Settling In And Getting The Lay Of The Land

  This was taken on my way back from yet another trip down the hill.  This time it was to arrange for a land line.  It is a requirement for Camp Hosts.  They will reimburse me for basic service and fees and taxes.  I will pay to have the internet, because I have no cell or internet service where I’m at.   If any one wants to talk to me they will have to call, as long distance is too expensive. Local is within 13 miles.  Hopefully I will be able to post my blog next Wednesday after the installation.       

                           

This is only the beginning of the road that goes to the park (bottom of the hill).  The road twists and turns and is quite steep in places.  The views are magnificent if you only had the time to look at them.  It’s much too dangerous to more than take a glance and there is no place to pull over to take a picture. 

                           

                        I have no idea what this is, but it is on a tall bush.

So without those gorgeous views,of which a picture just wouldn’t do them justice anyway, I’ll just post these of the campground flora and fauna.  Thursday, Angel and I took a walk/hike to check on all the campground sites nearby.  Even though I’m not officially a Camp Host until Monday, I decided to inspect each site and pick up trash.  Now I have a use for all those grocery bags.  I filled four of them yesterday.  At one site were tea drinkers, used tea bags and torn sugar packets. At another site there were several kids that had a water balloon fight.  I was surprised to find maybe only a dozen or so small pieces of the balloons.  They had picked up most of them.  There’s a lot of bottle caps, paper and cigarette butts.  Later I will also have to clean fire pits.  The section of the CG that I am in has 22 sites. 

                               

                            Other CG picture taken from the CG that I’m in.

               On May 1st the other CG will open and  I will take care of that too.

                         

Light cleaning and restocking of the Restrooms, and picking up trash is part of the maintenance.  Answering questions, selling firewood and being a presence as well as the eyes and ears of the Rangers is the other part of the job.  I will probably go through training next week.  Part of my job will be 10 hours of maintenance and the other 10 hours will be helping the Rangers.  With Easter coming up on the 20th, there will be an event at the Grant Ranch House.  I will be doing face painting for the kids and put out a donation jar that will go to support the Ranch Programs.

           Taken from the deck.  (regular lens and then with the zoom lens)

These guys are all over the park and make huge entrance holes to their burrows.

                             

              There are turkeys all over.  You hear them mostly at dawn and dusk.

When I started my hike on Thursday morning the sole of boot just came unglued,  I walked right out of it.  I guess I will have to get another pair.  The next picture I’m using the sole as size reference for that pinecone.  The Rangers call them widow-makers.

               I finally got my paints out and did a watercolor of the pinecones.

                                

                                        The watercolor paper is 9 x 12.

Today is Friday and people are starting to arrive in the park.  The weather is beautiful and we’re having a great week.  Angel has to greet them all and let them know that she sees them.  After all, that is her job.

Hope that you are having a great week too.

Thanks for visiting

Just doing my job.

Susan and Angel