RV-Dreams Journal

Getting Back In The "Work" Groove - (Chester, CA)

Whew.  It was hard going from two days at Lake Tahoe to getting up and pumping out RV tanks at 8:00 this morning.  :)

What a transition from floating on that crystal clear water to talking about the Honey Wagon.  Oh well.  :)

On our third trip with the Honey Wagon, suddenly, the hose split near the business end.  Randy works that end and quickly slammed shut the valve.  Yuck.  Randy's quick thinking kept that from being a huge mess.

I had Randy drop me off at the bathrooms so I could get those started while he went to repair the hose.  I got the ladies' room finished and we resumed the pump-outs.  By the time we got all the rigs done and the mens' room cleaned, it was 2:00.

That made for a short afternoon for us.  I did some mowing, some wild sprig trimming, and some weed spraying.  I also filled a propane tank on a motorhome - first time for that.

Linda had the late shift and it went fairly well.  We had a reader arrive after I had gone home for the day.  We had gotten an email from him, and I figured we had a couple days to meet.  Unfortunately, they couldn't get their motorhome level in their site or the other one that was available and they left.  Bummer.

Well, that's about all there is to tell.  After having some really fast Wi-Fi the last couple of days, our slow Verizon internet is painful.  When we have lots of pictures, it takes me forever to do the Journal entries.  That's one of the reasons I haven't been taking any pictures on work days.

I can't wait to get our satellite internet back.  It's not as fast as the Wi-Fi we had in Tahoe, but it's a lot faster than the service we have now.  Maybe next time we have to do the Verizon tethering thing, we'll be in a much better, much faster service area.  :)

Well, we're back in the work groove and we only have a month and a half to go.  We've been working hard and we'll be ready for a break.  :)

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July Financial Summary

July 2009 Results

Campground Fees $0.00 (0.00 per day) - Budget $0.00

No campground fees for July while workamping in Chester, CA at a private campground. 

RV Clubs $0.00 - Budget $0.00

RV Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Propane $0.00 - Budget $10.00

Cell Phones $85.48 - Budget $90.00

Satellite Internet $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Note:  Satellite internet is not included in our regular expenses.  We classify it as a business expense.  We paid $798 in December 2008 for all of 2009.  However, since we can't use the service for the four months we are workamping, we have suspended the service and will carry over four months of service to next year. 

RV Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Satellite TV $84.34 - Budget $85.00

RV Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $50.00

Diesel $0.00 - Budget $0.00

The truck is sitting during our workamping stint.

Gas $111.45 - Budget $150.00

We drove the Jeep 681 miles in July.

Truck Maintenance $0.00 - Budget $35.00

Jeep Maintenance $19.39 - Budget $20.00

Replaced windshield wipers.

Truck Insurance $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Insurance $318.21 - Budget $320.00

Semi-annual premium.

Truck Taxes/Registration $0.00 - Budget $0.00

Jeep Taxes/Registration $110.17 - Budget $150.00

Overbudgeted in this category a bit.

Groceries & Dining Out $407.26 ($13.14 per day) - Budget $450.00

Our Groceries & Dining Out budget for 2009 is the same as for 2008.  It's based on $12 per day per month for groceries PLUS $90 for dining out. 

We did great on groceries, but we were about $40 over on dining out with our trip to Lake Tahoe.  Still, we were well under budget in total.

Laundry, Clothing, Hair Care $67.36 - Budget $75.00

Laundry runs about $8.25 per week.  The rest of the expenses are miscellaneous clothing and hair care items.

Entertainment $475.97 - Budget $200.00

We splurged a bit for a two-day jaunt to Lake Tahoe on our days off that happened to fall on my birthday.  This was the only category in which we were over budget for July. 

Insurance - Health, Life, Umbrella, Etc. $195.07 - Budget $220.00

Monthly health insurance premium of 195.07.  I budgeted for an increase in July, but the renewal isn't actually until August.

Medical & Dental Expenses $0.00 - Budget $50.00

Miscellaneous $85.62 - Budget $150.00

Emergencies/Budget Cushion $0.00 - Budget $300.00

Totals $1,960.32 ($63.24 per day) for normal living expenses - Budget $2,055.00

Totals with Emergencies/Budget Cushion $1,960.32 - Budget $2,355.00.

We were $95 under budget in normal living expenses and $395 under in total.  It was another good month.  We are $1,553 under budget on normal living expenses for the year and $2,845 under in total.

For a look at the numbers through July 2009, go to Our 2009 Actual Expenses. To see our budget month-by-month click on Our 2009 Budget.

On the business side, we had net profit of $3,759.  For the record, to avoid publishing our workamping salaries, we've combined the RV-Dreams Workamping with RV-Dreams.com for May, June, and July on the 2009 Business Financial Summary page.

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The Beautiful Waters Of Lake Tahoe - (Lake Tahoe, CA/NV)

Lake Tahoe is 24 miles long, 12 miles wide, and has 72 miles of shoreline.  At 1,645 feet deep at its deepest spot, it is the second deepest U.S. lake, the third deepest lake in North America, and in the top 20 deepest lakes worldwide (somewhere between 8 & 16 depending on which source you believe).  

All I know is that I've seen gorgeous pictures of the water, and I wanted to experience that firsthand.

After partaking of the free continental breakfast at our hotel, we hopped in the Jeep and drove a couple miles to Sand Harbor State Park.  We arrived around 10:00 before it got too crowded.

We just happened to bring our Sea Eagle SE330 with us, so we found a parking space near the sandy beach, inflated the boat and carried it out to the beach where a few people had started to gather.

I wasn't sure if we were really allowed to launch from the beach, but it turned out to be okay since the boat is an inflatable.

We didn't get very far before I started snapping pictures of the clear water.

The water in Lake Tahoe is so clear, you can see down 65 - 75 feet according to the clarity reports.

It was a beautiful morning as we paddled away from the sandy beach along the East Shore.  Soon we were passing over and around large granite boulders.

The water color was spectacular.

Not too far from the beach where we started, maybe a mile or so, we found our own little rocky cove that was somewhat sheltered from the waves from the big boats on the lake.

We hung out there quite awhile as I climbed over the rocks taking pictures.

It reminded me of some of the rocky beaches of Bermuda.

We waded in the cold water and dangled our feet from the rocks.  At one point I dove in.  Yowza!!  That certainly made me feel alive.  :)

While I was in the water, I used the boat to float the camera out to another set of rocks to get some shots from a different angle.

After enjoying that spot for an hour or so, we left it to a couple that had scrambled down the steep bank from the roadway above.

We started back toward the beach.

Now, I'm not one to condone the defacing of the rocks, but I had to admit this was pretty funny.  We'll call this, for obvious reasons "Bikini Bottom Rock".  :)

Linda wanted this shot of the gull on the rock.

The sailboat, actually a catamaran, was a bonus.  :)

I like the pull-back shot.

It really did look like the ocean out there.  I kept expecting to see tropical fish and dolphins any time.  :)

We paddled back to the beach which was full of people by then.

But we weren't nearly ready to get off the water.  We paddled by the beach and around the rocky point of the state park.  On the other side were two more beaches among the rocks and people jammed on them like sardines.

Of course there were youngsters jumping off some of the bigger boulders.

It's easy to see why Sand Harbor is so popular.  It's beautiful with both sandy beaches and rocky beaches.  Not to mention the cool, clear water at a time when several places out west are suffering through 100-degree heat.

Eventually, we turned around and paddled back toward our launching point.  The gulls near the main part of the park seemed to be used to paddlers getting close.

When we got back to the buoys marking the outer edge of the swimming beach, we still weren't ready to get off the water.  So we just floated out there enjoying the sun and watching the people.

Eventually, the waves pushed us toward shore and some clouds started to move in.  As much as we hated to beach the boat, we got it out of the water, deflated it, and packed it away in its bag.

We changed clothes and took the short trail around the park.

The trail has a lot of interpretive signs about Lake Tahoe as well as some pretty nice views.  Though it was cloudy at the moment, I got another shot of the big, sandy beach.

It has to be one of the most beautiful freshwater beaches in the world.

We continued our walk and I continued taking pictures.

The clouds weren't deterring any of the visitors.

One last shot that includes a spectrum of colors.

Well, that concluded our day on the water in and around Sand Harbor State Park.  For all of the photos, you can click on the Sand Harbor State Park Slideshow.

We were in the Jeep and headed back to Chester when the rain started.  But first we stopped off at a little ice cream shop in Incline Village - Susie Scoops.  We had a coupon from one of the visitor guides for a free sundae.  :)

After that, we made our way back along the north shore of Lake Tahoe and merged back onto Hwy 89 north in Tahoe City.  We followed the Truckee River, the only outflow from Lake Tahoe, about five miles to the River Ranch Lodge.

We remembered seeing it on our way to Tahoe, and I wanted to stop for a late lunch/early dinner.  They have a patio on the Truckee River where several of the area rafting companies have their "takeouts".  We managed to get a riverside table and watched the hundreds of rafters.

The patio crowd would cheer whenever someone fell out of the boat on the last little rapid coming into the eddy at the takeout.  :)

After we ate our grilled sandwiches, I took one last picture and we were on our way.

We arrived home safe and sound around 7:30.

We sure packed a lot into a day and a half at Lake Tahoe, and we had a great time.  Tahoe is a bit crowded in the summer, but it's easy to see why.

There are commercial parts of it and lots of natural parts as well.  The commercialism wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

They cater to every possible outdoor interest for every type of visitor.  The prices weren't as high as I was expecting for the different tours and activities, but you could rack up a lot of expenses if you tried to do a lot of them.

Even with the crowds, we enjoyed our time.  In the future, if we return to the area, we'd probably find a campground, stay a few more days, and do more hiking and paddling.

There is no question that parts of Tahoe are absolutely stunning as we discovered today.  :)

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Wingin' It In Tahoe - (Lake Tahoe, CA/NV)

Wow!  Thanks so much for so many birthday wishes!  :)

I'm not one to make a big deal out of my birthday, but I sure have been touched by the comments and emails and Facebook messages.

For the record, I'm 46.  Still lots of years to explore our wonderful world, and we did a little more of that today.

We were up early for breakfast at the Tahoma Meadows Cottages.

They serve breakfast buffet style, and we were the first to arrive.  Actually, only one other couple joined us while we were there - a couple from Philadelphia.  As often happens, they left with our story and an RV-Dreams.com business card.  :)

This morning's breakfast consisted of fried potatoes, a Bacon & Tomato Egg & Cheese Bake (wonderful once I picked off the tomatoes), a Bacon, Corn, & Pepper Fritatta, and a German Pfanna Kuchen (a German pancake that was more like a flan).

It was a little fancier than I like, and I'm not usually a big fan of breakfast items with the texture of quiches, fritattas, souffles, and flans.  But these dishes were a bit more hearty and less fluffy than I expected, so I enjoyed them.  :)

After breakfast, we decided to go ahead and vacate the Tahoma Meadows Cottages and chose a hotel at the Incline Village on the North Shore for tonight.  The plan was to be near the picturesque East Shore on Thursday morning.

Again, without a real plan, we headed south along the West Shore.  The number of activities around here are quite overwhelming, and having only a day and a half makes for tough choices.

We ended up at the Emerald Bay State Park.  The parking lot is right on Hwy 89 tucked between the granite mountains and the lake.

We arrived around 9:30.  Once we paid our $7 entry fee, we visited the overlook near the parking area where we had a good view of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island (the only island in Lake Tahoe).

Off to the right, between the highway and the lake, we could see Eagle Falls.

Other than the bay and the falls, the other highlight of the state park is the Vikingsholm "castle" down on the shoreline.  It was built in 1929.

We walked the mile-long trail down to the beach, stopping to take pictures along the way.

There is a little museum and visitors center where you can buy tickets to tour Vikingsholm - considered one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere.  Ultimately, we opted out of the tour and just got photos of the exterior.

There is a nice little beach in front of the home and there is a "tea room" built on top of Fannette Island.  But there are many more accessible beaches and the island is only accessible by your own boat as there are no tours out there from the park.

We made the one-mile, fairly steep climb back to the parking lot.  By the time we got there, the lot was full and people were parking and walking in from everywhere.  Looks like we arrived just in time.  :)

We continued south up the hill along the granite to Inspiration Point.  Inspiration Point overlooks Emerald Bay, and is the spot where every tourist must stop and take photos.  :)

That's if you can find a parking place.  :)  But, if you can, the views are quite beautiful.

This shot shows where we were about a half hour earlier.

Everyone was offering to take photos of each other, so we joined in.  :)

Back in the Jeep we continued on around the South Shore after turning on to Hwy 50.  It is quite a bit more developed, but not as much as I had expected.  I expected a lot more new construction, but it still has the feel of an earlier time.

With at least four state parks around the lake, maybe more, there are still a few thousand acres of preserved landscape.  That was nice to see.  But the lake is crowded in summer no matter where you go.

We by-passed the South Shore including the casinos just across the Nevada state line.  We drove on up the east side of the lake where the highway departs from the shoreline.  Eventually, we came to Hwy 28 which goes back to the lake, continues up the East Shore, and across the North Shore until it intersects with Hwy 89 in Tahoe City.  The total drive around the lake is 72 miles.

The East Shore is rocky with gorgeous water, but it is not nearly as accessible.  This is where you can find a little bit of seclusion if you are up for a pretty good hike.

As we approached Incline Village on the northeast section of the North Shore, Sand Harbor State Park came into view.  That's a place where many of the Caribbean-clear water photos are taken and a place I thought we might stop today.  But, oh was it crowded!  And there was at least a mile of traffic coming from the north waiting to get in.  Yikes!

We drove on into Incline Village to look for our hotel for tonight.  I figured it would be easy to spot, but we drove right past it.  We ended up in a very wealthy neighborhood section.

Linda commented "If you had continued to kill yourself working, we could have had one of these homes."  I looked at the expansive estates on the beach and replied "Probably not."  :)

As we turned around, we noticed a little boy on the sidewalk selling lemonade.  We couldn't resist and pulled up alongside.  He was so cute.  :)

Now Linda took that picture, so you can't accuse me of just getting a photo of the mom.  :)

With our lemonade in hand, we eventually found our hotel.  It was only about 1:00, but our room was ready and we checked in.  Nothing special, just a room that was about $200 cheaper than the ones at the Hyatt a couple blocks away.  :)

Clouds moved in and we got a little rain.  We didn't know if our outdoor activities for the day were over or not.  But we were hungry, so we drove west over to Jason's Beachside Grille in King's Beach.

The view from our table on the patio would have been pretty good if not for the clouds and the parking lot between us and the lake.  :)

Lunch was tasty although a bit overcooked.  Still, the prices were reasonable and it was nice to sit outside with a lake view.

We headed back to the hotel for a nap and to wait out the rain.  Eventually, we went over to the casino at the Hyatt.  They were having a $25 buy-in blackjack tournament, and that seemed like a good way to pass time.

Unfortunately, it was sold out when we got there.  And our time at the casino ended up costing us a lot more than $25.  Oh well.  :)

By the time we left, the clouds had cleared.  I'm not sure where I was going, but I drove west on Hwy 28.  We crossed back into California through several small communities just taking in the sights.

Eventually, we ended up in Tahoe City where we started our journey around the lake yesterday.  We had made the entire loop.

It just so happened that Wednesday nights are when Tahoe City has "free movies on the lake".  We found a parking spot and walked through the lakeside park.  I took a couple more photos.

We got to the area where they were having the movie and saw the big inflatable movie screen and several people gathering.

What the heck.  We didn't know anything about the movie being shown - "Inkheart" - but we grabbed chairs out of the Jeep and joined the locals.

We didn't have plans for dinner, but there were some local eateries selling food.  Let's see.  We had some Chicken Marsala and I had a slice of pepperoni pizza.  Then I got us a couple of ice cream cones for dessert.

Yeah, it's a tough life.  :)

While waiting for it to get dark enough for the movie, I took some more photos as the setting sun turned the clouds pink.

We really hadn't come prepared, but at least we had our chairs and our jackets and a couple of beach towels.  Linda was already bundling up.  :)

The sky was clearing and the half-moon was up.

Soon, as the moon shifted and the stars started to appear, it was dark enough for the movie.

The film wasn't really my cup of tea, but who cares?  We were sitting out by the lake on a gorgeous night watching a free movie under the stars while flocks of geese flew in honking their arrival.  Another memorable experience.  :)

We made it through the movie although we were pretty cold by the end.  We walked back through the park looking at the lights dotting the shoreline.

Soon, we were back in our room.  A hot shower with incredible water pressure was just the ticket to end a wonderful day.

Ah, it was a great birthday.  Not really what I expected when we started out this morning, but that's why we love to wing it.  You just never know what might happen.  As the movie said in one part "It's not nearly as exciting when you know the end of the story".  :)

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On To Lake Tahoe For A Couple Of Days - (Tahoma, CA)

Well, we finished up our work day, packed, and headed out toward Lake Tahoe without any plans.

We were searching for somewhere to go that wasn't too far.  As I've said before, when looking at our location in Chester on a map, it looked like places of interest weren't quite as far away as they actually are.  Gotta remember to use that little mileage representation scale down in the corner.  :)

Anyway, for our days off and my birthday on July 29, I chose to go to Lake Tahoe since it was only about 130 miles and we'd never been.  The goal is to avoid the glitz.  We might do some touristy stuff, but we'll be looking for the hidden, or at least the less crowded, Tahoe.

We left around 5:00 and headed south on Hwy 89.  It is a beautiful drive on a pretty good road without much traffic.

We went through Truckee and followed the Truckee River down to Tahoe City.  I figured we could find a room there pretty easily on a Wednesday.  And we could have, but after riding through town, we decided to turn around.  We continued south on Hwy 89 along the West Shore.

Seeing lots of promising places, we presumed they would be more money than we wanted to spend.  Eventually, we arrived in Tahoma on the West Shore.  It was about 8:30 by then and we needed to find a room.

After making a few stops, we ended up at Tahoma Meadows Cottages Bed & Breakfast - it was recommended by a couple of the other places.  :) 

So is it a bed & breakfast or cottages?  :)

It's actually a group of rooms in cottages, but they serve a full breakfast in the common room above the office.

The little sign on the door said we could call the owners up until 9:00, so I did.  They happened to have the Tahoe Room available.

We took a look at the room and then checked in over the phone.  It's a cute little room, but not too girlie.  :)

In addition to the queen bed, there is a clawfoot tub/shower ...

and a fireplace.

There was an excellent booklet about Tahoma Meadows that also included lots of tips on restaurants, beaches, lake cruises and more.

Our room key allowed us to get into the office/common room where I picked up bunches of brochures to help set our itinerary for the next couple of days.  We'll get more information at breakfast served between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Oh, and they have free, really fast Wi-Fi.  :)

Well, that's about it so far.  I'm looking forward to seeing the beautiful water I've been hearing about and getting some great photos.  We'll see what happens.  :)

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Usual Duties & New Friends - (Chester, CA)

Sunday, was a nice, calm day in the campground.

I did the bathroom cleaning, the trash run, and cleaned about half of the vacated sites.  Vicki did the rest of the site inspections as I tied up several bundles of firewood.

Linda had a pleasant day in the office.

At 10:00 p.m., we both went on the quiet hours run.  We had some late arrivals, and Linda wanted to check on them as they came in.

That about did it for Sunday.  :)

Monday was the usual busy day.

Randy & I did 40 pump-puts and cleaned the restrooms including the shower and baseboard scrubbing.  It was 1:30 by the time we finished that.

After lunch, it was the usual Monday trash juggling trying to get as much into the dumpsters as possible for the Tuesday pick-up.

Linda was on the early shift and was on the phone the whole time making reservations.  But at least everyone was friendly.  :)

For about 30 minutes, I did electric meter readings on seasonal sites and figured the monthly charges so Linda can prepare bills tomorrow.

Around 4:30, it got busy in the office, so I helped Claudia gather information for check-ins.  Just as I was preparing to leave for the day, RV-Dreams reader, Laura from Pasadena, arrived with her friend Mary Ann.

They had just driven from Yosemite and were pretty tired.  Laura had booked one of our premium sites for a few days and I helped her back her travel trailer in.  She did a great job.  :)

I let them get set up and went home to get my shower.  With our two days off coming up and considering another little mini-trip, we didn't know if we would get a chance to chat with Laura & Mary Ann, so we paid them a visit.

We had a nice conversation inside the trailer as Mary Ann put out some snacks and Laura got out their maps to tell us about Yosemite - they loved it.  :)  She gave us her maps and brochures and suggested we make our way there after our stint here.

As the sun sank and it got a little cooler, we went outside.  Their site is on the far west side of the campground, a long way from our site.

We continued the conversation and enjoyed the sunset with Lassen Peak silhouetted in the background.

Since our site is on the opposite side of the campground in our secluded spot away from the guest campsites, we don't get to see the sunset from out deck.  It was nice to witness one with new friends.  :)

With hugs, we departed just before it got too dark to ride our bikes back home.  Hopefully, we'll chat with them again, but with our schedule on Tuesday and thoughts of a little jaunt Wednesday and Thursday, that may have been our only chance.

Back home, it was about an hour until I had to do the quiet hours round.  I was happy to see a quiet campground and it was a short trip.

I've been researching some possibilities for our days off - stay tuned to see what we come up with.  :)

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Saturday Play-By-Play - (Chester, CA)

I start late and end late on Saturdays.  My schedule is 11:00 - 2:00 and 3:00 to 8:00 followed by a security/quiet hours run at 10:00.  The theory is I help out in the office, do campground patrols, and handle guest relations in the afternoon after taking care of bathrooms and trash on the first part of my shift.

It didn't quite work out that way today.

I headed to the office a little before 11:00.  My first duty, before bathrooms, was to check with four sites that came in last night and prompt them to go to the office and pay/check-in.

I arrived at the bathrooms and had to wait 20 minutes to get started on the ladies side.  The office has been telling every person, when they check in, about the bathroom closure times, and it has helped.  But a couple ladies didn't heed the message today.

I got started at 11:20 and finished with the ladies' side at 12:20.  When it is busy and I do the bathrooms by myself, it's pretty much like clockwork.  It takes me an hour to do each one.

Some gals were waiting outside expecting the bathroom to be open at noon.  I apologized and thanked them for their patience.  They were nice and thanked me for doing a good job on them.  Cool.

I did the mens' room from 12:20 to 1:20.

From 1:20 to 2:20, I picked up the trash at our 18 individual trash cans most of which are scattered among our tent sites.  We also have one at the playground, one at the boat dock, and one at the dump station.

During the trash pick-up, I also check the porta-potties to make sure they have toilet paper and that they are reasonably clean.  And, while on the trash tour, I pick up trash in the individual sites that are open and make sure the firepits are in good shape.

I took lunch at 2:20, but Linda radioed me at 3:00 to do an "emergency" pump-out.  Emergency pump-outs are $30 when we have to hitch up the Honey Wagon and do a special trip.

It was the first time I had to do a pump-out by myself.  I got the Honey Wagon hitched up, drove it down to the site, backed it in (after a few tries), and did the pump-out.  Whew.  No disasters.  :)

I backed the Honey Wagon back into its spot.  It's not easy backing a trailer much narrower than the truck into a precise spot.  The Honey Wagon has its own "dump station".  So I dumped it (basically just like dumping an RV), hosed it out, and finished with that task around 3:45.

Then I had to clean some permanent marker graffiti off one of the bathroom stall doors.  Oh, I'd love to catch somebody in the act.  With Goo Gone, that only took about five minutes and it came right off.

After that, I cleaned the grills at two of our cabins.  It was about 4:30 by then.

We were getting low on wood, so I split wood for over an hour.  Thank goodness we have a good splitter.  :)

Around 5:45, I did a patrol round.  The campground was doing well except for my usual message to a few kids "You need a helmet to ride your scooter/bike".

I checked the bathrooms and did a quick mop on the womens side.

And I also swept the loose gravel off the paved roads.  At least where it was a danger to the kids on bikes.

When I got back to the office, I filled a propane tank.

By then it was approaching 7:00.

On the patrol round, I noticed some people had left quite a bit of wood and two old beehives behind in their sites.  So I picked up the wood, checked the porta-potties one more time, and was on my way to the bathrooms when a kid came zooming down the hill to my left on his scooter.

I was going maybe 10 mph or less and hit the brakes.  The boy careened out of control right in front of the truck, flew off the scooter and hit the pavement and gravel pretty hard.  He was pretty scraped up, but not seriously hurt - at least he had his helmet on.  Had I not stopped, he would have slammed into the side of the truck and it could've have been pretty bad.

I made sure he was going to be okay and offered to go get some ice, a first-aid kit, or whatever they needed.  The parents had everything under control and reassured me it wasn't my fault.

I was a little shaken, but I continued with my work.  I proceeded on to the bathrooms for one last check.  I filled the toilet paper on the womens' side and ran a mop through both sides.  It just bugs me to see how clean the restrooms are in the early afternoon and then have them look bad in the evenings and mornings.  :)

By the time I unloaded the wood from the truck, it was 7:45.  It was a good thing it was a fairly slow Saturday for Linda, 'cause I was no help to her at all.  I'm doing far less guest relations "management" and more day-to-day tasks than I thought I would be doing, but hey, I'm not signing the paychecks and making out the schedules.  :)

Since my lunch had been cut short, and I was spent for the day, I went home.  I turned on some music, got my shower, made myself a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and zombied out the rest of the evening.  Well, at least until I had to do the quiet hours round at 10:00.

At 10:00, there were some large groups out around the campfires, but it was pretty quiet.  There were group murmurs, but nothing that warranted a stop.  Thank goodness!  :)

I just admired the stars and the clearly defined Milky Way on my way back home. 

Whew.  It was a busy day for me.  And a play-by-play was about as creative as I could get with this entry.  :) 

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Only Seven More Fridays To Go - (Chester, CA)

Let's see.  I got up and out just in time for Randy and I to start Honey Wagon duty at 8:00.  It took two trips to do that and a third to pump out and clean the porta-potties.

A little girl riding her bike was paying attention to us and not where she was going and wiped out.  Fortunately, she was going slow, she was wearing a helmet, and her dad was right there to hug away the pain.

We got started on cleaning bathrooms at noon and finished around 1:00.

Most people are friendly to us bathroom cleaners, but some people won't talk to us or even look at us.  Just a guess, but it seems we might be "beneath" them.  :)

There was an episode on a sitcom one time where the dad took his boys and their friend to a basketball game.  The dad told the boys to go ahead and throw their peanut shells on the floor - "the janitor will clean it up".  Turns out the friend's father was a janitor.  Hmmm.

I wonder how often in our past we've thought the same thing.  "The janitor will clean it up."  "The maid will clean it up."  "They pay someone to clean it up, it's their job."  I'm sure we have had those thoughts, but even if they are true, I hope we haven't made or left a bigger mess because of that fact.

Sometimes, that's how I feel working the dirty jobs in this campground.  I feel like people leave bigger messes because they know someone has to clean it up.

And it's also that "visual permission" thing.  Once one person throws a paper towel on the bathroom floor, then others do it.  Once one person uses their firepit for a trash can, then others do it.  Once one person throws their trash on top of the dumpster rather than in it, then others do it.

Anyway, my intent is not to complain about the jobs - we knew what we were getting into when we signed on.  My intent is to shine a light on the people in our lives that clean up after us.  They deserve our respect for making our lives better, and a little praise and a "thank you" once in awhile goes a long way.

And here is a little tip for those that do the dirty jobs.  The people that know your name have a tendency to be less messy where it affects you.  So if you are in a situation where you can get to know the people that make the messes you clean up, the easier your job will be.

A nametag, a quick "hello" or "How's your day?", and a smile are all easy ways I've transferred myself from the anonymous "janitor" or "maintenance guy" to "Howard" in the eyes of at least our longer-term guests.   Trust me, it makes a difference.  :)   

Well, enough of that little tangent.  We finished the bathrooms and took lunch.

After lunch, I got a list of things to do from Des.

I mowed a cabin lawn, watered several new trees and shrubs, and cleaned the bugs out of light fixtures on the office porch.  In addition, I helped Randy juggle trash so he could take a load to the dump.  And I helped Randy move the canoes and kayaks from their location near the office to the docks.  Then I rented a canoe.

As of July 1, PG&E started releasing water from the lake for downstream purposes, whatever those might be.  The edge of the lake is getting farther and farther from the campground and the water around the docks is getting shallow.

We've stopped renting our motorboats for the season due the aquatic weeds that always seem to end up wrapped around the props.  And we have to constantly monitor the docks.  They are getting close to being out as far as we can get them, and we have to keep an eye on which slips are rentable and which ones are too shallow.

With all my chores and Linda busily checking in guests, we hardly had a chance to speak today.  But I knew she did laundry and set out some chicken for dinner this morning.

When I got home, I got my shower, threw on some music - "Rod Stewart:  Uplugged", updated our financial spreadsheets for the month, grilled the chicken, and baked some potatoes so dinner would be ready when Linda got home.

Linda arrived in a much better mood than last Friday evening.  It's still a busy weekend, but the people seem to be more pleasant.  Hopefully, it will be that way through the rest of our stint here - only seven more Fridays to go.  :)

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RVIA Seeking Texas & Georgia Full-timers - (Chester, CA)

After yesterday's wonderful day relaxing at Juniper Lake, we chilled out at home.  We handled a few administrative tasks and returned some emails.

We got an email from the publicist for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).  He is looking for full-timers from Texas and Georgia for magazine editors in each of those states.

In a clarification email, we were told they want people with Texas and Georgia roots that are already on the road.  In other words, they are NOT looking for full-timers that adopted Texas or Georgia as a home state after the fact.  :)

If anyone is interested, please let us know through our Contact Form and I'll pass along your information.

We also got an email from a reader asking us if we would be interested in a summer position in Michigan next year since they won't be returning as workampers.  It looks like a nice place and the hours are much less than where we are now.

We did a bit of research on the area and we are considering our options.  Linda feels like we should do at least one more workamping gig in a private RV park.  Since free golf is a benefit, I am more inclined to think about it.  :)

Other than that, we were pretty lazy today.  We watched some TV and a movie in the evening and that was about it.

Yesterday was beautiful and memorable.  And it refreshed us more than you know.  :) 

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Juniper Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park - (Chester, CA)

We were ready for a day off and we needed to get away from the campground.  Linda was ready to get away from people altogether and just relax - no hiking, no sightseeing.

She said, "Let's throw the boat in the Jeep along with the loungers and go up to Juniper Lake.  We'll take something to read and I'll make us a lunch."

Juniper Lake is fourteen miles from Chester.  The narrow road is paved for the first seven miles.  Then it's a gravel road the rest of the way.  There is one pretty rough stretch, but it doesn't require 4WD or high clearance.  Once you enter yet another access point to Lassen Volcanic National Park, the road improves for the last three miles to the lake.

When Juniper Lake comes into view through the trees, the blue of the water is striking.  The book "Paddling Northern California" calls it a "sparkling mountain lake".  It sits at almost 6,800 feet elevation and has five miles of shoreline.  

At the end of the road is a parking area, a few trailheads, and a very clean pit toilet.  We walked out onto the beach area past a couple of picnic tables to take a look.  There was no one else there.

There was a light breeze, but the water was pretty calm and so clear.  It was a great place to launch the boat.

I threw the boat-in-a-bag over my shoulder and carried it down to the shore.  Linda pumped up the Sea Eagle SE330 and we were ready to paddle.

We simply paddled straight out toward Mt. Harkness (in the background above).  The clear water was gorgeous.

In the shallows, it looked like we were in the Caribbean.

Where's my mask and snorkel?  :)

As we got into deeper water, it was a beautiful ocean blue.

We were mesmerized by the water, the color and the clarity.  We'd paddle awhile and then stop and float.  We saw two other canoes (one with a sail), and one kayak on this large lake.  Apparently they had come from the tent campground on the east shore.

We didn't see any cozy little coves or interesting shore features, so we just stayed out in the middle of the lake.  We were pretty far from our beach and the breeze was blowing back in that direction.

So what did we do?  We slapped on some sunscreen, laid back in our little canoe, and took a nap.  The rocking of the boat and the sounds of the waves lapping lightly against us made for excellent sleeping.  And if we slept too long, we should end up back on the beach where we launched.  :)

Aaaahhhh.  Talk about relaxed.  :)  Eventually, the wind picked up a little and we were rocked awake.  We had floated quite a ways, but we were still pretty far from the beach.  By then, we were getting hungry, so we paddled on in the rest of the way.

Once back at our launch point, there were a few people and a couple of dogs on the beach, but everyone was just quietly enjoying the surroundings.

Linda got the cooler and I carried our loungers down to the water.  We sat back and had our lunch with strawberries for dessert.

After that, I went for a walk with the camera while Linda reclined with her latest book "Fearless Fourteen" from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

With my water shoes on, I waded along the shoreline to the left.  The cool water was so refreshing.  I watched the minnows school up and scatter as I got too close.  It was as if they were making sure I wasn't a big, stange-looking, awkward heron stalking them.  :)

Eventually, I turned around and headed the other way.  Linda wasn't budging as I passed back by her.

As I moved around the beach, everyone else left.  We had the shallow cove completely to ourselves.

I continued to walk along the west side of the cove past four or five cottages tucked back in the woods along the lake.  I assume they were grandfathered in before the lake became part of the National Park.

There were no power lines, so we guessed they were using solar or generators for electricity.  One of them had a little plank dock and a couple of old wooden boats.

I continued on to a rocky point where I sat on a large volcanic boulder in the water.  I dangled my feet and took in the beauty of the lake as the clear, shallow water turned into so many shades of blue as it deepened in the direction of Mt. Harkness.

I sat there a long time .... pondering as I often do.  This, .... this is what we were seeking when we first thought of going on the road.  Together in a lovely, natural setting far away from the hustle and bustle of "normal" life.  Letting the beauty of nature nourish our souls.

In our four years on the road, we've had so many of these moments, these experiences.  Yeah, we're having to "work" and stay in one place a little more than we'd like, but maybe, ... just maybe ... that makes days like this even more precious, ... more memorable.

I took one last picture before heading back to our spot on the beach.

I'm a water guy.  I'm not the best swimmer in the world, but I love being around water, being in water, listening to water - whether it be a waterfall, a rushing stream, or waves, big or small, breaking onto shore.

On my walk back, I waded, ever so slowly, all the way, feeling the subtle changes in water temperature on my legs, noticing the schools of small fish and watching their synchronized movements.

I thought about the people long before us, and how in tune with nature they must have been to survive here.  Through our love for nature, we feel a kinship, some sort of spiritual connection with the primitive people of the past.  They may have been short on comfort and life expectancy, but they certainly lived through their hearts and souls.

Taking a shortcut through deeper water, I finally made it back to our loungers.

I joined Linda and reclined looking out over the lake.  The heat of the sun was offset by the breeze.  The breeze caused gentle waves and their soothing sound.  The only other sounds we could hear were the echoes from woodpeckers rapping on hollow trees.

I delved into the book "The Back Of Beyond - Travels To The Wild Places Of The Earth" by David Yeadon.  It was published in 1992, but it still provides great stories of twenty-two adventures through thirteen countries.

In one chapter, as the author writes about being in the jungle of Costa Rica, he eloquently writes:

"In that tiny boat I felt like an openmouthed intruder, hardly understanding anything of what I saw, irrelevant to the place, almost envious of the jungle as an unquestioning participant in the enourmous rythyms of life, responsive to a far deeper purpose.  The little tribulations of our conscious lives and the apparent inability of us human beings to find a common harmony with all the myriad life systems around us seem to leave us spinning on the surface like flotsam, so tangled in our petty patterns that we fail to comprehend the larger whole of which we are a part.  And while we're trying to understand what we dimly sense unconsciously, we slowly destroy ourselves and the earth too ..."

Wow!  There was a time when I would have read that and said to myself "What the heck is he talking about?"  But now, especially today, in our hidden paradise far away from our former "petty patterns", that passage was completely clear to me.  :)

At the end of that chapter, he talked about camping on the beach and watching Green Turtles coming ashore and laying their eggs.  By chance, he helped scare off some turtle poachers that night.

It reminded me of the day we were asked to drive to South Padre Island to help rescue sea turtles suffering from "cold-stun" back in January 2007.  You can read the entry called Operation Turtle Shuttle.

Maybe our adventures haven't been nearly as exciting or far-reaching as Mr. Yeadon's, but we certainly see some parallels in how we have stumbled into some extraordinary experiences while exploring the back of beyond in the good ol' U.S.A.  :)

I was a happy man sitting there reading.  But between our nap in the middle of the lake, and her time spent reading while I was walking around, Linda felt she'd better get out of the sun.

She moved up and read in the shade.  It wasn't too long before I joined her.  There we sat, still with no one around, reading our books in complete peace until the hunger pangs started.

Reluctantly, we deflated the boat and put it back in its bag.  We loaded up the Jeep and began the ride back to Chester.

We spent six and half hours at Juniper Lake, most of that time with no one else around.  And every minute was worth it.  It was just what we needed ... time to relax and reflect and appreciate.  And with that, I'll leave you with this thought from Mr. Yeadon.

"That the wildest places of all are deep within and there's no end to the exploration and enjoyment of their mysteries and magic."    

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