Park Maintenance

The projects just keep on coming.
As I stated last, the park manager is doing his best to get the shop area in some kind of order, where we know what tools we have and what we need to get to get this park in better shape for visitors.
Last week I was asked to build a work bench along one wall so that our tools could be organized on a shadow wall. That job was completed and an area above that bench was marked and painted. Our tools were located and organized so that they can be hung on the wall.
There was a peg board in that spot and it was relocated across the shop area. many of our small general items are hung on that wall and now we can see what we have and easily replaced as they are used.
I am now in the process of closing up a large window in the north wall that used to be outside. There is a room there where our cleaning supplies are kept and the window was not useful anymore.
I am also building a 24' bench and bin area for our plumbing and electrical parts. There will be many large and small bins.
I have made a deal with one of the rangers to teach me how to operate a tractor with back hoe in exchange that I teach him some basic carpentry skills. He is willing to learn and takes the initiative.  He is going to help me build that bin area.


We have a work force from the local state prison, who come 1/2 day M-F. There is a guard with them and they are very helpful in getting some of the grunt work done.
They was a large area for fire wood that was in disarray to say the least. They moved and organized multiple cords of wood and some various length logs and it looks so much better and consolidated.
There is a burn ban on in East Texas, and this wood cannot be used. The park manager wants to get out of the firewood business altogether, as all of the monies go to the general fund and not to the park.
The wood is without cost except for the labor required to get in shape to sell. He thinks it is not cost effective for the park to sell it.

Brenda works up at headquarters and will be given more responsibilities as time goes on.
She doesn't much care for the field work or working in the shop, but she likes to clean up the litter here in our loop and really enjoys working in the office.
She helps with traffic control on Friday evenings as people arrive and go into the office to pay the entrance fee.

We went into Houston last week, but saw no one as everyone was busy and we gave no notice that we were coming.  
We did get to Costco for our vitamins and other drugs. The closest Kroger is in Huntsville, so we stopped at Kroger in Spring while we were there.
We tried the HEB cola zero, but didn't much care for it so we stocked up on Big K brand. It is the Kroger store brand and is pretty good. We even like it better than Coke Zero.

We are off today and we will go over to the Escapee park to do laundry and pick up our mail.
When I get all of the parts I need, we will have a washer and dryer on the park grounds. There is a stackable  set at one of the bath houses in the pipe chase. We will be sharing the laundry facilities with the other camp hosts as they arrive next month.

There is a monthly meeting and luncheon for the park tomorrow and we are having pot luck.
Although it is our day off we think that our presence could only be helpful in our relationship with the park staff.

Ta ta for now.