Another Day – Another Adventure – Week 3 & 4
We haven’t written the blog in a while but we have taken notes each day. We’ll try to tell the story of our adventure from those notes, & our memory, for our granddaughter Lily. We want her to know what kind of people her Pops & Honey were when we are gone from this earthly life one day. This is a journal for Lily …
Monday, May 22, 2017
The day in camp started with us assuming the responsibilities of Duty Host – meaning we are simply in charge of the twice daily audit of campers for the week. We drive through the campgrounds & record camper’s names & departure dates & which site each is in & then turn in the form to the office. No one has explained what this audit is for but our guess is that it provides the office staff with needed information should they get a call from someone looking for a camper or to be able to send help to a camper who calls for services. It’s an easy task & we like seeing the various RVs, tents & such & visiting with the occasional camper who wants to chat awhile.
After breakfast & clean-up, Perry set off on the old Gator the park provides to clean out firepits & such. Our host spot in Campground #2 is set off the road quite a bit preventing us from frequent interactions with others walking by. We definitely liked campground hosting in Campground #1 more. That will come again soon.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Nothing unusual or noteworthy happened at camp & it was our official day off so we relaxed & napped much of the time. We did make it over to Winder to attend the County Commission Meeting which was equally uneventful.
Back at camp we decided to run about on our golf cart & look out for any issues that tend to crop up once the sun sets. Sure enough, we found a man sleeping in his truck by the boat ramp. We are not sure who scared who more – him or us – but he was most agreeable about leaving the park immediately. The mention of calling the Park Manager was the convincing factor in that decision.
The host in the Walk-in Tent area came by to say she had allowed a very large motor home to park (sort of) in the overflow parking area near our site. The single camper (an elderly woman) was exhausted from driving all day & nearly in tears because of fatigue. She simply could not fathom backing into a campsite that late at night. Just getting her rig into the overflow parking almost resulted in taking out a tree. That would have to be dealt with the next day – the woman needed some rest.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
After our run around to take the audit & then a great breakfast, Perry went over to the overflow parking area & knocked on the door of the motorhome that came in late the night before.
It was 10am but that poor woman was so exhausted, she was still asleep! We can’t recall the woman’s name but what a life she has had! She was 72 years young & had been solo camping for over 20 years! Prior to that she had proudly served in the US Navy as a nurse, achieving the rank of Commander. We are pretty sure she said she was married & her husband had passed but she loved camping with him so much, she just kept doing it. As we said, her motorhome was huge. And attached to the front was a one person golf cart which we thought was great. In tow at the back was a compact car with a kayak on top. Apparently, this sweet, TINY woman left no adventure undiscovered! Perry helped her unhitch the car & park it. Then he directed her out of the predicament she got herself into in the dark where the motorhome was inches from a tree. Once she was stopped back out on the main road, Perry helped her reattach her car & she was on her way to Florida. She has visited EVERY ONE of the contiguous states multiple times! Beth wants to be her when she grows up! What a SHEro she is!
In other news, Beth found the funniest quote: All is fun & games until someone burns their wiener. That is quite random but so fitting to campers.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Beth has been asking park maintenance to have someone pressure wash the bathhouse in Campground #2 since we arrived. The bugs (spiders, centipedes, wasps & dirt robbers) are far too abundant & it appears the building hasn’t been pressure washed in a number of years. Dustin, our favorite maintenance man, came by with a crew of Community Service Workers to do the job. Unfortunately, he had to leave them to figure it out on their own while he took care of a dead tree situation in the Yurt Village. Park management took a look at the tree & determined it should remain standing but with caution tape around it to prevent someone from having dead limbs falling on them. Although we felt differently about the resolution, we respect the fact we are simply the eyes & ears of the staff & they make the decisions. Back at the bathhouse, the CS workers could never figure out how to operate the pressure washer on their own & the allotted time had run out so the job was to be left for yet another day.
Friday, May 26, 2017
The Yurts were completely vacated in the morning so we took advantage of the emptiness to clean the entire area. We put the canoes back on the racks & locked them in. We picked up trash, scraped every firepit & blew off the path & each site completely. That is the cutest little “village” & those Yurts are so cool!
Beth went home to shower & prepare for an evening out with Lily. Lisa dropped her off at the house & Perry took the girls out to dinner at the Statham Mexican Restaurant. From there, Beth took Lily to the Colleen O. Williams Theater to watch the play “Moon Over Buffalo” in which a family friend had a lead part. Leland Karas’s performance was outstanding as was all the other actors. We laughed until we cried! After the play, Lily asked to have her picture taken with Leland & the actress even signed & kissed her playbook. A treasure Lily will keep forever!
Lily giggled & talked all the way back to camp, so excited & ready to tell her Pops ALL about the experience. She did just that for about 10 minutes & then it was like she hit a wall. Her eyes were too heavy to stay open & she wanted to sleep. The poor girl could hardly make it to bed!
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Lily requested boiled eggs, toast & bacon for breakfast so that’s what we had. She & her Pops watched a movie or two all cuddled up on the couch until her parents came to get her at noon. We LOVE having Lily with us & sharing life with her!
The office called to say they were sending a First Time Camper family over to us. The park has a tent & some equipment for this program & the host helps the newbie set up the tent & answers all the questions they may have about “how to” camp. The couple & their baby were precious & so appreciative of our help. They stayed two nights with family coming out to have a picnic with them the second day.
We also had a Camp Host Meeting in the afternoon in which the staff asked hosts to help with traffic control on Memorial Day. Seems the park is crazy busy & lots of folks even have to be turned away because of lack of room. And Fort Yargo is the largest park in the state system. WOW! Barrow County is so lucky to have this fantastic asset!
Sunday, May 28, 2017
As happens on most Sunday’s, there were MANY campers pulling out, going home. We waited until after 11 to do a deep clean of the bathhouse & then Perry cleaned firepits, preparing them for the next round of campers to enjoy. It was basically an uneventful day. However, it was our son’s birthday! Robby Barton turned 33!
Perry did make a run to Dunkin Donuts to get muffins & such for his early morning outing the following day. Beth will stay in camp while Perry helps park staff with traffic control.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Memorial Day is BUSY at the park & Perry was up & out to the Beach Pavillion area at 7am. Beth stayed in camp to clean the bathhouse & firepits as some more campers departed. There were many who arrived as well. From the report the office provides to the hosts, it appeared the campground would be near or at capacity much of the week as well as is usual for the weekend. The weather was PERFECT for camping.
Perry returned to camp at about 2pm, hot & tired but happy to have had the opportunity to serve where needed. He ran home for a quick shower & change & returned to camp for dinner. We made it an early night because the man was exhausted.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
We had asked maintenance for a storage rack for the utility room in the bathhouse a few weeks before & they delivered. That may sound mundane to some but it sure is a help when organizing supplies. We were so grateful for the cooperation of the staff at Ft Yargo!
As Beth was walking back to our host site, she was texting on her phone (the notorious multi-tasker) & nearly stepped on our resident snake who we have affectionately named Ron. Screams could be heard for miles. Just kidding. She did take the time to allow Ron to move on & even snapped a few pictures of his long black self.
One of the hazards of closing the front gate kiosk down at 5pm each evening is that the park gate is open until 10pm. This allow campers to have easy access in & out of the park after office closing time, but it also allows vagrants to enter without paying the required parking fee & gives them access to all areas of the park. Sometimes the unregistered “guests” simply want a hot shower & they make their way into the campgrounds. However, the bathhouses are for the exclusive use of REGISTERED guests, for convenience & safety. As Camp Hosts we must frequently stop these folks & ask them to leave. And many times we have to call the Duty Ranger to have a word with them. Although we do sympathize with the homeless, we MUST keep the safety of the park guests as the first priority. Because of this situation, we made it a practice of parking our golf cart by the bathhouse at dark until the gate closing time of 10pm. The times we had to call on the park staff, the situations were handled immediately & professionally. No shouting or hard feelings, the rangers simply explain the rules & send them on their way. It’s pretty awesome.
During the afternoon, another First Time Camper arrived, renting the park’s equipment. The woman (assuming she was the mother) said she was actually an experienced camper & was anxious to show her two boys the joy of the outdoors. Perry did help her erect the tent as it can be quite difficult. And the the family got on with their fishing, etc. The boys came down for some firewood later & wheeled it back to their campsite in the available wheelbarrow. It wasn’t until after dark that several trucks arrived at that site & the vibe from the group changed. Perry stopped by to remind them of quiet hours at 10pm. Although polite, they were a bit creepy. You never know the people’s stories.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Our friends, Alva & Emma, hosts in the Walk-in Tent area left for new adventures. They served two months in the park & were a joy to get to know. The two LOVED fishing & kayaking so their location on the waterfront was ideal for them. We are so thankful we were able to get to know them in our short time as fellow hosts & hope to run into them at another time as we all make our way through this camp hosting gig.
We noticed first thing in the morning that the First Time Campers were gone before 7am. All the trucks & the car the woman & boys arrived in had vacated. But the tent was zipped up & their fishing equipment had been left on the picnic table. We had to assume they would be returning. But it felt strange.
Beth went home for much of the day to prepare products & displays we would be using in a HUGE weekend festival we had agreed to do before we obligated to substitute as Campground #2 Hosts. This was understood & approved by the Park Manager & we were so thankful she supported us & this opportunity. After organizing all the “parts” that make up an event, Beth returned to camp to make dinner & relax before this three day gig absorbed our time.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
The new hosts for the Walk-in Tent area arrived & got set up. Will & Kimberly have hosted at other parks before which makes their expectations about the job easy.
As we made our rounds, cleaning firepits & such, we noticed the First Time Campers had not returned to their campsite in over 24 hours. At first, Beth was a little miffed with having to clean up the trash they left behind. Then she noticed lots of personal effects were left, too. Once Perry arrived at the site with the Gator, we opened the tent & found LOTS of personal effects left behind. We called the Park Manager who called the Winder Police Department & both arrived at about the same time. It was decided that the woman had rented the site until 1pm so all would be left in place until after that time. But she didn’t return. The Park Manager & police came back to the park at 3pm, made a complete inventory of the personal effects & allowed us to breakdown the tent & collect all the First Time Camper gear to return to the storage shed. We worry about those children & what happened to them.
We left the park at around 4pm, returned to our house & loaded up the truck with all that was needed for our weekend event & then set out for the fairgrounds in Lawrenceville. It took us about 1 ½ hours to set up our booth INSIDE a big barn. This was our first BIG indoor show & we were so impressed with the fabulous displays other vendors had created. We MUST step up our game for the next show!
After a quick dinner out, we went HOME to sleep. The pups can’t come to the show with us & we didn’t want to leave them at the park, in Wilbur, alone all day so we decided to just live at HOME all weekend! We missed our big, comfy bed!
Friday, June 2, 2017
Up early, we were back in Lawrenceville at 7:30am to set up all the displays & get ready for the expected crowd. It did not disappoint! Since this blog is about camping adventures, we will just leave it there & only hint at the happenings over the weekend.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
We had to pack up & bring a good bit more product on our second day – the first day was stellar. And we ended the day in Athens, at the Historic Morton Theater, watching our Lily Bug perform with her Dance Class from Inspire in Bethlehem.
Sunday, June 4, 2017
It rained much of the weekend but the event coordinators at the show we were participating in provided an awesome shuttle service for shoppers to get from building to building & our sales were awesome. Yet, when 5pm rolled around, we were ready to leave. Festivals are exhausting!
We went home & loaded up the pups after stopping for a quick dinner. And we returned to our peaceful campsite to resume our duties as camp hosts.
Not all who wander are lost!