"As soon as Guido Marie left the cabin, I quickly pried open the nearest crate.  To my shock (total shock) I was greeted  by Whiskers and hundreds of his companions.  Whiskers let out an excited squeak when he saw me.  I quickly turned the crate over so all of the little squirrels (aka squirrelus groundus Californius) could escape and hide away in the plane.  I then filled the crate up with blankets enough to approximate the weight of hundreds of ground squirrels."  from Chapter 4...


I had just returned to me seat, strapped myself in with the seat belt, when Guido Marie returned from the cockpit.  She happily announced that Senor Miguel and Captain Skippy were happily guzzling their drinks...and that soon not only would the plane be flying but so would be the flight crew!

As dawn approached, the flying of the airplane by Senor Miguel and Captain Skippy grew more erratic.  It was with great relief that I saw of the skyline of Campeche approaching.  However as the plane circled around to prepare for its last approach to the one runway of Campeche International Airport and then start its final descent I was horrified to see several police cruisers surrounding the runway with the police officers peering out from behind their car doors with rifles pointing at our approaching plane.  I began to realize they were hoping to nab Senor Miguel, Captain Skippy and Guido Marie in an attempt to put an end to their California Ground Squirrel illegal importation.

Fortunately and unfortunately luck was on the side of the villains for a few brief seconds.  As Captain Skippy in his alcohol fueled stupor tried to pull up from the committed landing, he misjudged the distance to the end of the runway and with the roar of engines and the scream of straining wings the plane hit the run way in a bone jarring head snapping thump and then bounced up into the air once again only to plow into a grove of gum trees and oleander bushes that announced the end of the runway.  Immediately Senor Miguel and Captain Skippy opened the front door of the plane and leaped to the ground and ran disappearing into the gum trees and oleander bushes.

Guido Marie had been knocked unconscious with the impact and her glass of white wine had fully doused her face.  She was sitting in her seat lurched sideways with white wine dripping off her nose and forming a puddle on her flight tray.  I thought about helping her but then I knew my true calling was to help the ground squirrels safely escape...and ultimately I needed to find Raoul.  So with a gentle sigh, I wipe the wine from her face, her eyes fluttered a bit, and then in her unconsciousness she said:  "Ooooh baby, come to Momma!"  The situation was scaring the daylights out of me and I knew I needed to flee but not without those darn ground squirrels.

Frantically I searched for them and spotted several little bright eyes peering at me but they would not leave with me.  Finally I found Whiskers and whisked him up and put him in the pocket of my field jacket...he settled in with a happy squirrel squeak that seemed arouse the other other 200 or so ground squirrels from their fear and they began to come and gather around us.  I could hear sirens blaring in the distance and knew that our moment to escape without harm was rapidly evaporating.  Quickly I looked for and found the release for the back door of the plane as well as an escape shute which I quickly let down and with a whoop from me, and big squeak from Whiskers, and a chorus of squeaks from the other ground squirrels we slid down the shute only to land in a heap on the jungle ground...me and 201 ground squirrels.  The was much squirrel squeaking and in fact so much so that I feared it would attract the attention of the approaching police.

If Mom and Dad were alive they would be celebrating their wedding anniversary today.  I have no idea which anniversary it would be...but it would be a remarkable total.  It is interesting how much one can miss their parents even when they have now been gone so many years.  Yes, the pain of loss eventually goes away...but yes it also returns every one in awhile.  So for a moment, a hour, a day...one savors the memories wishing they could reach out once again and hold them...and hear their voices once again.

I love and miss you Mom and Dad.