More winter? Early spring? Get the forecast at Donkey Day in Bertram
Pawnee the donkey is presented with three buckets: one filled with oats (early spring), one with grain (more winter) and one with water (lots of rain.) File photo
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BERTRAM — Donkey Day is Feb. 2. And it’s an important day for those planning out their spring schedules.
Up north, people look to groundhog Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions of six more weeks of winter or early springs. In Bertram, however, Pawnee the miniature donkey will let residents know what kind of weather to expect in the coming weeks.
“This is our version of Groundhog Day,” Mayor Dickie Allen said.
At noon in front of City Hall, Pawnee will be presented with a choice of three buckets: oats, representing an early spring; grain, symbolizing an extra six weeks of winter; and water, which means a lot of rain.
In a proclamation, the Bertram Chamber of Commerce calls groundhogs “meaningless” to the city, so a “local, intelligent mammal of high regard” was needed. So Pawnee of Frontier Legends, which is owned by Skip and Patsy Oertli, was the choice.
“(Pawnee) just seemed like the most intelligent animal we know,” the mayor said. “People trust his decisions. We feel like he deserves the honor for the predictor of Donkey Day.”
This is the fifth year for Donkey Day and the fourth year for Pawnee. Bertram’s first burro-meter was Starfire in 2011.
Though Pawnee is only about 28 inches tall, some children have hopped on his back for a ride in past years. Allen said it would not surprise him if children, depending on age and size, would attempt to get a ride again this year.
The mayor was quick to say which bucket he hoped Pawnee picks.
“I would kind of like to see an early (end to) winter,” he said. “We need a prediction so we can plant gardens and people can start planning vacations. It’s very important for the community to know when the end of winter is going to be.”
The Bertram City Hall is located at 166 W. Vaughn St.
jfierro@thepicayune.com