Water Logged

It has rained here since Sunday and finally this afternoon, the rain clouds have started to leave and blue skies are returning. Thank goodness for the site we have here as we've stayed high and dry. At the last place we camped, in Urbanna, we would have had a moat around our rig for the last three days. It is so nice to have a concrete slab to park on and to also have an elevated site. It poured and poured through the night and while it is soothing to listen to as it beats on the roof of the RV, under different circumstances it would not be pleasant to be outside the rig with that much water on the ground.
One of the things that I dislike the most is to be totally soaked to the skin when it's not intentional. If I'm in a swimsuit and the idea is to get "wet", well then...yeah, it's OK. My job at BG requires that I work outside, regardless of the weather. If it's pouring rain outside, it doesn't necessarily mean that we won't have to hose down our respective areas. On the contrary, this morning, it was raining the hardest of the last three days and we had to hose down two sections of Italy. Dressed in a raincoat, rubber gloves and knee high boots makes for attractive work attire. It doesn't help when the rain coat has rips and tears in it and the water gets in and soaks you to the skin. The water runs down the back of your rain coat and down the lower part of your pant legs.....Yuck !! This morning I was instructed to train two of the new guys on how to hose the area down. As we walked into the area, there were two ducks in the common area....they were in their glory with all the rain turning everything into small ponds. The guys did a great job, moving throughout the area, hosing down the dining and common areas. We finished up at 11:00 a.m. and we punched out. At the car, I peeled off my raincoat and hoodie, spreading them out in the back seat so they could dry.
Before leaving for home, I stopped by the Human Resource office to check on a job posting I had seen posted on the park bulletin board. It is for a lead supervisor in the Culinary Operations dept. When I talked to the secretary in the HR office, she gave me the two job descriptions to look over. They sound pretty straight forward...It's not that I don't like what I'm doing in the grounds dept but that I don't get as many hours as I'd like to get. Most days I only get in 5 hours per shift. I could drag it out and "milk" my shift for the entire shift time but I just can't do that when the work load doesn't warrant it. Many of the guys do it but that isn't my style. I work to get the work done but not to just get my time in. When I asked the receptionist how many hours I can work a week she said no more than 60 and you have to have one full day a week off..I thought...that works ! So I put in my application for these positions (they have several open as lead supervisor) and we'll see what happens. I would think I should hear something in the next couple days.

A whole lot of pickin' and grinnin' going on....

This weekend there was a bluegrass festival here at the campground. Not hired musicians but rather average folks who get together twice a year to have jam sessions throughout the park. The park was filled with a variety of campers, from Class A motorhomes to pop-ups. Throughout the weekend, groups would gather outside each others rigs and play bluegrass. You'd see someone with a guitar, another with a fiddle, someone with a bass and another with a ukulele....all standing around a roaring campfire and singing. Friday night they played until about 2 a.m. and first thing Saturday morning they started right in again and continued into the night. They played great music all weekend and had a ball doing it. Today it's raining and they've all packed up and headed home but they'll be back again this fall to make more music and memories.

A good day....

I had Wednesday off from work and it was time to mow the grass here at the campground. They have two large mowers here....one is a John Deere and the other is a Gravely. I got to use the John Deere. There are several large fields here, lining each side of the entry road into the campground. I started in at 9:00 a.m. and one of the amigos used the other mower. It took us until 5:00 p.m. but we got it all done. What fun I had ! It reminded me so much of being back on the farm, doing something on one of the farm tractors. Warm day but a cool breeze....Just the rhythmic hum of the mower (through my ear plugs), nothing to think about and just concentration on where I've just moved so I can run the next swath. On and on through the afternoon until the last of it was done.
When I was at the college, some days I would see the grounds crew outside mowing and wish that I was the one on the mower....riding along..cutting the grass. Not fretting over some personnel issue or stressing over getting budget done. Just doing a simple task that when you're done, you feel like something was accomplished. Now I get to do that...each week I will run like a Deere and keep the grounds looking nice.
On another note of simplicity and serenity....yesterday the park was closed but as usual the grounds crew needed to go in to clean the various areas. I was on broom and dustpan detail which was boring but I was enjoying the quiet of the park without start-up of the rides, no incoming employees, etc. As I was looking for debris in the flower bed at the top of one knoll I looked over on the ridge, below the one roller coaster. There were four deer grazing, without a care in the world...making their way across the ridge. Their habitat is one surrounded by noise, machinery and people but on this day, they had the park to themselves...nothing but tree buds on their mind for lunch. It was a beautiful sight ! And so it is that when we seek out simplicity and purpose in the stillness of what we do (or don't do) it comes to us. It's there when we need it.....energizing us and renewing our spirit.

Dirt Herder...

Yep, that's me. I've decided that this is what my new job title should be and not Grounds Maintenance. I herd dirt, much as Schroeder would herd cows or sheep. I use either a giant hose or backpack leaf blower to ...you guessed it...herd dirt where I want it to go. At 5:00 a.m. in a dimly lit area, sometimes it's a little tough to distinguish dirt or other types of debris from other things laying on the ground. I like it on the days when the other guy, in my area is off, and I am responsible for the whole area. Then I can set about my day, laying out the hoses and getting the job done, without just piddling around trying to find odds and ends to do. That is the case when there's a whole bunch of us scheduled for our area. And the area I work in is....Italy. I'm doin ya proud, Baldassari's....keeping the pavilion and piazza clean and tidy for all the pasta lovers out there. Hauling miles of hose, through terraced areas, finding all the spaghetti lurking under table bases and chair legs. There is something white that is served in that area that is nasty to clean up. Ranch dressing or some sort of ice cream, perhaps. That stuff is indestructible on concrete...takes a super powerful blast of water to cut through it and wash it away. Makes me wonder how good it could be for your body to eat it, if it's that hard to dissolve...ICK !
It's really cool when between 5;30 and 6:00 the wolves, in the park, start howling. At first it wigged me out a little ? But now I've grown accustomed to them hearkening sunrise to come for another day. Their exhibit is on the other side of the park...Scotland, I believe, but boy are they loud when they start in each morning. Then there are the Budweiser Clydesdale's...they are so pretty. They are located next to my area and I get to see them each morning as they have their breakfast, then they get moved to their area which is somewhere a little ways away from their overnight stalls. As the handlers were moving them the other morning, I was getting ready to start in with my leaf blower but had not started it yet (you don't want to startle them when they are being moved). As I came up the hill to see them proceeding down the path, I could see they had left behind "souvenirs" in the road. There was no way my blower had enough power to blow that out of the road...that would have to wait for the handlers to come back and shovel it up. But they sure are magnificent animals...reminds me of the pictures that my mom has of my grandfather's horses that he used to work on the farm. Big horses like these.
Today is my day off....think we'll go explore the area a little since Linda hasn't learned her way around yet. Then tomorrow I'll be back at it....herding dirt in Little Italy....ciao !

Campground Improvements.....

Here, at American Heritage RV park, they are making some great improvements to the park. They have renovated the restroom/shower areas and I must say they are the nicest I've ever seen. Solid surface counter tops around the sink areas, ceramic tile on the walls, beautiful fixtures, etc. I've never come across bathrooms worthy of pics on our blog until now....see for yourself...
Other changes they are currently making is the pouring of concrete pads and patio areas for the RV sites. This has the back part of the campground ripped up but it will be wonderful when it is complete. Everyone will have solid ground for their rigs...no more dirt around your rig to track in on the carpet. Many of the sites are pull through sites...ours happens to be a back in site. Don't think that we've become proficient at backing in...Nah...we got Dave, the manager to back our rig in for us when we arrived. That was no small feat since there was a motorhome directly across from us, making maneuverability a little tight.
They have also started paving the roadways, leading into the park. At some point they will continue to pave the roads between the rows of rigs, which will cut down on the dust and totally eliminate the mud puddles and mud. We've been very impressed with the commitment these owners show to making improvements in their park. In talking with the owner he said that he has learned a lot from his customers about what things are important to them vs what he feels he should improve upon. Ultimately, pleasing the customer is the one that matters and this owner understands that.

Interesting difference...

Linda and I have lived in many different places in our lifetimes but no place was as "foreign" to us as living in Urbanna, VA. I'm talking about acclimating to the area and "fitting in". For a long time, I kept thinking that it was just me and something I was or wasn't picking up on but then I got to talking to a co-worker, from Ohio, and she said that she noticed it too when she first moved to the area. First a little geography lesson.Urbanna is located in Middlesex County and is in a part of Virginia known as the Middle Peninsula. Being close to the Chesapeake Bay must contribute to the boating culture that is so prevalent for this area. When you travel out of the area (for example when you go to an RV show) and try to explain where Urbanna is located, I would usually give directions relevant to cities such as Richmond. People will ask if you're on the "Eastern Shore", on the "Northern Neck" or some other water based positioning. If you look at a map of Virginia it would seem to be pretty straight forward but not so when you get near the coastal areas. I guess growing up in PA, where you have Philadelphia in the bottom right corner of the state, Pittsburgh in the bottom left corner, Erie in the top left corner and the Poconos in the top right corner of the state....all directions are based on these landmarks....then there was Williamsport in "Central Pa" which should be self explanatory but always came with the "And what's that close to ?" question. But even that explanation paled to the cultural/directional differences we found in Urbanna. Everyone knows everybody else in Urbanna....they know what church you go to...where all the family members work, what school the kids go to, etc. When wondering about a potential candidate who's applied for a position, they go home and ask their kids or spouse what they know about so and so. It's a "Who you know" town where the talk revolves around boats, fish or water in some shape or manner....Back home in PA, it wouldn't be that important to say I'm from Tioga County but down here, being from Middlesex County is everything. There are more private schools than public ones. These differences were interesting but very difficult to adjust to when the expectation from "the locals" is that you know all of this. Accents also vary a lot between people in the area. Some folks had such a "twang" to their speech that it was very hard to understand what they were saying...others you'd hardly know that they were from the area other than the "Ya'all" that would give them away. We're only an hour away from Urbanna, here in Williamsburg, and we haven't noticed anything like that here. There doesn't seem to be a cultural microcosm here as there was in Middlesex County, Middle Peninsula....Urbanna. Amen !

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

The last two days I've spent getting us settled in at our new site and doing some minor repairs around the house that I haven't had time to do before this. The park is in a great location...three miles from Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowes. How great is that ? It's great being on a concrete site....I can get under the rig to check things over. While working outside, some type of jet went over that was screaming as it streaked across the sky at lightening speed. We have several military personnel in rigs around us at the park, working at nearby bases. Mac is a newbie and is learning about the RV lifestyle. He asks us questions about systems on his rig and such, and we've given him web sites for discussion forums where he can get alot of useful information. He is in the Army and is taking some time off to use up vacation time and also get his taxes done. He's located right behind our rig.
Within a minute of the screaming jet going over, a train came chugging down the tracks...close to the campground. Close by but not obtrusive. We heard yesterday that another RV park in the area is situated so the train runs right through the campground and rattles the dishes in peoples RVs.That would be a little too close for comfort. This park often gets calls from their guests wanting to relocate here to get away from the train noise.
Weather is cool and dreary today. Temps in the 50's. Supposed to rain tonight. Got some flowers planted in my planters on the patio so it can rain all it wants..Tomorrow the temps are supposed to climb into the high 70's. April showers will bring May flowers.

Where are we today ?

One of the funny things with being full-time RV'ers is when you wake up in the morning you have to stop and think about where you are. Linda went back to PA just before Easter to honor a commitment to work at the Cancer Center. Then when she got back, I went home for Easter, stopping in Phila. to pick up my daughter for the trip home. We have also left Urbanna, VA and are now in Colonial Williamsburg. With all that travelin, I often have to stop and think about what state I'm in and what town. We packed up the rig yesterday and moved to Williamsburg...to the American Heritage RV park. We have a great site with a concrete pad and concrete patio.With little effort, we've fallen into jobs here. Upon making arrangements for us to come to this park, she asked if they use Workampers and they said that they had positions open. We both interviewed and were hired. I also had an interview at a nearby tourist attraction and am hired there. Linda got a call today, from the same company, after having dropped her resume off to the company almost two weeks ago. She will go for an interview too and the campground is willing to work around whatever hours we get at this area attraction.
I spent this morning working outside, getting things settled and unpacking the rig. It's cooler today, not as warm as yesterday, and a little breezy but still sunny and pleasant. Yesterday it was 72 degrees here, today in the 60's. Yesterday when I talked to my mom, who still resides in Pennsylvania, they were expecting morning temps of 28 degrees. Springtime blossoms are abundant here, forsythia are in full bloom and daffodils out in glorious splendor. Springtime has come to Virginia...time of rebirth for plants and people alike !