CATCHING UP IN BISBEE

It is 6 am in Bisbee, Arizona. The temperature is hovering at freezing, the stars are dimming, and the edge of the sky is lightening just enough to trace the shape of the mountains. All is very still and quiet....

...in total contrast to last night, when Scoopy was rocking with the laughter and chatter of six happy campers catching up on a couple months of winter travel adventures.


We are at Queen Mine RV Park, perched on the side of the big, abandoned, open pit mine copper pit that is Bisbee's reason for being. Next to us is the big 5th wheel that is home to Joe and Carla Calwell, and just across from us are Jan and Barry Kessler. Jan and Barry were here when we arrived on Monday; Joe and Carla arrived yesterday, and we spent four hours last night all talking at once. Our next social event is our 10 am walk up the main street of Bisbee to the end of the canyon - the all-important exercise program.

So why am I up at 6 am?? Although we have finished restocking our kitchen (we cross the border with an empty refrigerator since you never know what is currently being confiscated), done the laundry, and made a few minor repairs, one major task remains - I have a 6 inch high stack of mail from the past 2 1/2 months: bank statements, bills, tax documents, insurance claims, newsletters, directories... Since we arrived, I have moved the stack from the table to the bedroom vanity to the passenger seat to the dinette bench, watched it slip off into a heap on the floor. I can't stand it any longer! My eyes popped open at 5:30, I was up sorting by 6... I'm gonna get through this today!