Meteor Crater to Flagstaff to Cottonwood

10/16/09

We stayed at Meteor Crater RV Park for 3 nights, to take advantage of the cheap stay. Joe went to ask if we could stay for one more night at the 1/2 price PA membership, and they said yes so we stayed an extra night. Joe then asked again on the 4th day if we could stay for 1/2 price one more night, and they said no, 3 nights was the max at 1/2 price. Oh well, we got one extra night at 1/2 price just for the asking. We decided to head down the road to find a cheaper place to live. We drove to the Flagstaff, AZ. Wal-Mart, which took about 30 minutes from Meteor Crater.

We stayed at this Wal-Mart about a month ago, before we headed up to the Grand Canyon. A car and a RV that were there a month ago, were still there. There was a sign on the car a month ago, that said if it was not removed in 48hrs., it would be towed away. The sticker was peeling away from the window. I think we could stay here for a month and no one would notice. Like the last visit, by the evening there were at least 17 RV's in the Parking lot. Flagstaff does not get real cold or hot and it is close to many tourist things, so this Wal-Mart attracts tourist and homeless. We had a couple who were parked in front of us, who had a truck and some kind of contraption that looked like an upside down truck liner bed flipped to make into tent over their back truck bed. They had ropes that tied it down. On top of the flat bed liner, was all kinds of stuff ranging from tea kettle, gas cans, buckets of stuff and etc., that was placed up there, we assume, to make room for them inside for the night. There was a blanket hanging from the top of the truck bed liner tent to give the couple privacy. They had a puppy that they had tied to the back of the truck, with his bowls of water and food. They left and went into Wal-Mart. The puppy yelped and barked continuously until they came back out. After they got back they sat in the truck and the puppy kept yelping and barking until the guy got out of the truck and yelled at it to shut up. It did for a short time, but soon it was back letting it's owners know, it was not happy. Joe made a statement about how we might have trouble sleeping with the puppy barking all night. The guy got out of the car again and open the truck door, which seemed to comfort the puppy for awhile. Not only do we have the puppy to worry about, we forgot all about the glass recycling container this Wal-Mart has, which we parked right next to. From the time we arrived, late afternoon , there has been a steady stream of people pulling up in their cars and emptied containers of glass bottles. Each bottle that is thrown in the small hole of the large recycle contains, hits the bottom with a crash and the sound of breaking glass. We hope no one will be recycling at night. On the bright side, the weather is in the mid 70's, which is great when you are sitting in a place where you have no electricity. As the evening approached I saw the couple in front of us fold clothing into a laundry basket on the tailgate of their truck.

The temperature is suppose to drop down to 35 degrees tonight. We wonder how the couple in the truck will manage.

10/17/09

In the morning Joe walks to the bank which is in the same strip mall that we are in. After doing his banking, he goes to Cost Cutters for a much needed hair cut. While he is gone I notice the couple across the way in the truck have rolled out of their truck bed sleeping quarters and are having breakfast, of a burrito and coke from a nearby fast food place, using their tailgate as the table.After their breakfast the guy pulls out a box and cuts out a side and uses it to make a sign. He starts to wriite something on the cardboard with a magic marker. Then I notice another guy who is parked in a van who has 3 dogs parked on the other side of us, a ways down is walking pass the couple in front of us. As he passes, the women asks him what kind of dog he has. I am eating my breakfast and being a Mrs. Cravits. ( Can't help it, just trying to figure it all out.) Joe comes back and tells me how blessed he feels, not to be having to live out of a truck.The guy and girl across the way have been talking to the other guy now for about an hour, when they all walk over to the other guy's van. The two guys go inside the van for awhile, as the girl hangs out outside looking into the van. After awhile the guys come out and they all visit for some time around the van. the the guy who owns the van opens the back door of the van and pulls out a yellow sign and shows it the the couple. I image he is telling them the in's and out's of pan handling. Then they all return to the truck in front of us. Now another guy who is staying in an old motor home, who has been working on his jeep all morning comes over to the couple and the guy and joins the pow wow. The guy who is living out of his truck brings out his tools and the guy who has been working under his jeep sits on the ground in the parking lot and starts to dig through all his tools. Because we are only driving 40 miles today we are not in a big hurry. We have lunch and decide to to get ready to go. Most all the RV's have left the Wal-Mart parking lot, but the couple living out of the truck, the guy staying in the van and the guy working on the jeep, show no signs of leaving. I hate to leave, because I'd like to see if these four people hang out and party all night, but we have places to go and things to do. We have been without cable for so long, you have to find your entertainment somewhere. I have always been a people watcher. We are an interesting species. I forgot to tell you, someone decided to do some recycling at 4 in the morning last night. Who recycles at 4 AM? But at least the couple let their puppy sleep with them in their truck bed and we didn't have to hear him barking all night. Praise the Lord.