Busy Weekend, Sandi’s Visit

                                    

                                

                                        Sunrise, Saturday morning.

                                      

                              Bright and early we rolled Mary out of bed. 

                                 Sorry, Mary, just had to post this pic.

Even though they didn’t get here until one am, we headed into San Antonio on a mission.  I wanted to go to Costco, it’d the closest one  to Garner SP.  I was looking for another chair that matched my 0 gravity recliner.  I wanted an extra chair that I was a bit lighter and that I could carry if I needed to supply my own.  Success!   I also was able to find different kinds of trail mix that had the combinations that I like. They will do until I find a store that has a “bulk foods” section.  The closest towns to GSP are quite a ways away, about 8 miles north is Leakey, which is very small and south about 31 miles is Uvalde which has a Wal Mart, HEB grocery store, ACE Hardware and a lot of other smaller chain stores, fast food etc..  Costco, Pet Smart and the larger chains are in San Antonio.  One of these days I will go into SA to do the tourist thing. 

We got back around 2;00 pm and kicked back to enjoy the afternoon before Sandi and Mary started to go through the STUFF to see if they wanted any of it. 

                                         

Of course, they did.  There was all the “do you remember when” as Sandi went through the pictures and a bit of  “Ohhhhh, look what I found!!!!” and “ so that’s where it is, we’ve been looking for it for a long time.”   Thank you Sandi for taking the Stuff.  I know that it is in good hands.   While they went through things, I fixed dinner, the last of “Billy’s Red Sauce “ from our trip to Pismo Beach last October.  It was still great.  We had it with spaghetti squash instead of pasta since both Sandi and I don’t handle pasta well since our surgeries.  We finally got  to bed after 9:00 pm.  I had to get up early for my first day working here at GSP.

                              

First day at work at Garner State Park working at the Visitor’s Center run by the Friends Of Garner, a non profit organization.  (FOG)

I started at 9:00 am, winter hours are until 3:00 pm, but if it isn’t busy it will close early. Linda K. is the one that runs it and actually a member of FOG.  She showed me how to use the register, but it was slow, so l will actually have to use it to get familiar with it, but it seems simple enough.  Then we filled the bird feeders for both, regular bird seed and nectar for the humming birds.  When I brought the feeders out the birds were out there waiting. 

                                              

                      

             Barn Swallow waiting for us to go away.  They were building their nest.

The rest of the time we welcomed guests and answered questions.  There was only one sale and Linda showed me how to do it as it was a credit card.  Sandi and Mary came with Angel and I showed them around.  They took off to tour the park and went on a short hike and took pictures. 

              

 

                                      

Linda and I hung around waiting for customers until 1:00 pm.  That was it for my 1st day at the VC.  Sandi and Mary stopped by on their way out of the park, on their way home after taking Angel back to the rig  to let me know they were leaving and say goodbye.  We had a great visit and am looking forward to seeing Mary when she comes back for a longer visit later this summer.

                               

I still need four more hours, so I went  up to headquarters to see what they wanted to do.  They had me view an EEO/ FRAUD/ ETHICS power point. That took up about a half hour.  I also was given a Park Host Manual to read and return because it is the only copy and Vestal, who makes out the schedules, hasn’t had time to make copies.  He said that I could ask them at headquarters to make copies of any part of it.  There’s some good information about the park and surrounding area, so I made three copies and will put them into sleeve protectors for Vestal to have for other Park Hosts. 

That was the extent of my first day,  met more people.  I feel like I’ll never remember all their names.

I went home and changed clothes, rested, fixed dinner and then took Angel for a walk.  On the way back I met another Park Host couple and their fur kid, Prissy.  We visited awhile until it started to get dark.  Also met a couple of couples (also newly retired) that are parked a couple of sites down from me.  They were coming back from a hike and  will be leaving on Tuesday.  We all shared stories and talked about workamping.  I was tired, so I called it a night, went home and to bed.

It was and interesting first day.  I think that this is a good fit for me.  I will be doing other things until the VC is open for it’s regular summer hours.  Wednesday I will get training on the Day Use Gate and then work it on Saturday, but work the VC on Thursday.  That will be my 24 hour commitment for the week.

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel