Firm Plans for the Summer

The arrangements and details are all finalized for next summer. After speaking with the owner - Roland Zimmerman - yesterday, we will arrive in Creede, CO around the middle of May. He indicated that we were welcome to come anytime from May 1 on, but most of the work the first couple weeks is outside getting the park ready for the summer crowd. They are in the process of expanding the park now and he had work crews there that he was trying to coordinate, so we didn't have a lot of time to chat on the phone. He indicated that Josie will be working entirely in the office with the Campground Manager Reservations System that we have the most experience with, so she will be comfortable doing that. I will be doing some computer work, some painting of new structures and some security work. He is not a computer type person - in fact he says he detests computers - and would like me to help him learn more about using them. They use Quickbooks for their business and that is the software we used for our floral business when we owned the shop in WA, so I am familiar with that and can provide some help in that area. He doesn't even like using the computer for emails, so he really is in need of some help to feel more comfortable with them. He said there is lots to see and do in the area which we already knew, and we all are looking forward to spending some quality time there next summer. The timing is perfect and gives Josie a chance to work the Mothers Day season in May at the flower shop before we leave the Phoenix area.

It was another cold, wet and windy day yesterday. All 3 days we had off this week were lousy, weather wise. We had a total of 1.2" of rain but the wind and cold made it a stay-at-home kind of week. We had visitors last night for a couple hours - Roger and Sue - who were celebrating their first day off for their work week. Thursday is the only common day we both have off, so we made tentative plans to go to the Chinese Buffet in town next Thursday. They still work the night shift as we all did last year. The difference is that they try to keep the same hours on their off days as they do during working days. We could never do that as we were always too tired to stay up until 3 or 4 in the AM watching TV or walking around WalMart for a couple hours. We also couldn't see wasting half a day sleeping until nearly 1 PM on our off days. But it works for them.

We're down to single digit work weeks left - 9. That is a sign that maybe we will make it to the end. The busiest time, and happiest time is still ahead, so it should be more fun than the first 15 weeks. We hope so...