Because Best Friends relies entirely upon private support, in addition to annual financial donations, we spend time volunteering at the Sanctuary as often as possible. We enjoy it, learn a good deal about the animals, and feel appreciated by the staff. Judy usually works in Dogtown (look for the TV program on the National Geographic Channel) and Hughes asks to be placed where there is a particular need at the time we’re there; this year he worked at Horse Haven, Piggy Paradise, and the Parrot Garden in addition to a day at Dog Town. The work not only is educational but what we do helps free a staff person to attend to duties that require special training.
The Sunday before we began working, we settled in and relaxed after the race and being on the road for four days. That evening we had dinner with Nederland neighbors Rick and Pat who were on their own road trip through Utah and Colorado. They were going to be in the general area about the time we reached Kanab, so we planned to meet them for dinner at one of Kanab’s really good restaurant, the Rocking V Cafe. They spent the night at a local motel, took their scheduled tour of Best Friends the following morning, and then continued on their vacation.
After breakfast and a walk around the campground, we left Bella and Lucy in the RV each morning a little before 8:00 with the air conditioner and TV on (the campground managers were aware of this necessary arrangement). We worked from 8:15 to 11:30 when we quit for lunch (usually at the cafeteria) and then returned to the campground for the rest of the day. Lunches at Best Friends are vegetarian, delicious, and inexpensive. Bella and Lucy seemed OK with this arrangement: their mornings are usually spent sleeping, even when we are around. The rest of each day we read, hiked, or did light shopping in town.
At the first lunch at Best Friends we met Annie and Roxie, two independent travelers and fulltime RVers who had come to Best Friends for several weeks of volunteer work. We were impressed with their chosen independent lifestyle and their good natured friendliness. We also were impressed with their website which is filled with information not only about themselves, their travels, and friends they’ve met out there on the road, but also about resources and strategies for independent living. Their webpage is a rich source of information for travelers and RVers.
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