I was able to get to the desert before 8:00 a.m. - Pam was not there, she left a note that she was going to Ginger Island and I could drive myself. Apparently this means I no longer had to "wait for the driver" before I was able to buy my ticket. Learned something new today!
I didn't stay in the skull cavern that long - just tried to slay a few monsters and get some copper and silver, which I need more than gold or iridium at the moment. The regular mines are on "dangerous", so it's actually safer to mine the cheap metals in the skull cavern now.
I didn't stay until the very end of the day, I got home in time to bring some stuff to the raccoons. I got lucky and they gave me my last unshipped item, which was an ostrich egg. My ostrich only laid one egg so far and I put that in the incubator, so this one went into the shipping bin.
Then I went to the cave to get my last Mastery. This time I saved farming for last. I was able to make the statue, but shouldn't have - now I'm low on stone... Oh, well.