I thought it might be interesting for you, the reader, to see what happen to us on a work day. This morning I ran the numbers, which essentially means that I take a sheet which represents the park and color in each space where there is an occupant. This helps us learn if anyone has entered the park after we closed the office, and then we can check to see that they come up to let us know how long they want to stay. While doing this I also pick up any garbage, which guests can leave in front of their rig until ten in the morning. After that time they are responsible for their own trash and are expected to get it to a nearby dumpster. I also read any electric meters for guests who need to pay their monthly bills or might be departing that day. This exercise is followed by checking two lists to see who might be leaving and who might be arriving. Guests who are leaving are expected to depart by noon if they are staying in their own rig or depart by eleven if they have been staying in a cabin.
Once this is done, it is the daily park host's job (whoever runs the numbers is the host and must also lock up after ten in the evening) to keep track of those leaving and watch for new arrivals. Today we had about ten leaving and three arriving. Since we also get drop-ins, this whole thing is subject to change, and the office ladies keep us updated by radio.
We then go on to work on whatever job needs to be done that day. Today was primarily a mowing and weed whacking day. I went to the maintenance shop and picked up a weed whacker, can of gas, and more whacking string that might be needed during the day. I went out to the cabin area and started trimming up areas left by Clayton, who had mowed around the cabins yesterday. In the meantime I was asked by the office to do several more meter readings, and a call from the housekeepers sent me to a cabin to replace an old toilet tank fixture. Finally, I finished the cabins and went on to a hillside behind nine permanent park models to whack the grass that Clayton could not get to with his mower. It is quite a steep area and not only hard to mow but also hard to weed whack. By the time I was finished with this area, it was nearly lunch time.
After our lunch break I was back in the weed whacking business and continued working on the west side of the park. To break this up I also repaired a sewer clean out that had been broken, and then got George to help me cut down a small tree (maybe 20 feet high) that had died this past winter. A few minutes with a chain saw and we loaded up tree parts to go to a fire pit area (also cleaned out earlier today) where they will be burned. At one point in the morning Clayton got a bit too close to the Guadalupe River with his mower, and the back tire slid into it. This caused a call, and Roy and I went down with our golf carts to pull him out. It sprinkled off and on all day which kept us cool, but the fifth time did result in us calling the day finished. We headed to the shop to put away our equipment and then to the office to put up our radios for recharging, and our work day was over at five o'clock. However, as host, I had to lock up at ten and was glad to turn in a half hour later for a good sleep.
I do not usually weed whack the whole day, but we are trying to get ready for a big weekend here, Memorial Day. This upcoming weekend is fully booked with a waiting list of patrons. There is much to get done, and we will be busy the rest of this week. I will be glad for a few days off before the weekend, as my days off at the moment are Tuesday through Thursday.
Our work day is always busy and frequently jobs change as the need changes. We work cooperatively with the ladies in the office and the ladies in housekeeping. Of course, we continue to do projects that Don our manager-owner develops. Currently we are building a porch for a new cabin. We do most of our own construction and repairs. Recently we built tables and chairs for an addition to the outdoor saloon area. This project alone took us several weeks to complete. We had hoped to complete the porch for the new cabin for this weekend, but it is not to be. There are too many other jobs to get done for the Memorial weekend influx and subsequent party. If it is like last year, there will be several bands playing in our amphitheater, and we will feed 400-700 people. It is a big job for sure.
Life is never dull, and we work hard. Our hard work pays off, as this park had just been selected at the number one park in Texas for 2010. Quite an honor! Happy travels.
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