Day Off

Today is my "day off". I am leaving the property for the first time in over a week. Last time I went somewhere it was a late evening trip to WalMart to obtain store stock. Today, I am sipping and savouring my coffee as I plan my getaway. First a nice leisurely shower, followed by carefully styling my hair and applying make-up. I will dress in something without grass stains and comfortable shoes for a long day of casual shopping..............

Hey, one can dream, right? Life is a little less hectic of late. Life can change in an instant. Our instant was Monday morning. I have mentioned the schedule of he who works before. He has been working for a convenience store for the past three years. When he was hired he requested to work only part-time. He was only required to work 24 hours a week to receive full benefits (health insurance). He agreed to work more hours during the winter months, but explained (over and over again) that he could not work more than 24 hours a week during our busy time. He offered to work every Sunday in exchange for Friday nights off. He has worked every holiday for three years. He has cheerfully gone in on his day off many times when someone failed to show for work. He even worked Memorial Day this year, despite the fact that we had a full park here and he had requested the day off.


His "boss" seemed determined to push him to the limit this year. He reminded her in March that our season was beginning and that we had a lot of clean-up and preparation that needed to be accomplished. He requested to only work three 8 hour shifts a week. despite this she continued to schedule him 4 days a week and throwing in 2-11 shifts. That extra hour was a killer for him. I try to alleviate his work load here, but there are some things that I simply can't do.


It all came to a head when he looked at his schedule for this week. Four shifts, two of them 2-11 and to top it all off, he was scheduled to work Saturday. He had requested the day off. We have a fishing derby scheduled and it is important for him to be here. I have watched him become more and more exhausted and frustrated. I kept telling him to tell her that he could not continue to work almost 40 hours a week. Having worked as a manager before I felt sure that she would want to work with him, a reliable employee, and try to come to a reasonable agreement. Reasonable? Who am I kidding? She has been hiring new employees and tossing them into the mix with little or no training ........... and starting them off at a higher rate of pay than my hardworking husband. Knowing that he is working because we need the insurance is something she has banked on. It has been an excuse to take advantage of a good employee for her.


Monday morning my exhausted husband went in to tell her that he could not work this Saturday and remind her that not only had he requested the day off, I had provided her with a list of all the events we have scheduled this season. (It almost seems like she is trying to antagonize him.) She told him that if he couldn't work when she wanted him to work that she didn't need him! He called her bluff and told her that was fine and that he was done. He was nice enough to remind her that she would need to cover his shift that afternoon (I wouldn't have even done that).


He is a different man. We will no doubt purchase the COBRA insurance and he will be able to find another job when our season is over. I know that jobs are not easy to come by, but when you live in a small town, your reputation as a hard worker will precede you as you inquire about work. He is catching up on rest and able to get more done since he doesn't have to rush through everything in order to get to work. Me, I am happy to have him here and share the workload with him and not worry every time I see how haggard he looks. My time is a little easier, too. I don't have to race to get back to the store.


So, I really am off to grocery shop and get a haircut and maybe even do a little window shopping!

After setting the dough to rise early (very early..........very, very early) this morning and then going on to clean the restrooms, I took a stroll through my gardens. Nobody up and about but me, the sun barely risen. It was very peaceful, not even the bees were awake. My once lonely cone flower I brought from my house in Minnesota has spread and had many children to keep it company. This is one that is just starting to bloom for the very first time.

Tomorrow or maybe the next day it will look like this one as the tiny petals grow.

And before you know it it will be shedding those petals, having fulfilled the mission of creating a seed pod for generations next.

My white lily has finally bloomed completely with the fourth pod just opening. As soon as it is safe I will be digging this plant up and moving it to a new location. My lilies seem to be very hardy and take well to my relocating them.

My bathrooms were a breeze this morning and I was done in record time with no little surprises to slow me down. He who cleans the satellite bathhouse was not so lucky. I suppose I could have done his, as well, but I was savoring my small piece of alone time in the garden. It would have set my mood for the day and it would not have been a good one. He who is now in a foul mood mopped the bathrooms late yesterday evening and was not happy to find taco sauce all over the men's room this morning. I guess some campers had tacos for their supper and decided to "share" what was left with the restroom. I would like to think some kids did it, but have learned not to assume that. I cannot for the life of me understand why people think it is okay to do these things. I doubt I will ever have someone actually explain it to my satisfaction.

He who slept three hours longer than I did is a grumpy old man today. He happened to be in the store when a motor home pulled in. I made a quick trip to the bathroom and raced back to the store, the occupants were still in their RV and now we were both curious to see just how long it would take for them to come in. I read one of the blog entries to grumpy and he filled his ginormous Bubba mug with diet coke and still no one has exited the motor home. Just as I am beginning to think we should go out to see if there is some kind of problem with the occupants I see feet touch down (the door is on the far side and I see them from under the vehicle), and a cane. The gentleman makes his way ever so slowly to the office. His wife had called for reservations and in his hand is a check made out to us with the amount not filled in. This must be what took so long out there. The sweet little man tried to fill out the registration and was writing ever so slowly. I asked he who was idly watching to escort the nice man to his site, as I didn't relish the thought of trying to explain the map to him. I filled in the check for him and asked him to sign it while grumpy tapped his foot with impatience and finally went outside and mounted the golf cart. The sweet little man made his way to the door and upon opening it I saw that he who is impatient had pulled the golf cart as close to the door as he could get and he took the man by the arm and placed him in the seat and gave him a ride to his motor home, just feet away! I couldn't see, but I hope he didn't shove him up the steps to the drivers seat!!

All my cinnamon buns are gone, gobbled up by hungry campers. The temperature is supposed to soar to the mid nineties and it was already thick and muggy early this morning. I anticipate lots of swimmers and many hours stuck in the office ....... but the air conditioner is working and I have my computer and the land of blog. Life is good.

How Big Is Your Dog?

Check out my new friend .......... Mr. Bumble Bee. Bumble is working in my gardens this year. He is ever so busy pollinating.

Bumble takes his job very seriously and gets right to the heart of the matter!

I have been waiting for almost a month for this lily to bloom! The buds have been fat and looking like they will burst for the longest time. Bumble did a good job here, too.

If you are wondering about the title............... I took a call from a gentleman inquiring about a campsite. A tent site. He asked if it would be okay to bring his dog along. Worried about a dog that would be chained outside of a tent and barking all night, I asked how big his dog was. He replied that he was about 3 years old.

Such is the life of a campground owner.......

Missing My Grandchildren

I love the play of colors in this part of my garden. The iris pops against the day lily and the orange tiger lilies stand tall. There are marigolds down low just starting to bloom. It all reminds me of my grandchildren. All of them in different stages. Some days I feel like I am missing it all. In a perfect world I would be able to see them with a greater regularity. Every day would suit me fine.


Today is Gavin's sixth birthday and I thought about him periodically all day long. I miss most of the birthdays. Sometimes a visit will coincide with a winter birthday, but the rest all happen without Gramma and Grampa (aka Papa Drew). That makes me sad. When we decided to undertake this new adventure of owning a campground neither of us realized just how confining it would be. I pictured myself jumping in my car and driving up to see them every 6 weeks or so. That didn't happen.


My "job" is all consuming. I am on duty from the moment my feet touch the floor in the morning until I tuck them under the sheets at night. I don't think I would mind that so much if I could see my family more........... Wishing won't make it so ..........


Guess I am a little melancholy tonight. Tomorrow is a new day.

$1.18 = Great Happiness

Weekends after a long holiday are usually slow and a little subdued. This one was no exception. The pool is open and my days are now filled with a constant flow of swimmers and eaters. They swim, then come in for the requisite junk food to fuel the next round of bobbing aimlessly in the water, then laying in the sun. I stay just busy enough to prevent me from doing too much. If I try to sew or clean house I end up rushing in and out of the office as the door buzzer summons me. If I just sit here I seem to not get any business at all and want to doze off. It will take a few more days to find my summer-time rhythm.

Here is the new display case I was given by my bestest friend this weekend! Makes the product look all the yummier, don't you think? Cinnamon buns remain the best seller. Personally I thought the muffins were the best this weekend. Banana nut. I use yogurt instead of milk and it makes them so moist and rich tasting. And yogurt is good for you!!

Well, as long as you don't eat too much!!

Back to the subject at hand. I have a whistle! A very loud whistle. I love my new whistle. I wear it all the time, so that I am ready for any infraction. If I blow my whistle and point at you, well, you are in big trouble! I can now demand the attention of speeders, dog poop leavers, wild child throwers at the pool. The list is endless! All this for $1.18! Who said money couldn't buy happiness?

Turtles, Checkers and the Light of my Life

Do turtles know how to play checkers? Maybe they just watch.

While almost everyone took advantage of the pool, some guys just wanted to play checkers. Cody always manages to be around if there is a camera. He is in the orange shirt. He found the turtle and sat down for a couple rounds of checkers while his turtle waited patiently.

The tree trunk 'chairs' were a hit with younger crowd. Maybe I should whip up some cushions........

Trying to keep our landfill load down, we have recycle bins and they are labeled.

Plastic and aluminum. I am rethinking the aluminum label. Maybe 'cans' would be better. Two customers have asked what aluminum meant as they tossed ice cream and candy wrappers into the labeled can in the store. Yes, I think 'cans' and maybe a picture of a can. I don't want them putting frogs in there!

This is the recycle center. I would add glass, but don't know anywhere close to take it. Has to be close, or they have to pick it up. Time is the one thing we have very little of.

Bicycles are the best way to get around the park. Once again Cody has appeared, as if by magic! I was really trying to get a shot of John (blue shirt) on Cody's bike, but I wasn't quick enough.

I am now sporting headlamps, thanks to Rusty! He who does this sort of thing bought them, then never found time to put them on. Good camper Rusty took pity on me and installed them. Here he is adjusting them. I also have a tail light! I bought an obnoxious horn and just need a whistle hanging round my neck and I will be all set to patrol the park. Maybe a flashing bar on top and a siren, along with a ticket book? No, I can be plenty annoying with my whistle and my words.

Funny story about the golf cart. I have night blindness. I am that annoying person creeping along the road because I can't tell which way the curve is turning unless I am right there in it. For this reason, I rarely drive at night and never drive to an unfamiliar place in the dark. I got caught after dark on the golf cart. In my own park. No head lamps as yet to feebly light my way. You would think that I could drive a straight line back to the main building in my own park. I thought I was headed in a straight line across the grass and I was looking at the building to guide me. That is when I ran over a railroad tie ........ that I know is there. The golf cart was stuck on it. I saw he who walks nowhere behind me on the road in his truck. I got off the cart and headed towards him. He looked at me like I was a bit dim-witted and asked why I was walking to him instead of driving the golf cart. When I explained that it was stuck, he drove over to have a look. After asking how I managed to do it he enlisted the help of handy camper Gene and they had to lift it off. That is when he bought the head lamps. Ha, now I can call him he who lights up my life!!

Happy Birthday Adrienne

Last night at 10:02 pm I celebrated the 32nd anniversary of the day I met the most amazing young lady. She is a force to be reckoned with. Right from the beginning she asserted her self and does to this day. She is unforgettable; once you have met her, you will remember that experience. I wanted to name her Andrea because her dad's name is Andrew. He didn't like that name and we settled on Adrienne.

A big name for a bigger than life little girl. Her Dad is known to all as Drew and some of her friends call her Drew. She has had many nicknames throughout her life. Her middle name is Re'Nee and we called her Nee-Nee for awhile as a baby, but as her personality developed and she began to talk (and talk and talk) it was apparent that this cutesy little name didn't fit her.


Her siblings tagged her "mouth of the south" referencing her tendency to tell all the family business to everyone......... including strangers. Adrienne embraced the nick-name and even named her kitten "Southy". This was a kitten she adopted from a huge litter our old Siamese cat had. Misty wasn't a large cat, I tend to think her growth may have been stunted due to the fact that Adrienne forced her to wear Barbie clothes as a kitten. The cat learned early on that Adrienne was in charge and would not tolerate any acts of defiance. Poor cat always wore a look of resignation when in the presence of my girl. When she birthed the almost dozen kittens she culled out the ones she decided to nurture and discarded the rest in various place on the back porch. Adrienne would have none of that and somewhere I have an old Polaroid of a 6 year old Adrienne sitting in a box holding poor Misty down and making her nurse the entire litter.


Southy was not agreeable to wearing clothes and walking upright. He was defiant and would scratch Adrienne causing great frustration as she was determined to have control. He finally escaped, I like to think Southy simply went south.


Today my girl is a mother to an incredible little boy who looks amazingly like his Papa and can hold his own with his Mom. She has finally met her match. I didn't get to talk to her long yesterday because she was in a rush to get Gavin to baseball practice. I am missing her today.