"Back, back to schoo-oo-ool" (as per lyrics from song in the movie 'Grease')

On Tuesday we travelled to Peoria (which happens to be where Sarah and Sally each spent their first few days here) and while the Indian team spent the day in Wickenburg we spent the day around Anthem and Surprise.

Kind Tom (aka Doc) accompanied us for the day, taking us to the Arizona Challenger Space Center where we joined a Grade School class excursion, then to Lake Pleasant Park for great views and a close encounter with a desert tortoise (behind a wall) and a rattlesnake named Freddie (behind glass).

Then we were joined by Barry and Al and joined in an Interact meeting at Sandra Day O'Connor High School. The students there are raising funds to help provide better access to fresh water in Africa. This week the school carnival will include 'sports' whereby students must carry large quantities of water - and pay for the privilege to do so - in order to get some idea of what people must do in some places of the world, just to drink. (They will not have to carry it on their heads, though.)

Interesting to me - in order to gain access to college, high students are required to put in Community Service project time.

Kind Al welcomed us at his house for a relaxing afternoon, joined by Barry, Tom and Ray (who promised to feed carrots to the horses at the horse rescue centre on our behalf... have you done that, Ray?).

Then the evening ended very happily with a dinner together with the Indian team at the home of Rotarian Paul Pulicken, whose wonderful wife cooked us a spectacular South Indian meal. We are very grateful to our Anthem hosts, Paul and his family, the Indian team who are such good fun (even though Umesh DOES think too much...) and "Surprise Peter", Cindy and Randy who came to dinner too. (If I have forgotten anybody, I am very sorry!) Special thanks of course to Surprise Peter who not only drove us from Anthem back to our homes in Wickenburg but then drove all the way home again to Surprise BUT ALSO said "Kirsty" with a perfect Australian accent!!!

Still no live Javalina in sight. For heaven's sake.