Gorgeous Day to be a Camp Host!!

[ttpadilla]

The weather is perfect today, sunny and about 72 degrees. There is a beautiful breeze blowing through the tops of the pines, and even the bugs seem to be occupied doing something besides swarming in people's faces. Song birds are plentiful, squirrels are behaving themselves, and the sound of the Tule River is a soothing backdrop for it all. I got my assigned golf cart a few days ago, and it's so much fun riding along with the 5mph wind in your hair!

I was able to clean nearly all of my 34 sites this morning, in addition to scrubbing down the remaining 6 vault toilets (I cleaned the first 7 on Monday), and after I go and "check-in" today's campers, I'll have the rest of the day to myself.

When I made $65,000 a year, I never had any money. I had a lot of stuff, but my spending habits were atrocious, and even money for the kids' school field trips was hard to scrape up. My new life and modified spending habits suit me very well. Even working for minimum wage, more money is staying in the bank. I don't have to worry about whether I'll make it until next payday, or if I can afford to fill my gas tank or buy groceries/dog food. I'm even on top of regular oil changes for my car!

I realize it's only been 7 weeks and 1 day since I hit the road, but so far, I have zero regrets!

 

[c_hasbeen]

awesome report from the field!
keep them coming please

 

[akrvbob]

Just like you, I really enjoyed being a campground host the 4 years I did it. My doctor says I can't do it anymore, but I would otherwise.

Every summer I left with a few thousand in the bank and then I drew unemployment all winter. Sweet deal!!
Bob

 

[cyndi]

What a great review for the lifestyle!

 

[rvpopeye]

I have more money to save since I stopped the old life and started workamping for less too.
It's funny that I spent so much of my pay just to support my job !
Glad to be here doing this now.
Listening to the waves on the shore and the loons , geese , ducks and gulls on the lake.
Oh yeah the kids on the beach too.
Last week I watched a little tyke playing with his new radio controlled boat and jumping for joy as he steered it around !

 

[4GNomad]

Nana4Twins,

I am so happy for you. Glad you are enjoying your workcamping job. Take care...

 

[cyndi]

I love that you're loving the life you chose and worked to create, T! Rock on!

 

[Almost There]

It's so nice to see a plan come together and then even nicer to see it work so well!!

Some day I hope to be able to do camp hosting too!

 

[ttpadilla]

Just like  you, I really enjoyed being a campground host the 4 years I did it. My doctor says I can't do it anymore, but I would otherwise.

Every summer I left with a few thousand in the bank and then I drew unemployment all winter. Sweet deal!!
Bob

Oh man, keep reminding me about the Unemployment option; it keeps slipping my mind. Currently, I have plans to be part of Amazon's Texas Camperforce, if I can get there. My orientation webinar is next Thursday. Between the two jobs, I hope to get enough saved to buy a smaller rig and have some gas money left over so I can do the kind of traveling I want to do next year. Must get to Utah! And Colorado! And Wyoming!

 

[ttpadilla]

I have more money to save since I stopped the old life and started workamping for less too.
It's funny that I spent so much of my pay just to support my job !
Glad to be here doing this now.
Listening to the waves on the shore and the loons , geese , ducks and gulls on the lake.
Oh yeah the kids on the beach too.
Last week I watched a little tyke playing with his new radio controlled boat and jumping for joy as he steered it around !

Where you're at sounds ideal! I keep reminding myself to fully appreciate where I am right now, instead of always "looking forward" to the next place, but near a lake or ocean is pretty much my favorite kind of surroundings.

 

[ttpadilla]

Thank you, everyone! As with any job, there are not-so-great moments, but it's surprising how knowing that a job is temporary, and being in a beautiful place with very few bills, and a bit of income, can make even the "bad days" pretty darn good!

Almost There, you're almost there!

 

[flailer]

Did someone say Utah? Yeah, me too! Someday.

 

[ZoNiE]

They're gonna have to build more campgrounds for all of us who want to go and do this for a living!!!

 

[rvpopeye]

Naaaaahhhhh
They'll just pay everybody less !

 

[ttpadilla]

I wish there were mandatory separate campgrounds for people who want to really camp, quietly, connecting with nature, and those who want to sit around drunk off their asses, listening to their car stereos, until you have to walk over in the dark, in your pajamas, and politely ask them to STFU. So many great people come through here, and really want to just experience the peace and quiet, but the campsites are so close to each other in places, that those people can soon be surrounded by buttheads. After being tortured by my "across-the-road-neighbors" car stereo bass for more than 3 hours last night, I was super tempted to blast them with some Gustav Mahler this morning.

 

[GotSmart]

I would not be so subtle.  Tchaikovsky, 1812 overture.

 

[rvpopeye]

I disagree , the 1812 might be confused with that thump thump stuff by the sleepily uninformed as their normal environment and wouldn't achieve the desired effect.
Now , Mahler , with the operatic vocalizations would certainly be something contrary to their familiar entertainment standards and offend in the proper amount to prevent their further comfort .

Wheeeeew , I didn'tsk thinks I'd makesk it through thatsk ! Skuh kuh kuh kuh

Nana,
Great idea on the separate areas and some of the campgrounds I've worked in actually try to put people like that in their own area but that's only some and they can't get it right every time..... I'm afraid that is all part of the wonderful world of campgrounds. Yes , even in the 55+ places.

The true quiet is only found in the wide open spaces of boondocking , well.... usually , unless a bunch of dirt bikers happen by.

Guess we gotta just roll with it , tomorrow will be a new day.

 

[ttpadilla]

I disagree , the 1812 might be confused with that thump thump stuff by the sleepily uninformed as their normal environment and wouldn't achieve the desired effect.

And, definitely a separate place for people with small children!!

That brief exchange about classical music made my whole day. Thanks to you and GotSmart, both, for contributing. Currently listening to Beethoven's 7th. As loud as I want to because everyone is gone. YAY!

 

[GotSmart]

You place the speakers JUST RIGHT!, and sit by the volume knob.  They will not make a mistake as to the desired purpose of the music. 

 

[ttpadilla]

Today is my day off, and I should be in town stocking up on groceries, as my dinners for the past few days have consisted of a bowl of Cheerios. I'm reluctant to head down though, as I hear it's friggin' hot down there, and up here I'm a bit overcast with temps in the very low 70s.

Yesterday it got up to 90 degrees (F) here, and was a bit too warm for my taste, but I got all 13 vaults scrubbed down, in anticipation of my sons arriving to visit for a couple of days (alas, they did not make it, as heading over the Grapevine in the hottest part of the day, in a vehicle with a coolant leak, caused some overheating problems, and I advised that they turn around and head back to San Diego before they got stuck somewhere in the dark with no cell phone signal. Just knowing they were pulled over on the side of the freeway, was enough to panic this mom!).

Most of the squirrels here are cheeky ground squirrels, but I just saw the most gorgeous gray squirrel on the trunk of the Ponderosa Pine outside my window. I've never seen a more beautiful tail in my life! The environment up here is apparently really healthy for rodent, insect, and bird life, as they are flourishing. Have I mentioned the clouds of ladybugs that are here each afternoon? Fabulous!

Last week, a couple towing a trailer arrived in camp (with reservations), and on the back side of the campground, had a trailer tire go flat, and the transmission on the pickup went out. I let the man use my phone (for an hour and a half!) to contact his insurance companies, tow companies, and the dealership to which the truck would be towed. At around 6pm the tow truck finally arrived, towed the trailer into a campsite, and towed the truck into town. I drove by the next morning (Tuesday) to make sure they were set for a couple of days, then went to Sacramento. When I returned the next day, I found a nice note left on my doorstep thanking me for my help, and they were gone! On today's DAR (Daily Arrival Report which lists upcoming reservations for campsites) I saw that they are coming back on the 21st, so my curiosity as to how they got repaired and out of here so quickly will be satisfied. I hope they bought a new truck. I love the Ram 1500, but it's asking a lot of it to pull a 24' trailer up this long, steep, hill.

A couple of my favorite campers returned this past weekend, and will be back for the July 4th weekend, and I met two very nice couples who have been camping up here for "longer than you've been alive!". Every time I drove past their site, they invited me to stop and eat or drink with them but I was super busy so they brought me dinner one night. Real Food!!!

There are many things to like about this job, and I'm mostly enjoying it. But, the lack of privacy is draining for me. I'm parked mere feet from the entrance, so everyone coming in and going out can look in my windows. Even with my curtains drawn, and my "Camp Host Off Duty" sign up, I still get people banging on my door after 8 and 9 pm asking for something. Usually firewood. After sitting around drinking all afternoon, NOT preparing for the evening. So, on the occasional days where no reservations exist, and I'm looking forward to a modicum of peace, I feel a little testy when unexpected guests arrive, which clearly is NOT the right attitude for a camp host. I'm working on it. I knew this was a "growth" experience when I had to get towed the last two miles up the mountain!

A couple of days ago, a Day User said, "wow, it's so quiet up here today (still had 10 sites occupied), it's almost scary. Aren't you afraid to be up here by yourself without anyone around?" I get asked that question all the time. That, and the "Don't you get lonely up here by yourself?" question. No, I'm not afraid, and I'm definitely not lonely!