BEST Destination in Florida....so far....

Bob at The Orlando LDS Temple

The RV took us on a sacred path to our Florida Temple.  We have been here many times...with the most special (and exciting!) trips being to see our two youngest sons married and sealed to their Karens.  Yes, their wives are both named Karen and have been good friends for a long time.  It was good to be back and to participate in sacred ordinances for deceased family members.  To read an explanation of marriage in a temple, click here.  If you want to read the rest of this story click here.  

If you want to drive to this temple get directions here. 

One of the first things we saw on this trip was a security man in a John Deere Gator like the one we use in our campground work.  You can see where it is parked in the bottom of the above photo.  The best-ever security person is pictured here, Wilber Alfaro, de El Salvador.  He was sealed in this temple to his wife, who is de Puerto Rico.  He will visit his mother in his homeland so she will soon have the blessings of the temple as well.  Joy!

The crèche....It's only 5 days to Christmas~!

No overnight parking at the Orlando Temple....sorry....but....
There's a campground just a few miles away that will astound, amaze and alter your mind!

Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake is the formal name of this Orlando city park.  It's beautifully maintained with the best 18-hole Disc Golf Course I've ever seen.  The farm is darling, with activities galore for kids...and the impressive pool overlooks the lake.  We had to stay in overflow but it's the best value we ever had for $15.  It's only $19 for shaded camp sites with electric and fine showers.

Pie, a retired race horse at the park's Farm.



Overflow RV site with view of Turkey Lake

Miss Becky has fed the livestock at Turkey Lake for 12 years!  You can rent her (and the farm) by the hour for kid parties. Trails leave the farm to outdoor musical instruments, paved bike trails and playgrounds. 

It doesn't get any better than this!

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

Camp Hosting Positions - Fabulous? ...or... Farce?

We know the dream:  The idealized view of a camp host.  Can you see it?  The cute carved sign with your name on it, the Christmas lights hung and the potted plants blooming all around your shiny rig.  And there's probably a cute pet or two in your vision of the perfect hosting site.  Fantasy?  We found more than one such site at California's Carlsbad State Beach.  Hosts had been delighting visitors by inviting them to decorate a rock.  Fun idea, since the beach was made up of wave-worn rocks...all of them natural beauties....wanting a bit of paint.  If you host in a national park or forest, then you will be asked to leave your host site "natural" looking.  This Forest Service "rule" is often ignored...especially by returning camp hosts who have become much-loved by their managers.   Besides, it's always some kind of holiday....isn't it?  And we must do a bit of celebratory decorating.

We were just offered what I thought was a fabulous dream job in Everglades National Park.  We got an email from Environmental Ranger Greg Litton asking if we were interested in working at their Hidden Lake Environmental Education Center.  He included a brief description of duties:  "Provide logistical support to rangers leading 5th grade curriculum-based environmental education programs.  Two people needed who want to be a part of a nationally recognized environmental education program.  Lots of opportunities for making a difference in urban kids’ lives – this can be hard work too."

This was like candy to a former science teacher who likes working hard and misses working with kids a GREAT DEAL .  I read everything I could about the program.  Greg seemed like a super-star keeper of the Earth.

Ranger Greg passes out periphyton to 5th grade students at Long Pine Key.

 Then the "Fabulous" job started its decline. Here's a bit of sad news we received on Dec 15, 2011, from Greg:  "The only real concern I have is that you don't have a vehicle to get you to camp and back.  It is 10 miles round trip across paved and unpaved roads in a variety of environmental conditions.  That may end up being a real sticking point since some of the VIP duties involve hauling bags of recycling and garbage from camp.   I'll be talking to my supervisor today to see if there is really any other solution."

The Everglades is a Sea of Saw Grass filled with life.

I was thinking we'd just ride our bikes to the camp each day, but it was clear we were supposed to provide a "garbage truck" of some type 5 days a week.  I seriously thought of renting a car.  I wanted to do this!  But thoughts of "farce" started to sneak into my mind.  The previous volunteers quit this job....that's why it was open.  I already knew it was a big commitment.   The work schedule is Mon-Fri with hours as short as a half day to as long as 10 hours.  I started to read the fine print about our duties.  They included: 

Duties include python checks under tents.

Pressure wash, mow grounds, “take care” of unwanted rodents, cockroaches, snakes and ants in tents, care for activity boxes and touch tables, split all of the wood, clean fire pits nightly, cut out poisonwood and poison ivy (it’s around the bathrooms where you have to do string trimming) launder kids’ sleeping bags, spray structures with bleach to control mildew, repaint surfaces damaged by bleach...on and on....

Slough Slogging - a kid favorite!

A big job is being “dock master” for the kids, getting them set up in their canoes, hauling, maintaining and locking up the canoes, camp and trail maintenance, cleaning camp and restrooms, helping students to follow the rules (behave)…and lending a hand to the park staff. You are warned it may be humid, buggy, sweaty work with no showers, and as said...you have to haul the garbage away in your own vehicle.   But you get the weekends off! And we’ve heard the staff is wonderful to work with. They are much younger (and stronger) than we are and tend to wonder why volunteers struggle with the work load. 
Greg put a stop to my trepidation over this "volunteer opportunity" with this Dec 20th email:

Bob and Eileen,
Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for volunteering at the Everglades next month. The January - April Hidden Lake camp caretaker VIP positions have now been filled. I will keep your applications and info close by since you both were in the running for these positions. [If we only had an extra vehicle to offer in addition to our labor.]

Will work for Badge on Hat

So what do you think?  Fabulous job or a Farce??   I'll give you a hint:  I have heard many volunteer coordinators and managers exclaim:  "I cannot believe what volunteers will do for us and the time commitments they will make to one location."  They say it with appreciative wonder, but also with an incomprehensible gasp or two thrown in.   

Ranger Linda at Bahia Honda State Park gave me this insight:  "They [the bosses] think you volunteers walk on water."

Getting a Job at a County Park Campground

We re-visited E. G. Simmons County Park...where we had lived with our 6 children when we first came to Florida in 1984.  We had a tiny old trailer then that had only one small bed, one canvas tent and no money, but it was the happiest time of our lives.  I had just finished painting our 100-year-old home in Pennsylvania inside/outside (after burning off all of the paint and almost burning the house down).  I crocheted curtains (including the two below) refinished all of the honey-colored interior oak trim and mantle, and stripped the ancient archival layers of wall paper (the toughest job of all).  We were forced to sell this architectural wonder due to no income and no way to heat the enormous 3-story structure....other than gathering sticks in the street (for real).   The kids had croup, so we just drove south and found refuge in Florida parks.  

I tried to take a photo of each of the places where our children played long ago...as I could still seem to hear their giggles in the breeze.  I was clicking away when I was surprised by a flock of "pterodactyls" flying overhead.  Memory jog!  Our son, Nathan, had hit the ground as soon as he first left the safety of our old station wagon upon our arrival in 1984.  Why?  Bob had yelled "Pterodactyls!" as a flock of giant blue herons flew closely overhead!  Below is the much-changed 2011 beach and playground, but the picnic pavilion where our youngest was "married" (at age 3) to another young camper is much the same.

 The sites look the same as back then (new RV, excepted) and we still get around by bike, and coon tracks are everywhere, and the rangers are still extra friendly. 

E.G. Simmons Park Marina

We found out that Volunteer camphosting in county RV parks is an excellent way to live in some of the most beautiful places in the United States with a free site and utilities in exchange for a few hours of work.   Not only are you providing a valuable community service, you benefit financially as well.  The rangers treat the hosts like "they walk on water"...and their only duty is usually just to clean their assigned restroom.  At E.G. Simmons there were 5 hosting couples.  As always, the best way to find a job is to actually camp where you'd like to work, talk with the hosts and the volunteer coordinator to see if you like what you hear about the job, and then if you are interested....ask if they need help.  If they are "full up" then still leave a card or an application in case something comes open...and it often does.  Hosts usually commit so far in advance to a job, that there is enough time for life circumstances to change their ability to host at an agreed on time.

So what are the general requirements for county camp hosts?  Hosts need to be outgoing and love meeting new people..... able to deal positively with different kinds of people and understand the limits of their authority and responsibility. (You are only supposed to inform the public, not enforce rules.)  They should have strong camping experience, familiarity with the county parks and a knowledge of the area surrounding the campgrounds (or are willing to do what it takes to gain such knowledge).  Hosts provide their own camping unit, which can even be a tent...if you are that tough.    Go for it!

Thanksgiving...Timeout 2 Think Thanks

Bob has Pilgrim blood.  Specifically on his mother's line, he goes directly back to Mary Hathaway, Richard Warren and Francis Cooke, being an 8th great-grandson.  Bob's father's line goes back directly to the first baby Pilgrim, Peregrine White...who was born on board the Mayflower while it lay at anchor (before the Plymouth Colony had any buildings).  Bob is also a direct descendant of Priscilla Mullins and John Alden.  Why, he should probably be standing president of the Mayflower Society. 

Gratitude is filling me up this Thanksgiving...for past family, as I go through old photos, but mostly for present family...  Here's some photos of our authentic Florida celebration:

Reading the Black Friday Ads...and getting "a plan"

 Recovering from Food Overdose

Gals left with the mess.... Guys.....??

Jenny's surprise Cupcakes make everyone forget Pumpkin Pie

Now it's time to get serious about Holiday Treats:  We get to sail with J.P. and Jan!  A great wind takes us to the far reaches of J.P.'s watery kingdom.  

Craig signs on as a thoughtful First Mate

The rest of the crew ties the lines in clever knots, until J.P. explains we won't be able to come about.  H.B. gets things in order.

 

HAM Radio - Necessity or just another Toy?

What do you do when you lose your job?  Why take a week off and spend it at exotically exciting Oscar Scherer State Park.  Bob takes a break from the job hunt and relaxes with his YASU-FT-817 Ultra Compact Transceiver that transmits from 70 cm to 160 meters in wave length.  It covers 95% of the ham radio bands.  The little red box in the clip is a linear amplifier.  It takes the 5 watts from the radio and increases the power of the radio to 300 watts.  After using it for about a half hour Bob talked with Belgium, the UK, Maine and Texas on a little, tiny antenna....all from our camp site among the palms.  What an exciting hobby!   And if there's ever an emergency and all phones are out, Bob can still communicate with his radio.  What a useful hobby!

I have other things to do...like riding the Legacy Bike Trail from one end to the other, making sure I said "Hi" to everyone I met...including a Florida Panther!  At the end of this post is a little movie that has a map of the trail.  The north end of the trail is little used...except for "highwaymen"... or cougars or mountain lions, as we call them out west.  He slunk across the trail without even a glance in my direction.  This is a great ride for seeing wildlife.  We also spent a bit of time investigating Osprey Lake for fish.   It was loaded with fish!.... fingerlings.

Oh, and of course we made the obligatory request for a camphost position.  This campground has more hosts per square foot than any park we've visited.  We found you have to work yourself in as a host at least a year in advance.

 

There were 4 hosts in a row in this section!  Pat and Tony are from Canada, near Ottawa, and got a camp hosting job much like we did.  They were at Bahia Honda when a couple couldn't get down to The Keys to host.  Pat had already been networking, so a volunteer coordinator recommended her.  Now she enjoys Oscar Scherer and The Keys while ignoring Canadian winters.

Volunteer Job at Myakka vs. Church

Tough Decision...  How exciting to get a job offer (on Nov 18th) to Volunteer at Myakka State Park for January through March 2012.  These are the hardest months (of course) to find a position in Florida.  We would just have to clean a few cabins for our spot in one of the most popular parks in the system.

Our Temple at Orlando, Florida...Don't miss it!



Myakka River

So what does this have to do with church?  RU kidding?  Any week we haven't been able to get to church has been a most unpleasant experience.  We absolutely need the recharge of taking the sacrament with people we love and who love us....unconditionally.  Here's the reply I sent to the offer:  "It looks like an excellent opportunity. We have been cleaning the cabins at Bahia Honda SP, so you might say we've had some training already. We don't know if this will be a problem, but it's important for us to go to church on Sunday. We'd need a few hours in the morning, but would be available in the afternoon...and of course all day on any other day of the week.  Please let us know what you think. Thanks so much, Bob & Eileen White"

Here's the reply:  "I am afraid that would be a problem.  Sundays are our biggest check out days for the cabins so we would need at least a 10:00 am start time on Sundays. I really appreciate your honesty in this matter."

The fact we lost the position was no surprise at all.  Even in Utah, where church attendance is generally a way of life, we'd been told by our area managers that no one would be allowed to go to church next season (even though we'd only be gone for an hour, or even less).  We absolutely wanted to take the position.  We already knew how deliciously fascinating Myakka is.  We loved it well from our former visits as Florida residents. 

We knew how thick it was with gators and armadillos.  One of our most vivid memories was of turkey vultures picking the flesh from the armor of slain armadillos in the park.  We loved the skywalks and airboats and perfect biking trails.  We even enjoyed the feral pigs and their bursts of activity in the understory that got your adrenaline busy raising your blood pressure.

Myakka is one of those horse-loving parks, too.  Just pick up a horse trail map  ...and start your adventure.  There's about 14 miles of trail right in the park...through the marshes and over the hammocks!  Giddy-up...

Wildlife abounds...you may even see a Burro...??

So what did we lose by choosing our life-enriching experiences at Church vs. volunteering at Myakka?  Here's the list of benefits we were emailed by the Volunteer Coordinator: