The Phone Does Ring

I know I have mentioned the need to carry the phone wherever I go. I even take it into the bathroom when I grab a quick shower, knowing that some folks will not leave a message. They will simply call my competitor and stay there.

I always have the handset in the cup holder of the golf cart. I always answer when it rings, even though I am sometimes a little out of range and have to high tail closer to the building. People have told me to forward it to my cell ..... Might work fine, but I usually have no idea where my cell is. I have to call it to find it. Not to mention having to remember to un-forward it ......

The one place I refuse to take the phone is my bedroom. I can still hear it at night. It still wakes me, but I can wait for the message and listen for a familiar family voice before going back to sleep.

If I happen to be up with my old-man dog, Oscar, I might hit re-dial just to annoy the caller who has annoyed me. I was on just such a mission when I decided to listen to the after midnight message on the machine. The caller waits patiently for the prompt that tells you to leave a message, then asks "Hello, is the Graham state park?" and  waits expectantly for an answer. Then says, "Sorry, I must have the wrong number."

How did she know she had the wrong number? No one answered her question. Well, not after she asked it. The prompt says that you have reached Kan-Do Kampground. Why even ask that question when it has already been answered?

I ponder these things as I try to fall back into a peaceful slumber. The call this morning at 7:15 was no less frustrating. Most businesses don't open until 9, some at 8. I am a lot nicer to talk to after a couple of cups of coffee. This caller wanted to know the cost of a site. I can recite this in my sleep. But, no, she wanted to know the exact cost for 3 nights, plus tax and some extra people. That knowledge is not stored in my brain. I told her the per night cost of the site and the per night cost of the extra people and figured she could do the math herself. That seemed to be beyond her capabilities and I had to open the office and grab a calculator.

After all that, she didn't even make a reservation. She wanted to think about it. Maybe the deal breaker was telling her that her children would not be allowed to set of their own fireworks on their site. As the holiday weekend approaches the calls will get more interesting, I am sure. There is always one requesting a secluded site. I would suggest that you stay home if you are seeking seclusion.

If you are seeking a fun weekend come on out to Kan-Do. Saturday will feature a golf cart parade, followed by a picnic in the park. We will provide the burgers and hotdogs, buns and condiments. Bring a dish and join us. No fuss required, a bag of chips will do fine. If you want to show off your culinary skills, I will be at the ready with a plate and fork. Desserts are my favorite and I think should be eaten first. I will volunteer to give them all a taste test before you eat! When darkness is approaching, grab a chair, a blanket, or a golf cart and meet in the big field on this side of the pond to enjoy the fireworks. 

He Who loves danger will be on the other side of the pond with the explosives. There are always a few brave(?) pyromaniacs who will join him. I will be on this side, cell phone in hand, ready to dial 911 should the necessity arise. Family fun.  

Wonder Why?

 Not the best picture of my nesting martins. I was standing on a chunk of wood, balancing with only one foot when mama and papa birds swooped at me. They aren't at all friendly! See if I bestow names on them!

The babies all flew away today and I can clean up the mess they left behind. Just occurred to me that they are the reason my clematis is thriving so well. They fertilized it!

Applied polyurethane to the 22 site signs I have done. That mistake should have been 56, but the six was backwards. Had to repaint it.

Now, as I sit here watching people try to park, I wonder. I wonder why you would drive to the pool from your site near the pool. You still have to walk from the parking lot to the pool, why not just walk from your site? I wonder why everyone at that site chose to drive separate vehicles to the pool. I wonder why people come in separate cars to camp, then complain about the cost of fuel. I wonder why the lady in the red car thought it would be okay to try to drive into my garden and under the small maple in my garden.

I wonder why I am not more upset? I wonder why I wonder.

Numbers

Check out my lilies. More have bloomed since I snapped this. Many things have happened since I took this picture .......

Last weekend I trudged out to the dog park, determined to mow it. The mower had other ideas. I mowed the perimeter and the mower quit. It does that sometimes. I checked the oil and of course I had just put gas in it. I flipped it up and cleaned all the grass stuck under it. Still, not starting. You just have to let it sit until it gets good and ready.

Not to be outdone by a mower, I attacked the weeds and the vines trying to take over the trees again. It was early and everything was still wet with dew. I got wet as I pulled and stacked up the debris, then loaded it on my golf cart to be disposed of. My time is short on weekends and it was time to open the store before I knew it.

Did I consider the fact that I was pulling VINES? Did I go immediately to the shower and wash  myself as I should after a good weeding? No, I went about my business and did not shower until that evening. I apparently came into contact with poison whatever and now I have a rash on my right abdomen, right wrist, left foot and the top of my left hand. Insane itching. My own fault!

Since being in the sun intensifies the itching, I have been working on new signs for the sites. I made 22 so far. I was super busy with swimmers the day I painted the numbers on. I was laying them out to put polyurethane on them when I thought something did not look right ..... See it? Maybe I should re-do that one.

Now I must go mow that dog park again. I will ignore the vines this time and shower when I am done. Another weekend looms large.

More Joy .......

This is the table on the pavilion next to the pool .... the designated eating/drinking/smoking area. I am always amazed at the number of young people who still smoke. But that is another story.

Are you wondering what else is on the table? Could it be grapes ....... No, it is tiny green apples that some one plucked from my tree. Why? I do not know. I have 4 apple trees, so I will not suffer the loss of the apples. I give them away. I certainly can't eat them all. But, why would you think it would be okay to strip the tree before they had a chance to ripen? Think it was kids? Not necessarily. I have seen adults plucking away. When I ask them what they are doing, they will look at me like I am on their property, defacing their tree. Then they will ask what kind of tree it is.

Trash cans are conveniently located right outside the pool fence a few steps away from the pavilion. One is designated for aluminum cans, the other is for all other items. You will see that someone did indeed make it to the cans. Lifting the lid and putting this aluminum can in must have been just too much.

I find items other than cans in that receptacle. Swim diapers, tiny green apples, half eaten sandwiches .......

Lest you think we profit from the collection of cans, let it be known that I contacted the local boy scouts and offered them up. I only asked that they come and pick them up. I made it clear that we did not mind collecting them and that they would be in receptacles lined with bags. I was told that the only way they would take them would be crushed, bagged and delivered to them! I declined. Instead, one of my campers gathers them into his truck every time he comes out and the sale of them goes to benefit disabled veterans. This brings me joy.

Speaking of veterans ........ last week I was honored to make the acquaintance of a young man who had served our country. He was looking for a tent site and I happened to be outside gathering my tools together, getting ready to call it a night as the light faded. He drove to me and I was annoyed at first. Then I saw the wheelchair on the passenger side of the car. He apologized for not getting out to register and grab a map, so he was a little disoriented with the lay-out of the park.

After I chose a nice grassy spot  that would be easy for him to navigate he asked if he could just pay me, in lieu of going up to the office. I told him, "No, absolutely not." He looked surprised and I told him that he owed me nothing. He assured me that he intended to pay and was not trying to avoid it. I told him that I was old enough to be his mom and that he would just have to accept my generosity because I said so. His name was Max. He lost his ability to walk and it was my honor to host him for a night. That gave me joy.

Joy?

My last post had a comment that has given me pause. The comment asks if my "job" brings me any joy. I have given much thought to that lately as I go about my days.

While it is true that a certain percentage of my daily contacts annoy, irritate, baffle and sometimes enrage me; most of my encounters are pleasant and do bring me much joy. We have met wonderful, generous and thoughtful people in the last 10 years. Some are part of our lives for a short time, while others have been with us for the duration and have become dear friends. 

My friends get me through the rough times with their steady support and love. They inspire me to keep putting one step in front of the other when I am overwhelmed, as I have been lately. My sweet Nan cooked my dinner and Barb delivered it to my desk Saturday night.  I have stuck my hand in the drop box before and found sweet notes with money tucked inside ....... always anonymous, leaving me to ponder who it may have been. Seems like every time I think about just giving up, my family of close friends or a perfect stranger will pull me back up.

Not extraordinary, these things, just life. That being said ......... it is the outrageous acts of those who enrage me that inspires me to write. I suppose it is a way to vent and get all those feelings out. For the most part, I enjoy doing what I do. Fatigue and the acts of idiots sometimes overwhelms me and I have to vent. 

You have to admit, it does give you food for thought.

My joy is my gardens. Nothing quite so satisfying as walking out every morning and seeing the blooms I have worked so hard to make happen. So, in answer to that question; yes, I do have joy in my life.

Wishing The Week was Over

Friday is here. It has been a miserable week for me. The only highlight being the two nests of Killdeer hatching and watching the babies run around on the ground. I held two of them, much to the dismay of the male parent. Hilde accepts my presence more than Henry does. The other set of parents are new and the male of that set was a little confrontational. He stood his ground and fussed at me the entire time I inspected his nest.

It has been hot and humid. This seems to bring out the less than favorable qualities in everyone ....... including me. My tolerance for stupidity is at an all-time low. Just because you pay to swim doesn't give you the right to destroy property.

My tree-stump wedge I cleverly painted to look like a giant slice of watermelon was defaced. I knew it would not last forever, but that doesn't mean it should fall victim to someone with a pointy object and vandalism on his mind. I say "he" because the chunks of the "rind" removed were then taken into the men's room and distributed all over the floor, the toilet (inside and out) and the weapon (a piece of 2 X 4, with a pointed piece jutting off) laying on the floor. Why would that be fun? If it was a small child, why was he not being supervised?

Late yesterday afternoon I knew I was at the end of my rope when I told the gentleman on the phone to "shut-up and listen to me". He had called for directions, but kept interrupting me to tell me what his GPS was doing. I was really surprised when he showed up and stayed.

Today is not looking good. I don't open until 11 am. I cherish that time in the morning when I can get some gardening done in relative peace. The phone is my constant companion, but that goes with the territory. People see me and people stop me. This morning a camper was sitting there when I tried to sneak out the front door. Before 9 am. Check-in is any time AFTER NOON. If you are traveling (as these folks said they were), you can't have gone very far by 9 am, can you? They even inquired about the check-out time and I should have told them 9 am, but I had consumed only 2 cups of coffee and wasn't at my sharpest. They wondered if they would be ready to go by noon.

It was supposed to rain yesterday and I needed the break from people, but we only had a brief shower. It was overcast and the sky was rumbling when I closed up shop and went out to finish my mowing. I saw lightning in the distance and then had to holler at some swimmers to get out of the water, though I have to admit I wanted to keep my mouth shut and tempt fate .......

Now as I sit here scratching ant bites on my back with a long handled serving spoon, I realize I am not fit to be greeting folks today. Tomorrow can't come soon enough.

Babies!

Meet the newest resident of the kampground. Just hatched, this is one of the four new baby birds. There are more than just the one nest. I just met two more babies on the other side of the park.

The highlight of my week. Baby birds are popping up all over the park. Makes me happy.