one of the most adaptable. For one, they can live above or below, especially if what’s above them is an apple tree.”
Not many people get the opportunity to get close to the smart little animals, and Sparger described that kids are always in awe when they meet and learn about Sugar Grove Slim.
“How can you not be in awe at him?” Sparger asked.
“Especially in preschool and first grade, the kids that were raised here have no problem, but to the kids that move here from different areas, this is still a wild animal to them,” he said. “I mean, it is a wild animal, but if you give them room, they’ll give you room.”
However, most of the time, Sparger doesn’t mind kids touching Sugar Grove Slim as long as he is there to supervise.
The dynamic duo has also visited high schools as well.
“They don’t really pinpoint what they’re supposed to learn,” Sparger explained. “Well, it’s the same thing as reading a book. You’re right in it. You have to turn the pages if you want to learn the topic.”
But much like a lot of other events and activities, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on Sparger and Slim’s adventures.
“This is the third year that we’re not able to go around,” Sparger said. “The first time, I had to call around and say, ‘I don’t think this is wise for me to do because all of your kids have to touch him.’ I’ve been in enough places where I have been around diseases and other things in other countries. You do the right thing, because if it isn’t for you, you’re going to give it to somebody else.”
As for the 2022 Groundhog Day prediction, Sugar Grove Slim’s is the same as always — spring weather is not coming soon, Sparger said.
This claim is the same as Punxsutawney Phil’s, as the furry rodent saw his shadow Wednesday morning, which means winter is here to stay!
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