Another Day – Another Adventure – Week 17
Monday, August 28, 2017
Our last week!
We left the keys to the camp cart in the glove box, covered with a cloth, so the Tent Walk-in Hosts could borrow it during our days off. But we did clean our bathhouse because we felt sure they would not do it even though it was their responsibility. Then Beth headed home to get the house straightened up before the cleaning ladies came. Yes, she really does that every single time.
The ladies asked to come on Monday instead of their usual Tuesday & arrived at about 1pm. Although Beth had warned them of the situation, the look on their faces when they saw the dust was priceless. They assured us there was no problem &, indeed, those ladies did a fantastic job. Their usual 2 – 2 ½ hours extended to 5 this time. And they were compensated for their efforts. Bless them!
Beth went back to camp an hour after they arrived & Perry stayed home in the Man Cave until they were done. He took the trash to the road for morning pick up before coming back to camp.
We grilled a pork loin & had potatoes & salad for dinner. Then we sat out in the gazebo for a bit. We noticed for the second week in a row that friends (who are not campers) of the Tent Walk-in Hosts were making use of the laundry room. The girls had unlocked the top of the coin box to access the trigger switch & never locked it back. They must have shared the “FREE LOAD” instructions with their friends. Not our monkeys, not our circus.
Looking forward to being away from these two come Thursday.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
We had our breakfast & did a light clean of the bathhouse & then headed home for the day. With all the dust floating around the house, we had to wash EVERYTHING that was cloth. Blankets, couch covers, pillows, towels, etc. The good news is everything is feeling & smelling clean for our return. Even the yard guy came on Monday evening to mow just in time for us to park Wilbur in the back yard.
Beth had a soak in the jets because she could. Perry had a shower & then we returned to the park.
The news predicted the following day to be rainy so we decided to pack up our gazebo & other outside stuff. Being out under the trees for four months made it VERY dirty so we bleached it & scrubbed it until it looked as good as new. We wrapped up our outside twinkle lights & removed all the motion lights we had gotten tremendous use out of during our stay. We even washed the giant camp mat & packed it up after drying so we wouldn’t have to do it in the rain. The camp was looking a bit empty & lifeless. <sigh>
Chris Humble had called earlier in the day to say he was coming out to fix us dinner. He arrived with Suzy & neighbors Tommy & Becky & Charles. They brought ribeye steaks, BBQ chicken, shell pasta salad & mac & cheese. Then for desert we had Turtle Pie. It was delish! The best part of the visit was the company though. We love these folks as if they are family.
After they left, we had a quick visit from Daniel & Ramona, two of the Maintenance Hosts who we had become very friendly with. And we fed them the last two slices of that fantastic pie! Perry loaded the camp chairs in the back of his truck after that in preparation of our departure. More emptiness.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The day started out dry. The forecast predicted rain starting by 5am but it didn’t begin until after noon. We had to go down to the Tent Walk-in Host’s site to retrieve the camp cart they “borrowed” & were supposed to return the evening before. Not surprised there. We cleaned up a couple campsites in our area that were supposed to be cleaned on our day off by them. Not surprised there. And we checked on their bathhouse. Three of the four rolls of toilet paper had to be replaced in the two rooms as it had each week since their arrival. Not surprised there. One camper down there said the bathhouse hadn’t been cleaned since Sunday so the trash was abundant. The Park Management was made aware of all these things & had spoken to the hosts at least once but no real change resulted. Not our monkeys, not our circus.
We did a good cleaning of our bathhouse including sweeping away spider webs from outside windows & making sure all the toilet paper & soap was replenished. We wouldn’t be doing any cleaning on our departure day. We planned to get up & get gone.
Most of the day was spent in Wilbur, enjoying the abundant rain & reading some. Beth heated up the second half of the pork loin we grilled a couple nights before & made mashed potatoes to use those up, too. It was delish!There were a good many campers arriving during the day. Many were from the areas flooded from the hurricane in Texas & Louisiana. One couple said they were afraid of what they would find on their return. Imagine the worry.
We climbed into bed early as the next day would be busy.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
The day of departure finally arrived & we were ready for the adventure to end. A couple hosts stopped by to say goodbye which was appreciated. And we made short order of cleaning the dishes, putting things away securely & packing up what needed to be taken in the house to be washed when we got home. The rain stopped us a couple times & we just sat inside, on the couch & waited for it to subside.
Then Beth drove her car to the office to turn in the host box & say goodbye. Perry had the camper to pull home with his truck so it took him a little longer. Beth had the back gate open & was ready to help direct him into the backyard. Easy – peesy! Perry got things secured & the electricity on to Wilbur (we leave the fridge on) & Beth started the mound of laundry.
What an adventure … Not all who wander are lost.
NOTES ABOUT CAMP HOSTING …
It’s a GREAT volunteer opportunity. The vast majority of the people that you work with are there for the fun experience & really do care about doing it right. One could become disheartened when another host constantly fails in their responsibilities, forcing more work upon you. Or you can reflect on the success of a job well done, the smiles & appreciation of the guests & staff & the beautiful surrounding you get to enjoy every day. That is what we left with – deep gratitude for having volunteered in such a great park with an abundance of awesome people. Ft Yargo State Park is fantastic!