(Langosta is the Spanish word for Locust.)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Clouds of locusts have descended around the Mexican beach resort of Cancun, destroying corn crops and worrying officials in a region still recovering from the devastating fury of last year's Hurricane Wilma. Traveling in dark fogs, locusts are grasshoppers that have entered a swarming phase, capable of covering large distances and rapidly stripping fields of vegetation.

"Imagine, they fly in the form of a flock. Imagine the width of a street," government official Martin Rodriguez said on Tuesday, describing the fields around Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Upscale Resort in Mexico's Hottest Development Also Takes Top Honors in Accommodations and Service
(Click here to visit the Four Seasons Punta Mita site.
PUNTA MITA, Mexico, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita -- the flagship resort of the innovative 1,500-acre, master-planned community just north of Puerto Vallarta -- has taken top honors in three categories of Conde Nast Traveler's eleventh annual Reader's Choice survey on the world's finest golf resorts. In this year's evaluation, The Four Seasons Punta Mita is named the #1 Golf Resort in the world, as well as the top property for both accommodations and service.

It's not talked about much yet. Remember, "You heard it here first, on the PdB Homeowners Association website!" Anyway, there is a new highway under construction which will go all the way from Minnesota to Mexico.

This is the map of the route. You can see that it doesn't go all the way to Punta del Burro, but it will be pretty close. Although I haven't done the drive myself on existing roads, I have talked to people who have and they agree it's not as easy as driving on US interstate. So, that's about to change for the better. Construction will begin in Texas next year. Here's an excerpt from this article:

Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.
...
...the first Trans-Texas Corridor segment of the NAFTA Super Highway is ready to begin construction next year. Various U.S. government agencies, dozens of state agencies, and scores of private NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have been working behind the scenes to create the NAFTA Super Highway, despite the lack of comment on the plan by President Bush.

You can also get more information from this site.

From what I understand, this is part of the plan for the US to eventually merge with Canada and Mexico. This should make visiting and living at PdB much easier eventually. Here's an excerpt from a report "Building a North American Community: Report of an Independent Task Force. Sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales".

The Task Force offers a detailed and ambitious set of proposals that build on the recommendations adopted by the three governments at the Texas summit of March 2005. The Task Force’s central recommendation is establishment by 2010 of a North American economic and security community, the boundaries of which would be defined by a common external tariff and an outer security perimeter.

You can download the entire report here (PDF, 295 KB).

As everyone knows we have been paving the roads in PdB with cobblestones. Here are a few pictures which show the progress to date: (click to enlarge)

Priority center road to be cobbled

Monty Vincent, who lives with his wife Julie in La Casa de las Olas, has a talent for making beautiful creations out of wood which the locals regard as basura. He collects the wood from the surrounding area and allows it to dry for up to a year. Then he meticulously removes all the dirt and dry rot. The next step involves cleaning and sanding the wood until its natural colors come through. These two pictures show these first two stages of the process. (Note: click on any of the pictures on this page to enlarge them.)

Resolution:
In Recognition and honor of Larry and Louis Pelton

Whereas, The Peltons were founding members of the Vollunteer Board of directors and served faithfully for consecutive years as active directors.

Whereas, they provided the leadership to establish a secure future for the Odysys water company through developement of its present structure.

Whereas, they personally raised numerous shareholder participants to support the program of the company.

Whereas, they made many personal sacrifices for the betterment of the company and community.

Whereas, they practiced the truest principles of philanthropy and service in their support of water access for all citizens of our community and,