Thursday November 21:

Awoke at 6AM, still dark.  Dawn broke at 6:45.  It's warm.  When Claire awakes, the computer is going away until we reach home.  I found a big piece of urethane foam to wrap it before packing it in my backpack.  It's better that way than chancing loss in checked baggage.  The Pelican case would surely protect it from damage, but after our last experience with airlines we have no faith in the security or honesty of the baggage service. :-(    The RV is as shiny as it has been since we bought it;  the morning sun glints off the fresh wax.

Even MORE than appearance, the wax will protect the finish against the strong southwest sun during storage.  Lots of things to do and remember; we MUST remember to put our pen knives in the checked baggage, not leave them attached as usual to keys and pocketbooks.   Hopefully I remember to photograph the going home list before we leave, for reference when we must remember everything to bring back in January.  Our experience with lists is they always get lost on the trip....  DUHHHH.  :-((  When we leave here today around noon, we must go to Home Depot in Yuma for a garbage container to store our non perishable food away from pests, dump our waste oil at Pep Boys, and Claire will do a final laundry while I start to pack. On the way to overnight at Fry's Market we will fill fuel at Walmart. We will be ready to go into the storage facility at 6AM when the code lock door opens.  Then we must throw away all uneaten food, cover the overhead hatches with foil to keep sun out, finish packing, disconnect the batteries, put the plant in a dishpan full of water covered with foil to slow evaporation, and place it inside where it gets a little light but no direct sun.  We need to put the bikes and bike carrier inside.  THEN we are ready to call the taxi and "convince" Purry and Pookie to enter their carriers.., then trek the pile out to the street to await the cab.  The rest is up to America West.  :-))  We left Gold Rock pretty much on schedule, and noticed the mine tailings marking old mine tunnels in the hills as we drove out.

The light colored flat topped piles of rock are the waste dumped as the tunnel is dug deeper into the mountain.  We followed our plan pretty well through Home Depot, and the laundromat, dropped the drain oil at Pep Boys, and stopped briefly at the airport to be CERTAIN they would allow two checked bags per person in addition to the kitties, and find the max weight; it's 70 pounds.  When we arrived in Walmart and parked so I could refill the cash card for gas, I had not left the drivers seat before we were approached by a knock on the door and the cry "Walmart".  We were asked not to park there, if we wanted to stay overnight we should park on the edge of the lot...HUH?  This is the same Walmart that told us it was against a city ordnance to stay here two weeks ago?  Well, we changed our plans right now, fueled, then pulled in where suggested near a semi.  We had a few things to buy, but mainly needed to PACK.  Now that we knew what we could bring for weight, we could finish.  I was determined to bring the old converter back, as it is 50 pounds of unneeded dead weight on the RV.  When all was packed we had 4 cloth bags stuffed for checked baggage, AND Claire's specially bought big purse, a small backpack with my computer, and TWO kitties in carriers to carry on.  WHEW!  I was worried about the weight of the big bag with the converter;  it might exceed 70 pounds.  We decided to sleep on that problem; it is already way past our usual bedtime!