Paul,
I think I have a handle on what is going on, now I just need to figure out how to fix it. It appears that the realtime.txt file only gets updated on the webhost server when it is requested. So, if I go to edinaweather.com/realtime.txt (without a refresh), it has some time value. I then go to pws/index.php and refresh, it will have the same time value as I see in realtime.txt. Now, if I then refresh realtime.txt (i.e. make a request), the realtime.txt updates. Then, if I refresh pws/index.php, the parameters fulfilled by the realtime.txt will update with the same time of the refreshed realtime.txt. Meanwhile, the edinaweather.com makes its own requests separately that don't seem to get posted onto the webhost server.
In other words, the pws/index.php is not making a request for a fresh pull of the realtime.txt, it's just taking what is sitting on the server. For some reason (I believe php related), realtime.txt is only updated on the server itself when something requests it and not every 30 seconds when Cumulus is trying to post it there.
Brian