Our Job at Colossal Cave Mountain Park

We are still excited about our new job, even though they aren't ready for us...after a month??  So we were left waiting...and adrift.   Justin and Li (the doctor friends) fed us a delightful dinner, including the most flavorful and varied salad I'd ever had.  Since I think of a vegetable salad as dessert...it was the best treat possible for me.  They had about 5 acres that came with their gorgeous mountaintop home, and they invited us to park there overnight.

Their home is next to a preserve, and protective zoning has changed, so they will remain the only home at the top.  There were javelina and deer tracks among the cacti, so I hoped for visitors.

This is the sunrise the next morning.  Do Arizona skies behave like this often?

The Schmidt's home is steel frame with hay bale insulation--brilliant considering the climate... with no heating or air conditioning required.  The side of the home facing Tucson has a glass-walled family room with a grand piano and large, peaceful spaces that invite meditation.  The "official" family portrait is shown below...a fascinating holographic image.  It's the actual family that anyone would find ultimately fascinating...and gracious.  Tucson is so fortunate to have them!

Justin and Li told us the story of how they met in China and eventually married (in Tucson).  It was clear they should write a book.  We were so spellbound we missed church!

Can you tell we love Li and Justin?  We could stay forever, but on Monday we had an appointment with Martie and the park maintenance manager to figure out just what our duties would be.  This pic of the host site can be enlarged to see the nature of the road.  This is the only good section.  We learned in our meeting there were 3 maintenance people, but no work had been done.  The person who was to bring a grader in was "busy" and he'd need Martie to buy him a new blade, anyway  ???  Why would you have to buy a blade before renting equipment??

We had to wait some more, so I decided to unwrap this great gift of nature.  The canyon we were parked in led up to a wild campground called La Selvilla.  The road to it had been washed out, but instead of fixing it, they had posted signs directing you to drive up the dry river bed.  I picked up trash as I walked and threw bigger rocks out of the "road" just to feel useful.  I discovered the Arizona Trail crossing the campground and followed it for a while, delighting in the rock formations and plants it led me to. 

The next day we found La Posta Quemade Ranch, which is run separately, but Martie gets a percentage.  We saw two full wagons departing the ranch in the rain with the happiest passengers you'd could imagine.  They were all older, but as giddy as little kids getting a pony for a birthday.

I think I'm giddy, too, having always been horse crazy.  Living in a park with a real, working ranch was going to be great!  But what about getting busy with camp hosting?  There's signs posted (BIG ones) saying you can only camp one night.  Martie was not aware of that.  The bathrooms needed cleaning, but one of the maintenance people, Skip, said the boss told him there wasn't any money for cleaner.  ??

What me worry?  No, we just went on a tour of this dry maze cave they call Colossal.  I had already read so much about the cave that I'm sure I could have given the tour myself.  In fact I was so enamored by the Indian and robber history of the area as well as the flora and fauna that I was consuming information wholesale.

Meanwhile...no likelihood of the roads being fixed...and Bill, an arachnid researcher working in the cave, informed us of many things that were less than satisfactory in the operation of the cave...including a maintenance team "that did nothing".  I said I'd start working on the road if I could get a shovel and a wheel barrow, as I'd found a pile of road base...but that just brought chuckles.  We may be dry camping for quite a while, just dreaming of FHUs on those cold Arizona desert nights. 

P.S.  Dr. Bill Savary is not only the wild cave tour guide, but a good friend of Justin Schmidt (Bob's friend).  As a herpetologist, he has been allowed to go into the park's pristine caves and has discovered new species of critters.  These caves are so delicate they are even closed to researchers now.  You may contact Bill through tucsonherpsociety.org or if you'd like to know more about reptiles, email him at:  bsavary@mindspring.com

Camp Host Jobs at Risk?

Supply and demand have powerfully affected your chance of getting a job you will enjoy.    How so?  Just while you read this page, hundreds from the ranks of aging America will hit the road in an RV.  Many have given up their sticks and bricks location and must have a place to park. 

A telephone interview with Warren Meyer, President and CFO of Recreation Resource Management (RRM) confirms the flood of retirees and disaffected workers who want to camp host.  Mr. Meyer stated he could not find enough help to run the 175+ sites his company manages in 12 different states.....before 2009, that is.  Now he is swamped with applicants.  He had set up several web pages to entice people to apply, but now he does not even acknowledge the countless online applications from camp-host.com, www.camphost.org, or work-camping.com.  To read Warren's well-written description of this trend away from home ownership to RV wanderings just click here. 

Crazy Camp Hosts ready-2-volunteer at Wekiwa Springs

Bob asked Warren if he had anything open right now...and he didn't waste a second saying he didn't.  Warren is an incredibly adept businessman, but still many can't understand how his company can take over failing parks and make them profitable.  I know one HUGE reason:  A greatly reduced payroll.  There's a limitless supply right now of retirees with a premium work ethic, low interest in pay, and a strong desire to make positive change (some just call it their pride in performance).  To get the job done "right" this group will work double or triple the required hours...even more!  And the pay is no more than minimum wage to start with. 
Then there's the VOLUNTEERS.  They happily do all of the above, but with no pay...other than to wear some type of shirt with a badge on it or maybe just a cheap trucker hat with a flimsy vest.  Here in Florida the volunteers get a plastic-y hat with an ill-fitting gray T-shirt (pictured on Bob) and a cheap plastic name tag, and for that they risk being ordered around like a lackey. 

Today I met a camp host (quite a bit older than me) who was trying to enjoy her grandchildren.  But she had firepits and toilets to clean and (this I couldn't believe) sites to rake.  Each site is a huge area, but the hosts must rake it back to front leaving perfectly parallel rake marks. 

Michael Duffey the Wekiva Gator Hunter

The volunteer in the Nature Center was a surprise...because they let him wear a nice shirt with badges.  That was his only pay for countless hours keeping the center open.  He kept telling me his wife was out of patience because he was averaging 7 hours a day...every day!  I visited on a Monday, a day when they should have been closed, but Michael said he'd already seen over a hundred visitors.  Wow!  He kept asking me to volunteer to give him some help.  He said I would be great at it, especially since I'd been a science teacher. 

I later found out Mikey had been giving out volunteer applications to even kids, in hope someone would spell him off and "save" his marriage.  I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd been writing and calling for months trying to get a volunteer position at his park...because it's the closest one to our son in Orlando.  They "couldn't" take me on because of the cost of providing a camp site.  There you have that persistent problem of everyone who does RVing full time:  Where do you park the rig?

Now...if you don't need a camp site, you can volunteer at Wekiwa Nature Center.  The only unusual requirement is shown in these pictures.  You need to have no qualms about handling snakes and gators so your visitors won't freak when you hand them a corn snake or a cute gator.

BOTTOM LINE:  Too many people chasing too few positions has lowered or eliminated pay and increased job responsibilities.  Abuses are becoming more common....by the day!  You'd better be able to afford your RV site for most or all of the year, because "free" sites for "light duties" are quickly becoming the stuff of dreams.   Sorry.

Bob strips on the spot and jumps in Wekiva Springs

Bob says of his swim:  "It was great!"

15 miles of beautifully maintained trails radiate from our camp site at Wekiwa Sandhill Campground

Buying an RV - Frightening or Fulfilling?

If you have never attended a large RV show or visited a mega RV dealer you are in for a big surprise. The first thing you’ll notice right off is, “There are so many choices, where do I begin?” Did you know this is the number one reason why people put off buying a RV? They are overwhelmed with all the choices and become frustrated, don’t let this happen to you!

The second biggest reason people decide not to buy an RV is that they don’t know who they can trust. It’s not uncommon to hear your RV salesperson say something like, “This manufacturer builds the best models".  After you have visited a number of dealers it’s like a broken record.  Everybody thinks their brands are the best in the industry.  Here's a typical line, "Four Winds has the BEST motorhomes.  There's a reason all of the rental RVs you see on the road are made by Four Winds.... Dependability!!"  By the way, we fell for this line and bought a Four Winds.  It turned out the reason they were on the road as rentals is because they are cheap, assembly line products.  Follow the dollar, and you'll almost always find the real answer.

Take your time...and Follow these Instructions:

1.  Decide what type of RV you want.   You can choose gas or diesel.  Diesel gives you better mileage, but a noisier unit and higher purchase price.   You can get the luxury of a Class A (with the great driving views) or the maneuverability of a Class C (but with less overall space).  Travel trailers can be intense to pull and wear the driver out.   We recently almost got hit with shrapnel from a trailer being pulled past us in a campground when the left wheels hit a big rock on a curve and tore off one of the tires and some of casing.  You can avoid the sway of trailers with a fifth wheel, where the weight of the trailer is over the truck's rear axle.  Just make sure you have enough power to pull it.   (As a note of interest, Bob's great-grandpa Bryant Olds invented the 5th wheel.)  Or you can go for the fun of a towable toy hauler.  The biggest question is:  "What do you want to do with your RV?"  If it's going to sit in a trailer park, a trailer could be ideal...especially since it's designed all on one level and easy to get in and out of.

 

This might be all you need, so why buy more?



We met a great couple laughing about how they bought this trailer
and "hid" it from the condo association in their garage.



Taj-ma-Winnebago

2.  Look at how different manufacturers compare to one another.  This may seem time consuming, but an RV is a big enough investment to merit doing your homework.  (Your mother would approve.)  Some top makers are Fleetwood, Winnebago, Monaco, National, Country Coach, Skyline, Forest River, R-Vision and Thor.  Don't rely on "looks" or floor plan to make your decision.  Get in a model and test how everything works.  We even set up the couch and table beds before buying.  Some buyers don't know you can (and should) test drive the unit.  Try driving into a shopping center to see how you like parking it and definitely get it on the freeway to hear how sound it is.

3.  Gather as much information as possible about the RVs under consideration.  Look at the special features, condition and any other important aspects of the RV that matter the most to you.  When comparing models, be sure to factor in any and all extra features.

4.  Check out the prices online and at lots for the model you are interested in.  You can look on ebay for completed sales or check Craigs List in different localities.  Prices in other states may surprise you.  We found the new model we wanted for $60,000 in Iowa that was selling for $90,000 in most every other state.  We called dealers across the country and found prices varied.  We thought Florida must have the best deal, but their prices were among the highest.   You may find an extraordinary price elsewhere, but you will forfeit the personal customer service from your seller.  We have had quite a few little problems with our 31K from Motor Sportland, but the salesman we bought through has taken care of every one of them...and even thrown in a free RV wash here and there. 

5.  Look at the tax burden or benefits that different models may bring you. Think of motor fuel tax, sales tax and individual income tax.  If you register your RV in a state other than your own for tax benefits, be careful.  We just moved to Florida but were given this advice by a tax attorney:  "If you still maintain a church membership in SLC, have burial plots in SLC, and all your children live in SLC, you should expect the SLC tax folks to argue that the external factors are inconsistent with your claimed move to Florida."

Planning Tip: Be consistent. If you claim you've left a state, don't go back to get a resident fishing or hunting license in your former home state.  We know of some hefty fines for doing this very thing! Ditto on library cards (hold one in the state in which you reside, not the state you moved out of), and so on.

One of the first steps in your state tax planning is to figure out the starting line. Which state currently thinks you live primarily there?  Learn the rules as to how you can end that tax relationship and keep detailed records supporting your tax home state.

Tax Reduction Planning Tip: Make sure you land in your new tax home. Perhaps your first stop should be in your new tax home state, where you spend enough time and set up enough connections to make it your new home state for income tax purposes. Buy burial plots (really!)   Join a church or lodge or other organization.  Go to the dentist.  Get a local library card.  Open a bank account and move your accounts.  Hire a CPA to handle your tax returns.

Planning Tip: Did we say to keep a log book?  Maintain a detailed and accurate calendar showing where you were, which days you worked and in which states.  Staple RV park receipts and receipts for gas and shopping to the calendar as they will prove where you were.  We have a folder of receipts from the first day we crossed into Florida. 

Your suggestions are welcome here.  I'm sure you're more experienced than I am and can help us all with the advice we need in this area.  Thanks for your help!

Here’s the job EVERYONE wants!

Salt Springs has to be Florida’s best….very best! Campground. It’s well run by American Land & Leisure. Employees get a free site for as little as 5 hours of work a week. And you are paid minimum wage for your hours. There’s an activities barn with a full schedule of fun get-togethers and staff and campers who are living together as one caring family. Sweet! In fact, this fabulous park-like campground is so popular that every day of the week campers stop by asking how they can camp host here.

Office where we asked for a Job

We asked for a job ourselves, and there’s so many waiting in line to get in, we were given a zero percent chance of being hired. An “internship” is required, where you work through the summer to show you are the right stuff and deserve the job. We’ve lived through 14 Florida summers and you don’t know hot until you’ve experienced stifling, still, super-heated, 100% humidified air. If you aren’t used to it, it can even be life threatening. We went to the Forest Service Visitor Center and found out they need help there, so we blew the dust off of our application and tried to reach someone at the ranger station about getting a job.  We spent hours trying to get an email through to the volunteer coordinator (there's no internet service in The Ocala).  After two days we finally got through and received the following email with 4 generous offers:

Hi Eileen,
I found your application.  Chris mentioned to me that he felt you had great qualifications and would be a great addition to our volunteer program.  We may have a spot opening at the SSVC [the visitors' center link] if we can't work out some details with the current inbound volunteers but I don't know as yet.  We have 3 other sites open:  Delancy West, River Forest, and Big Scrub.

Campground host:  Delancy West is an OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) campground year round and also serves as a huntcamp from November thru January each year.  The host site is primitive and offers a landline and septic.  Water is brought to the host site by forest service employees or volunteers and a gasoline allowance is provided by the FS for a host provided generator.  This position is available right now.  Lake Delancy Link

Campground host - River Forest Recreation Area is a group site available by reservation only.  The camp ground is located on the St. Johns River.  The rec area is currently closed for use while we upgrade the the facilities but we like to have volunteer on hand to help keep up with maintenance and provide security.  This position is available right now.  The host site is full hook up.  River Forest Link

Recreation maintenance - Big Scrub Recreation area is and OHV campground year round.  The majority of the sites are available by reservations with a few sites remaining on a first come first serve basis.  Big Scrub has approximately 60 campsites, 3 full hookup host sites and 2 new (3 yrs old) bathhouses.  This position is available January 1- April 15.  The available position is a recreation maintenance position; duties include assisting with trash removal, bathrooms, mowing, etc.  Big Scrub Link

Paradise? The majority of camp hosts say "YES"...

 There are 3 camping areas.  We've only been trained in this section so far (with the RVs in Buttonwood Campground)... as of Oct 8, 2011.   In the very center of this picture is the camper marina where Bob has been doing his fishing.  It's wildly alive with fish.  Don't try to count them.  Hundreds of hosts apply for Bahia Honda SP...and keep trying for years.  You are supposed to have a minimum of 500 volunteer hours to even apply.  We came with zero.  We just happened to submit an online application at the exact time another set of hosts had to decline their "place in the sun".  We work 3 days on and 4 days off.  We've explored the other keys this week and are well satisfied we landed in the best one!

Take your shoes off and relax a while....

Bahia Honda it is! Life in The Keys begins...

I know if you are a human-fish or paddler, island life must be paradise.  But I am a "Shore Bird".  This key is seriously the stage for the most enticing and exotic post cards ever made...but to a non-swimmer with a sinus infection and feet that must stay warm... "what the?!!@!!"  Nevertheless, we pulled into our assigned spot the evening of October 4, 2011, with the wonder of Florida enveloping us.  There's a nurturing feel to the warm, moist air...and who can resist a flamingo pink sunset with silouettes of darkened palms along a shore... complete with the sound of gently lapping waves.  What does one do?....why hurry and cruise the whole park on bikes to see where everything on the map might be and what we will shortly be tending.

There's 80 glorious campsites and 8 big cabins on stilts.  Four overly "delicious" beaches have pavilions, outdoor showers (known to have nude bathers we need to ask to cover up) and lovely tiled change houses.  There's even a Nature Center and butterfly garden!  Click-4-pictures!



Buttonwood Camping Area

 Link to Campground Map                                                         Link to Park Reservations

So what's stopping you?  Come on down for the adventure of your life!!

How do you "Balance" Family-Work-Play?

This cool tent that Grandpa found amazed us. We'd never seen one. You can see it by using the Amazon link. Type in key words: Truck Tents for Camping.

Our eldest daughter was about to have a baby girl, and I was determined to be there with her. There were complications. We were the only ones at our campground. How could we leave the camp unattended? And then there's the matter of one baby boy whom I couldn't bear to be separated from. We were best friends. A more than wise person told us, you are wasting your time trying to find the perfect balance. He had a scripture to back his words up: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all things shall be added according to that which is just." No worries, just prayers and following The Lord to get those priorities right. You can see by the pictures mom and baby were fine, and I got to be there to take all of the pictures and make movies.... and my little toddling friend came to visit often. Hurray! http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=c0886-20

Boondocking - FREE Camping, or close to it...

We HAD to check out boondocking... as even in our day of ever tighter rules and restrictions, RVers were saying it's out there and it's good. A favorite seems to be dispersed camping on BLM land. It worked at Quartsite...and everyone we've met who has ventured onto BLM lands has said they've had no problems...as long as you stick by the few rules. (Stay close to some kind of road and obey any posted signs.) We went online and bought an ebook that got us started at: http://www.rv-links.com/boondocking.htm I'd say it's a special kind of adventure...as you don't worry about the cost. The first picture was taken May 28, 2011, at Settlement Reservoir, in a canyon above Tooele, Utah. Bob caught the only fish in the lack (no one else got one) and I climbed the ridge of the hill in the foreground and "ran like a wild horse". Our camping spot was a few miles up the canyon right on a perfect mountain stream, down away from the road in a shady grove of elms. We stayed two nights before it SNOWED. The branches were resting so heavily on our new RV that when we pulled out it twisted up our TV antenna like it was thin wire. (Yes, Bob forgot to retract it.) We parked across the street until snow removal equipment dug and plowed us out.

Next we tried the free camping at Grantsville Reservoir, down in the nearby (warmer) valley. We were surprised that there were nice tables, grills and a restroom. The roads were dirt, but the scenery (with the new snow) was excellent. In the middle of the night a drunken "cowboy" started sliding his pickup around our RV at high speeds. He had been sliding in the mud earlier with his ATV, along with his son. But a big truck sliding our way was enough to make us get up and move out of the campground. We parked down by the water. The fish were cold and went deep, so we went home to warm our toes.