This guy hasn’t seen his hind feet in years!  But the people of Punxsutawney love him all the same and have even erected several statues throughout the city in his honor...

Having also seen “Phil,” I am amazed that anything short of a hundred pounds of dynamite could possibly propel him through the door of his groundhog condo . . .

And so, in keeping with the spirit of the event, we wish you all a safe and happy Groundhog Day!!  As for us, we are still in San Carlos, Mexico, and will be heading north again on March 1.  We have been having our share of electronic gizmo trouble during the past month with both our new computer and digital camera giving up the ghost.  We sent our camera back to the Olympus repair facility in Los Angeles and had them ship it back to our daughter, Kassie, in LA after it was fixed.  We discovered that the cost of shipping it back to us in Mexico would be $80 plus and additional $40 import fee to the Mexican government.  We also learned that, unless we could somehow disguise the shipping carton to appear that it contained a houseplant, the chances of actually having it successfully transit the Mexican UPS system were not very good.  And so, we are now camera-less until we get to LA next month.  My bride is suffering camera deprivation and has immersed herself in non-stop housework and cooking as a diversion . . . hmmm, I think I just discovered the silver lining.  Our computer will just have to wait until we get back to the US since we have our old one as a backup.  We had intended to send the old one in to Gateway prior to leaving the U.S. for Mexico last October but were unable to adequately coordinate the shipping to and from Gateway.  They wanted $321 to clean and re-condition it but we found a shop here in San Carlos that did it for $500 pesos . . . that’s just about $50!  Of course the “technician” worked out of a taco stand and shined shoes for spare change but we ain’t complainin’.  My brother-in-law and his wife are still here and even purchased a beachfront condo and a “piece of the rock."  The condo I can understand, but there is something about a quarter acre on the side of a rock that can’t be traversed by Jeeps or mountain goats that leaves me bewildered.  I guess that growing up in North Dakota has left him with a greater appreciation for rocks and contoured places than most other people.  The weather here is still in the 70’s during the day but the nights have been a bit chilly of late and we are in for a week of temperatures in the 60’s next.  My ever-resourceful traveling companion is ready...

 Heeeee's Back                                                            February 1, 2005

Never let it be said that this gal doesn’t know how to pack!  See you all next month.  Hugs and smooches, Chuck and Zook

Heeeeeee’s back!!!!!  Yep.  It’s that time of year again when the world awaits the emergence of a large rat-like creature from a tree stump somewhere in the hills of Pennsylvania.  Legend has it that if this creature detects his shadow we will be blessed with 6 more weeks of winter; if not, then break out the beer and barbecue for summer has arrived!!  I have been to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and have personally seen the stump this critter has to get out of...