Hi again from the Covered Bridge.
Hope you all enjoyed the linkto the picts on my last posting.
Last week was mostly rainy again, I swear we only have had 10 hours of sunshine since I started this job back on May 17.
I finally got my
solar panel and a meter I can understand but have asked a few questions about the system and hopefully will better understand what I am doing.
The reservations are really picking up now that school is out and the big 4th of July holiday is apon us.
This next week I have 80% of the sites filled and alot of them are extended stays, not just weekend campers makeing it a real rush job to clean sites for the next campers to move in.
Last week, again was relitively quiet and I have had time during my evening walk around to talk to people and get a few fires started for people who did not have a clue how to go about it.
One couple who on thier honey-moon was sitting, woefully in the sprinkling rain infront of this fire pit that was smoldering and the girl held a lighter under a log, thinking it may catch.
I walked in and asked if they needed help and they said sure.
I took out all the pine needles and wet leaves, jokeing about it and proceded to find some twigs then some sticks and a down paper birch for some bark.
In 20 minutes I had them sitting if front of a good warm fire and instead of "I told you so's" comeing out of thier mouths they were enjoying thier bottle of wine and bag of potato-chips. (ahh to be young)
2 young gals rented the site about 4 up from me and on my afternoon walk I noted they had a good fire going and they were real proud of it and yelled for me that they did it themselves were going to have some Mac&Cheese for supper but again even as I was walking by the site the nice flame I saw when I started my walk by...went out. Another case of too much news paper and no kindling. ha ha ha.
I went in and got them going. them inviteing me over for som-mores but I declined...
The night went on with not too much trouble and again a few reserved sites staying empty. I think when people see the weather reports saying rain, Rain, RAIN! They just stay home.
This was the biggest fair for me also to go for weeks on end, not being able to dry things out but I survived and being able to get home for a few nights to wash and DRY cloths and bedding is great but knowing the forcast after the first night back everything will be damp again.
Nothing like crawling into a damp bed at 10:30 at night.
My last walk around is about 10:00 (the begining of QUIET TIME) makeing sure all is good and the boys had arrived at the 2 young gals site and they had paid the extra fee for the car.
I was walking by the site and about to go in to quiet them down a bit, they were not too loud but I could hear them when I noted a trunk on a car was open across the road so instead of going into the girls site I went over and informed the other site about the trunk.
I then went over and told the gals and guys it was quiet time and they were all OK with that and the music was turned off and the talk was kept low and again "Wanna Som-more?) No thanks.
Did my walk around...1 mile and no other noise so getting back to my site listen for a bit in the 100 foot direction of the gals site and just a low murmer of talk.
I walk around mostly with my flashlight off so they did not know I was around so I was satisfied.
I sleep real good after being out in the air all day and working and walking maybe 8 to 10 miles and it wasn't till the next morning during my 7:00 walk around that I see thier campsite empty and surrounding campsites asking what went on last night. I said I didn't know anymore then they did at the time.
I know that my manager and the county Sherif do walk arounds after I go to sleep and sure enough.
When I had gone next door to tell the people about thier trunk they hid the booze and I didn't smell too much to be concerned about. BUT
It was about 11;30 and the manager had to walk in and quiet them down and he saw the booze and told them to go to bed.... he then walked away.... waited 15 min. and still noise so he goes down to road and gets the shirif who waits in car and they stroll up and the shirif starts asking questions.
"How old are you..... how old are you....have you been drinking.... how old are you...."
It was found out that all admited to being under age and was drinking but one said he was old enough.
The sherif said box up all the booze and go to bed and the one who said he was old enough said he has an ID....
"Let's see it".......
Big mistake giveing a sherif a fake ID.....
Now instead of looseing a few $$$ of booze 4 of them got arrested and the gals all the time was saying..."Go ask Gerry...he knows we are good girls"
Yea good gals till the boys arrived...
Good thing I didn't have som-mores with them I would be in trouble too.
Later that week I had the visit from the bear at my site.
I failed to really clean the groove on a Rubbermaid cover and that night he made swiss cheese out of it.
Mr Bear also visited another site takeing thire tooth-paste left on table.
Later that week I see a car pull in to a reserve site and I know it is reserved so I do not go up right away.
MISTAKE....
I walk in and say Who is Mr F......?
The kids all look confused and I informed them, this is a reserved site for tonight and they will have to move....I tell them what sites are availible and procede to take burning logs out of the fire-pit.
They want an isolated site similar to this one and I send them to #49.
In half hour they are all moved so I go up and re-rake the site noteing 3 brand new beer caps on ground.
I douse the fire pit, clean it out and rake site
I then go to site #49....
2 of the guys come down to the road to meet me...never a good sign, and I sometimes say lets go up to the site but I didn't.
I start out by telling them the 5 regular rule from bears to quiet time and 10MPH to no washing at pumps.....
AND...takeing the bottle caps out of my pocket I say..."I know you are drinking, who is 21?"
"The guy still in camp is 21" (of course, up there)
Now it is not my job to check ID's and I have no athourity to do anything about it so I just warn them that the manager will be by later and maybe the sherif who will check ID's and one of the fellows hangs his head as I tell them it is not a happy parent who has to travel to from where ever to get thier kid out of JAIL...
I get on the radio...if front of the campsite and call my manager and she says she will be down later, and they all hear this.
She comes down and with her big truck and my blazer behing we park at site and she alone goes in and comes out and tells me "yup, your right, nobody looks 21 but just keep an eye on them"
9:15 PM a call on the radio and Manager wants to know what the statice is...I informed them that I was just about to walk around and will get back in 30 min.
Walk around and from a few vantage points....not even near site 49 I can see right in it from about 300 feet and see that only 2 of the guys are still milling around but all is quiet and fire is about to go out so I report this and the night is quiet.
Reporting back...the manager said a "quiet camground is a happy campground" to my reply
"A quiet camground is a happy HOST"
Gerry
Escape 21
2005 Scamp 5th Wheel
Linear Mode
