This morning Punta Gorda Pete, the Ground Roach, appeared from the drain pipe in  Coleman, Florida. After a short crawl in the heavy humidity, Pete’s antennae popped from the drain grate. His head soon appeared and then with a fleeting glance at the outside world, he was gone.

The news is that Pete did not see his shadow, which means 6 less weeks of Tourist Season!

Pete’s accuracy rate has been pretty solid due to his uncanny ability to see and not-see his shadow. Florida had best gear up and prepare to work harder to bring more tourists to Florida to prove Pete wrong!

Punta Gorda Pete first appeared in Orlando atop Orlando City Hall in 1988. He continued there until the building was imploded, as seen in the 1991 film, ‘Lethal Weapon 3’.  Pete can’t help but shed a tear anytime he watches his home go up.. and down… in the film. He relocated to Lee County and Matlacha shortly after. The current Matlacha bridge construction lead to sleepless nights and Pete relocated to Sumter County.