Another Day – Another Adventure – Weeks 9 & 10
Monday, July 3, 2017
Although we are usually off duty on Monday & Tuesday, that was not the case during a Holiday week. July 4th is a BIG camping weekend & people were in abundance in the park. Not an open site to be had. Even with all the extra people, the bathhouse was no problem to keep clean.
We enjoyed out leisurely breakfast, sat out at the gazebo for awhile & visited with fellow campers. The rains came down heavy but sporadically, helping to prevent cabin fever.
One of our favorite camping couples that visited a couple times while we were in Campground #2 was John & Beverly Baird. They were building a new home on their land in Jackson County & living in their 5th wheel while doing so. They frequently stayed at the park for 2 week periods & then on their property for a few days before returning. John stopped by our site in Campground #1 to let us know they had returned & were again set up in Campground #2. And we decided to run out for a quick dinner with them in Winder. We talked, laughed & had a great time with these two people & were so thankful for newfound friendships.
Life is good when you are having fun!
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
The day of fireworks finally arrived – although the celebration started on Friday night. Yes, the fireworks made for a very nervous Spice dog. <sigh> And they are NOT allowed in the park – too dangerous in a forest! Perry only had to remind one camper of that rule & the guy was most apologetic.
One VERY powerful storm came through in the early afternoon. Wind, hard rain, & crashing trees. One dead tree fell across the entrance to Campground #1, completely blocking the road. The park staff got that out of the way in no time. Then a tree fell in the Camper Cabins area, smashing to the ground between two much larger trees & missing one of the air conditioning units by inches. The people in the cabins on either side of the felled tree were understandably upset – it was apparently LOUD & disconcerting. We were, however, in the woods & falling trees is a thing. Then there was the worst part. A LARGE branch from a live tree fell on top of a BRAND NEW pop-up camper in Campground #2. It totally smashed the front half of that camper. The family inside had just moved off the bed & were on their way out because of the shaking when this happened. Thankfully, none were physically hurt but they were all crying & the kids were so scared. The family moved much of their belongings out after the storm completely passed & headed for home. They were promising the kids by a fire with S’mores at home. What a mess!
With all the excitement, it should have been difficult to fall asleep. But, there was the whole thing about peace & tranquillity & living well. Life is good!
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
A bump had formed on Spice’s back over the previous few months so Beth decided to take the pups for their annual checkup & shots & have the bump looked at by the vet. Sugar was taken to the back for a blood test (heartworms) & a fecal exam. No issues. And then Spice had a turn. Lord have mercy at the ruckus she raised! You would have thought she was being murdered back there! The vet tech brought her back into the exam room & Spice sprang into Beth’s lap. Apparently, just lifting her tail caused the scene, they didn’t even get an opportunity to do the deed. Perhaps the whole thunder, lightening, rain, fireworks, etc. were too much for Spice over the previous few days & she was a nervous wreck. When the vet came into the room Spice actually growled! She has NEVER growled at a human before – EVER. Sugar had her exam & shots first & was an angel. Beth helped hold Spice &, together, the vet, vet tech & Beth calmed her enough that the vet was able to do the exam & give her shots without incident. The vet even did a needle extraction from the bump to make a determination as to what it was. Nothing but a fat pocket but, to have it surgically removed, the estimate was $450. We’ve had dogs before that had these bumps pop up on occasion & Beth was able to remove them herself. So there you go.
Back at the house, Beth bathed the pups & took care of that bump with a little needle. No problem & Spice acted like she didn’t even feel it.
Back in camp we were alarmed to hear of SEVERAL people picking through the camper that was damaged the day before. Caution tape was stretched around but it couldn’t be watched 24/7. The owners arranged to have it towed the following day & MAYBE their belongings would still be in it.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Perry had to leave camp just after breakfast to go to a retirement party for his friend Mike at Gwinnett Tech. They were good friends & frequent lunch buddies during the many years Perry worked there. Mike was the last of the “old guard” of original teachers/professors at the school.
Perry also had a quick called meeting at Statham City Hall which took all of 15 minutes. Then he joined Beth & their good friend Stanley Rogers for lunch at Faquita’s Mexican Grill on Railroad Street. One of our favorite places to eat. It was nice talking to Stanley & sharing ideas about mutual interests.
Back at camp we took a spin around in the golf cart to make sure all was good. One of the Yurt campers had rented a canoe so we went to the village to unlock one for them. However, we found all but one of the canoes were already on the ground & a couple were completely filled with water from the abundant rains we were experiencing. Another group was using the rest of the Yurts & we overheard a child say something about not being able to swim but he could probably canoe as he wouldn’t get wet. So, with the concern that kid would take one out & possibly get hurt, we decided it prudent to load all of them back onto the racks & lock them up. Changes should to be made on the rental of these canoes & the equipment that goes with them. Paddles & life vests disappeared regularly & there was no accountability in returning them.
Friday, July 7, 2017
After breakfast & our regular chores, Beth went home to take care of mail orders, pay bills & make a custom label for a graduation party favor. It’s amazing how long just those simple things take when one wants to hurry. Sheesh!
Our good friend Joe Goodman scored four VIP tickets to the first ever Barrow County Innovation Amphitheater concert & invited us. We got to sit in the VIP tent & were treated to a fabulous buffet of BBQ & shrimp & grits. The catering company out did themselves! The opening act was Andy Vego, originally from Suwannee & now an upcoming singer living in Nashville. Awesome! Then Montgomery Gentry duo took the stage as the main act. Spectacular performance! They really connected with the crowd – not even the rain could dampen the mood! Light rain began falling at about 9pm but the real hard rain held off until JUST after the last song. All ran for their cars with happy spirits!
Ft Yargo is a VERY popular camping destination & the sites are a first come, first serve basis. One tent camper made two reservations for his big family get together & was very disappointed there were not two sites near one another. In fact, when he arrived at 6pm, there was only one site in Campground #1 & one in Campground #2 left. He was truly upset. We called the Park Management & asked that they stop by to speak to him as we were leaving for the concert – maybe bending the rules of allowing multiple tents on one site or whatever they deemed to be helpful. When we got back at 9pm, we rode through the campground & saw the four tents on a single site. All was well & all were happy. Perry did do his 10pm walk through & had to remind the group of quiet hours though. Others nearby would want to sleep & excited squealing from the kids was definitely a preventative in that endeavor.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Our park provided camp cart had not worked in over two weeks – something to do with the starter thingy. So we used our personal golf cart when in the immediate campground area. The fellow campers probably wondered about it’s “officialness” with a basket attached at the front window for the dog to ride in, an antique bellow horn & a water pistol on the ready for any wayward dogs who might like to chase us. It got us around & that’s what counted, right?
Beth went home to get out a couple of mail orders & to meet a friend at the house who needed some “stuff”. Then she returned to find Lily Bug had arrived to spend the night. What fun! Perry went home for a bit & the girls got busy painting rocks. Although Lily did paint a few, she was finding new joy in combining colors to see how they looked. Fun is discovering new things & that’s what she did.
We had hot dogs & chips for dinner because it was easy & fast & Lily Bug watched a couple movies with Pops while Beth ran about on the golf cart making sure all camp matters were taken care of. The camp was not quite full – a very unusual thing for a weekend night. Perhaps the frequent storms & unending flash rains had people cancelling their weekend plans.
Lily was TIRED when we went to bed but insisted on a quick story anyway. So Beth told her about how Miss Kitty was experiencing a drastic change in personality while we were serving as Camp Hosts, only returning home for short stays. Our very offputting, ugly talking, Miss Kitty had become – dare we say – affectionate. Where once she would growl & hiss at us as we simply walked by, she was actually rubbing against our legs, following us room to room & actually asking that we stroke her back. Picking her up still caused an ugly response so not all had changed. Lily was so excited about this personality change & expressed hope Miss Kitty would remain “social” once we again stayed at the house regularly & she would visit. Miss Kitty was actually Lily’s cat but they have never formed an alliance. Time would tell.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Puppy kisses & child cuddles were the order of the morning. Then it was breakfast of boiled eggs, bacon & toast per Lily’s request. Beth took Lily for a LONG ride throughout the park in our golf cart & hid the abundance of Kindness Rocks they had painted.
One camper stopped them to say her electricity had gone off & she was about to “nut up” because she couldn’t get her coffee pot to work. Beth called maintenance to help. Another woman was speeding in the wrong direction through the park & Beth actually yelled at her to stop. The woman did turn around & drove slowly out but was ornery anyway. We also called maintenance about a backed up dump station drain which was fixed very quickly. That is considered an emergency! Yuck!
After Lily left with her parents, Beth did the deep cleaning in the bathhouse. She found remnants of a complete meal someone had while sitting on the toilet & then 3 take out dishes in the main garbage can of the ladies room. Who eats dinner in the bathroom for goodness sake! There was even some pieces of cabbage & cheese in the sink! Then, in the men’s room, she found another take out dish & more remnants in the sink. You just have to wonder about folks sometimes.
Perry went home to take a shower & then get groceries. He returned after 6pm, just in time to help make dinner for our guests, Daniel & Ramona who are maintenance hosts in the park. We had Bubba Burgers, salad & chips. Nothing fancy but very tasty, indeed. We then piled on the golf cart to tour the campgrounds & show them areas they had never seen. Life looks different in slow motion on a golf cart! We enjoyed some cheesecake Ramona brought for desert & called it a night at about 10:30pm. These two will be Camp Hosts in the Camper Cabin area come January so, even after we end our time here, we will still be able to see them again.
It was a great day to be camping!
Monday, July 10, 2017
It was our day off. However, Beth realized the back-up host in the Tent Walk-in area would most likely not clean the bathhouse in our area so she did it before heading home. Perry went around with the new host of Campground #2 & showed her how to do the audit. Pretty simple. He then helped her take down & pack up the First Time Camper Program “kit” after the campers left. They were supposed to pack it up but that rarely happened, unfortunately.
Beth had lunch with her friend Shannon & then went home to take care of paperwork, bills, orders & start the soap making for the week. We had dinner with our friends Rhyse & Charles at Carabba’s. That was a pleasure & made our hearts full.
Back at camp, the rain came down heavy for about 5 minutes, leaving the air fresh & cooler temperature. Life is good!
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Again the day started with our great breakfast & then our chores. Beth went home to finish her soap making & Perry stuck around camp to clean out firepits. Borrowing the park vehicle from Campground #2 because ours is STILL not repaired is getting old. The maintenance supervisor said he would pick it ours up & take it in for repairs – he did get it a few days later. <sigh>
The soap making took until 6pm to complete & then we went to the County Commission meeting. We do like to keep up with the happenings in our area. It was a rather short meeting so we stopped in at Po Boys BBQ across the street for dinner.
Back at camp we watched a little TV & made it an early night. The camp was quiet once again.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
We provide backup for the Tent Walk-in Hosts on their off days. One of the jobs we are all supposed to do is scrap out the firepits when a camper leaves a site. However, the host didn’t do it for most of his stay. So, we cleaned ALL of his tent area firepits including the abundance of trash & made three trips to the ash dump with the debris. He does, however, do a fantastic job of keeping the bathhouse (2 rooms) clean so there’s that.
The Tent Walk-in Host is also responsible for the lakeside campsites – the most popular sites in the park. And again, he had not cleaned them since he arrived in early June. Just 2 sites were vacated so we scraped them clean. We would normally blow off the site, too, but decided that was overkill. We did what we were supposed to do & that’s what matters.
We took turns going home for showers & then had a crockpot meal for dinner. Life is good!
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Beth went home after her morning chores & made more soap. Fall Festivals will be here before we know it & she must have plenty of soap to sell! Our house is HOT because we had left the air off – no sense running up the electric bill when we aren’t there. We did turn it on when we’d go home but it wouldn’t cool off completely. The ceiling fans help a LOT.
Perry went home mid afternoon to shower & get up-to-date on any last minute issues at City Hall. The monthly work session started at 6:30pm but didn’t last long. Beth had gone back to the park because many campers start their weekends on Thursday after work so we see an abundance of people coming in all evening. Our fellow hosts/friends Daniel & Ramona stopped by to visit so we sat in the gazebo with the fan on & had a good time with each other.
Camp hosting is incredibly laid back – just a little work & a whole lot of good memories to be made.
Friday, July 14, 2017
After breakfast, bathhouse chores & firepit cleaning, we went home for showers. Well, Perry had a shower, then Beth had a long soak in the jets (she takes product testing very seriously).
Perry went to the store for steaks & potatoes & Beth made salad & the fixings for company. Robby & family were coming for dinner! And Lily was getting to spend the night!
We had such fun with them! Robby & Lisa left to go to a party & Lily watched a movie with Pops. Then she & Beth climbed in bed for story time. Unfortunately, she fell asleep in seconds. Bless her tired little self.
It’s the air or the atmosphere or something that makes people relax & just BE!
Saturday, July 15, 2017
We didn’t have bacon on hand so Lily tried sausage & LOVED it. Then she had cinnamon toast which she said she had not had before & she LOVED it. She prefers boiled eggs but ate scrambled without hesitation so all was well.
It was too hot even in the early morning to go out & paint rocks so Beth & Lily played cards. And Pops watched the movie Frozen with her for the hundredth time. Such a sport.
After Lily left for home, Beth went to the house to shower & take care of some chores. Money was set out for the lawn guy & recharging the battery on the Ring doorbells was needed (we get a notice on the phone when the battery is low which is pretty cool). Then Perry went to do the same after Beth got back. He also stopped at the store for a few groceries.
For dinner we had the last of our crockpot chili packs. There were only a few crockpot meals left from Beth’s last preparation binge & no more marinated meat packs. Beth will have to stock up on stuff from Sam’s this week & reload the freezer. Maybe some new recipes would be created & shared on the blog, too!
Sunday, July 16, 2017
We were slow in getting the day started as is a good option when one is retired or semi-retired. We loved sipping coffee in bed & watching the news. Breakfast was eggs, toast, sausage & oranges. Then, because it was Sunday & the campground empties out by noon, we just lazed about a little more.
Even with a full camp, the bathhouse was no problem to clean – no odd surprises really. Well, except for the pink Speedo Beth found in the men’s room. Seriously. Perry borrowed the camp cart in Campground #2 to clean the firepits that needed attention. Again, he cleaned those on sites that were vacant on the lakefront. We could say our new slogan “Not my monkeys, not my circus” but that’s not fair to the campers that want to set up on those sites. We will just do them as we can.
We both went home to shower & pick up some more creamer. And we gave the pups baths. Clean pups are a must in a tiny camper.
We also went to Cheddars in Athens for dinner because sometimes you just don’t want to prepare a meal. Life is good!