We did it (packing, that is)!

We leave tomorrow for our western adventure, so we decided to pack the car today. The pile of suitcases, backpacks, duffles, cooler, and assorted bags had been steadily growing over the last few days, and both Smoky and I were a little doubtful about whether it would all fit.

So we drug everything we wanted to take out to the driveway. Here's the “before loading” pile. Fortunately we could put things in the back seat, as the trunk in the Prius is rather small!

Smoky started with what he planned to put in the back seat, and I started on the other side with my back-seat items. Before long, the pile had dwindled a little (second photo). The back seat was absolutely full, and I had not yet tried closing my door!

Now for the trunk. We decided to put the items we might not need right away (such as cold-weather gear) in first. Everything that was left over was stuffed in as well, and surprisingly enough, it all fit!

Did you notice our two companions? The little guy in the left side of the trunk is Sparky, and on the right is Gabby. We're hoping they enjoy some western scenes as they travel with us over the next several weeks.

We're planning to arrive at Smoky's mom's home on Thursday, and we'll visit with her for a few days before we point the Prius toward Kansas and head west. I still have to check my list to make sure I didn't forget something important. Stay tuned!
— Shann