Q (pt1). I need you. For years I've needed you, the dream, and the thought of you. Someone with sand perpetually between their toes. Sure Tarrant County has it's good points, plus it's only 10 hours away from SPI. When I drive by I-35, many times I think, "Just that one turn South, and I can be on my way there." I need a SPI fix, and often! But apparently you are letting something - like your life? - keep you from sharing SPI with the world on a more regular basis. I need daily Feet. I could live comfortably on weekly Feet. Do you wait on a good letter or topic? Don't!  Okay slightly more seriously now. The work you do online for SPI is great, I do keep up with SPIonline, but I was wondering. Are there any live cams on SPI? There used to be a surfcam but I think it has been out for awhile. Wouldn't a live cam at Louies, Amberjacks, the Radisson or Sheraton be worth it for those businesses to fund? Yes, it's self-serving because I want to catch a daily glimpse of the island life, but I know I'm not the only one. Keep up the good work. -DH - via the internet Q (pt2). Got an idea for you on the whole SPIcam thing. You must have a massive mailing list of SPI lovers by now. How about a shameless appeal for donations for this venture? Don't know how many on-line people you have, but if each pitched in say $10 I bet you could get a camera up and on-line. Might consider as well a live weather station. I bet you could find one of the local Real estate places to front this deal... You could then put up one page on their site with the weather station and another one off your page just for the weather/camera site. Just thinking .. -B.I.T. via the internet A. Well well well. This is starting to look like a trend.... a movement! The people who love SPI are speaking and we would do well to listen to them. Near as I can tell, we may be the last seaside resort town not fully utilizing the internet's potential to lure casual surfers here with up-to-the-minute views of our pristine beaches and consistently pleasant weather. Once upon a time there was indeed an SPI surfcam -- but it has disappeared without a trace (well, the URL is still valid but the message:  "Due to unforeseen circumstances the South Padre Surf Cam will be down until further notice " has been posted there for a very long time indeed ). The site is still coming up quite high in the search engines and the thought of all those folks hungry for a glimpse of us as we appear RIGHT NOW - cruelly disappointed! saddens me deeply. You can of course visit the highly-acclaimed padrelive.com site for videos on current SPI happenings -- I hear that Zeke Garrett's reports (yes, the Blackbeards' Zeke) are a lot of fun -- but I have to take that on faith because for some reason my super duper G4 all-the-bells-and-whistles Mac can't bring the video clips up. At any rate, that is still not the same as having a camera pointed at the beach or an SPI attraction twenty four/seven. While I personally do not have the technical know-how to set something like this up, I have some idea of what it would take, a location in mind to which I already have access, and a boyfriend who is just geeky enough to get the job done. Start-up costs could be kept to a minimum, and ad sales could keep it going -- I know for a fact that I could send a LOT of traffic to such a site, making it a very good bet for a local sponsor who would like to get some very positive attention. Anyone out there got ideas or suggestions? Call it a "shameless appeal" if you like... but I am convinced: SPI needs a truly live web presence. Hot Rumor #1: We hear that just maybe SPI's own bongodogs are actually going to be on the main stage at the Jackson Street Jubilee in Harlingen this year?! Better catch them soon before their fee gets as big as their collective heads must be right about now....The bongodogs LAST CALICHE MUSIC BEACH PARTY OF THE SEASON is coming up on Sunday, September 1st, at the WANNA WANNA on the Island. Better not miss this one! Hot Rumor #2: Sand Castle Days '02 (Oct. 17-20 at Boomerang Billy's Beach) will have a brand new feature this year: Arts and Crafts vendors. If you have an art or craft you would like to sell, please visit www.sandcastledays.com for more information.

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