SEPTEMBER 17, 2020: Summer's End

I've been remiss in not posting over the past several months as we continued our workamping stay at Sandy Shores Campground in the Silver Lake area of western Michigan.

By the governor's directions, the campground was finally allowed to go to full occupancy in mid-June, and the volume of campers quickly escalated availability  to being full on most weekends, and very busy during the week.  Our jobs have gone well without ever being overworked.  Our relationship with the owners and their sons has continued to be a close one and we've enjoyed our stay very much. We had some days where the temperatures were in the 80's, but most days have been very pleasant with cool nights.

The Covid-19 regulations required us to wear masks in the buildings and most campers respected that order,, but few wear them walking around outside.  The office, playground, bathhouse, and laundry area are sanitized throughout the day.  While there were many cancellations due to virus concerns, those spots seemed to be filled quickly as the summer progressed.  We've stayed out of most stores but wear a mask if going inside.  Our grocery orders are picked up curbside at Walmart in Ludington (30 miles away) every 7 - 10 days and that process has worked well for us. Amazon, CVS and Walmart delivery services have been a great plus.

Saturday, August 9, is one we won't forget for awhile.  A strong storm moved in and there were two lightning strikes close to the office.  No one was injured, but a travel trailer did suffer serious electrical problems and awning damage from one strike, and a robin in a tree was killed.  The second strike hit a fence but no one reported any issues from that one. There was damage to the campground's wi-fi equipment, and phone operations.

That evening, as I cleaned up supper dishes, I dropped one of the two  heavy stove covers on my left foot. It seemed prudent to visit the nearest emergency room (15 miles away) to see what damage had been done.  There was intense swelling and bruising, but X-rays were inconclusive.  I left the hospital with a stiff 'boot' and on crutches, with a referral to a foot specialist if needed.  Surprisingly, I slept well that night and had no intense pain in the foot after that with no need for crutches or the specialist, but the swelling and bruising took several weeks to run its course.  I did miss a few hours of work during that week at the insistance of our bosses, but with ice and rest, I recuperated very quickly. 

We participated in two 'Zoom' gatherings with our 5 children and their families.  It's great to visit with all of them at once to catch up on family news.  Our  large holiday gatherings may not happen this year because of Covid-19 concerns. Many of us are involved with jobs and situations that have us interacting daily with the general public.

The campground will close for transient campers on September 20.  Seasonal residents can stay until October 15 this year because they weren't allowed in until mid-May.  Three of the other workampers left last week..  We're leaving today (Sept. 17) to start our slow journey south. We've been invited to return to work here next summer and we look forward to doing so.

Our next stop will be in Goshen, IN to get some repairs to our RV's Aqua Hot system.

MAY 25 - JUNE 6: Camping fever is Starting at Sandy Shores

With the  Michigan governor lifting bans against recreational camping, the campground is coming to life. More seasonals are coming back, and this weekend is sort of a 'soft opening' for overnighters. The campground called those who had reservations before the shutdown orders, and invited them to come in, and about 10 or so units took them up on the offer. It's great seeing all the families enjoying their outdoor time again with campfires, outdoor meals, and lots of smiles all around.

Our work is still spotty.  The office is being redesigned to handle check-ins through a service window on the porch, so that's delayed readying the inside for normal office work. I'm still getting some paid training hours (studying on my own) and Hank has had some landscape maintenance work. It looks like our more regular schedule will start next week.  The pool is due to open on Monday, and we'll find out about any additional  cleaning chores on our 2 day bathhouse checks. Hank's night-time security walks will probably start soon as the park gets busier as will our usual daytime work schedules.

There was a 'high wind' storm that blew through here this past Wednesday night around midnight. A large tree was uprooted in an open area at the front end of the campground, but no damage to anyone's unit.



(Photo provided by the owner of the white fifth wheel) The three work campers parked nearby definitely heard it hit the ground, though! That's even scarier when it's dark and you can't see what happening around you. There was a lot of tree debris throughout the park  to pick up on Thursday morning. A beach house on Silver Lake had trees fall on it, and some of the county roads around here were blocked by fallen trees as well.

We're staying out of stores as much as we can by  driving 30 miles to Ludington every 7-10 days to pickup our groceries curbside at Walmart, and and getting other needed items delivered to us. We've been inside the post office in Mears, and to the general store next to us with our masks on. Walking around the campground,  we keep our distance from others while visiting, and  plexiglass work stations are set up in the office for our use.  So we're still being cautious regarding personal contact, and definitely missing the hugs and handshakes! Our 'free' time is full of computer and ham radio activities and taking walks,  along with reading time for me,  so boredom is not a problem for us.

Our weather this week is back to daytime highs in the 70's with very cool nights....perfect for us!

MAY 8 - MAY 24 : IT'S ALL UP TO THE GOVERNOR!

Time marches on at Sandy Shores Campground, even if most of our work doesn't. The seasonal residents were allowed to return on Friday, May 15, and the first ones were in the gate before 8 A.M. It was great to see that part of the campground start to come to life. Several new RV's and park models have arrived to take the place of older units. The bath house, laundry and pool are still closed. More seasonals arrived for the holiday weekend. Many of them are enjoying the campground's private beach across the road on Silver Lake.  Normally this would be the first sold-out weekend for the summer, but not this year.

Michigan's private campgrounds are still ordered to remained closed for recreational use, so we wait for each new deadline to arrive, and then the governor issues an even later date for openings. Her latest notice mentions June 12 for private campgrounds and June 22 for overnight stays in state campgrounds, but we're hoping that will come sooner. Our campsites are ready.  However, state facilities are open for day use, including the state park dunes near us. Vehicular traffic has increased dramatically in our area over the last 10 days, and many of the food vendors and store owners iat Silver Lake have opened for business.  It appears none of the close-by campgrounds have opened for regular business, however, even though we were told that some had done so.

There has been some paid retraining ofice sessions for me, along with paid training for the 3 new office workampers, and Hank has a few hours of campground maintenance under his belt, but we're both ready for a full schedule of duties. Office work is done with facial masks in place, and plexiglass partitions between work stations, with disinfectant cleaning after each use. No one is allowed inside the office withour a mask or other facial covering.  Hank's work is outside, so he can get by without a mask while social distancing. We keep our distance as we meet and greet others on our daily walks, but many of them don't seem to have our concern. It's definitely a strange new world.   We're still doing grocery pickups at the curb and disfecting what we bring inside the RV.

We did not keep our annual medical checkup appointments during our Raleigh stay due to the virus concerns. Last week, Hank needed prescription refills and was told the doctor would have to see him to issue new ones. While we like the medical personnel in the Raleigh location, they are not able to do virtual exams, email check-ins, and are not willing to receive fax orders from our drug plan.  So Hank now has a new doctor who also happens be in Raleigh, and he's had his virtual exam, with new  prescriptions on the way.

The highlight of the past few weeks was a Zoom gathering with our 5 children and some of their families. It was amazing that all of them could participate given their different work and family schedules, and we were so happy to see their smiling faces as we talked. The annual Alabama Memorial Day weekend family gathering was not held this year due to health concerns.

Spring has finally sprung here in western Michigan, with highs often in the 70's, many sunny days, birds nesting, and trees and flowers blooming. Many of you have asked us about the massive flooding and evacuations in Michigan over the last week.  The breached dams are in eastern Michigan and we're in western Michigan, so although we've had some heavy rains, there are no flooding problems in our area.

Life goes on!

APRIL 24 - MAY 7: Settling in at Sandy Shores

On the afteroon of Friday, April 24, we arrived at the Sandy Shores Campground, in the Silver Lake section of western Michigan. Our campsite, next to the pool and bathhouse, was ready for us and we definitely felt like we had come home.  After working here last summer and getting to know the family owners, it felt great to be here again.  There were no hugs or handshakes when we were warmly greeted by the owner and two sons, due to virus protocol and staying away from each other, but there were smiles all around.  We were ready to start our 2-week self quarantine as mandated by the Michigan governor, since we had traveled from out of state.

The campground is still in winter mode, with most trees still without leaves, and the transient section empty of RVs and tents. The seasonal leasees are not allowed to stay overnight yet, and must walk in from the front parking lot (this is a gated property) to start site cleanup and check on their units. We were here for a few nights by ourselves, although one son lives at the campground entrance, and the family continues doing their many pre-opening tasks during the day. Now there are 3 other workampers here getting their quarantines out of the way in time to start working in the next week or so.  The weather seems cold to us with nights in the 30's and 40's, and daytime highs between 45 and 60, but many days are sunny so that helps. There is the "S" word in the forecast for this weekend, but only as a small chance combined with rain showers. However, temperatures will dip even lower for a few days. I'm glad we always have our winter clothes with us!

We've ventured away from the campground 3 times so far to go to the Ludington, Walmart (30 miles) to pick up grocery orders outside.  The first attempt was not successful as the process allowed someone else to go home with our order.  We were asked to return the next day and were given many apologies and a $20 Walmart gift card. Our second order pickup yesterday was perfect and we were in and out in short order. We have no personal masks so Hank folds a large napkin and ties it on to satisfy regulations while he helps with the loading. He wipes everything down with disinfectant before we bring the groceries inside the RV.

Yesterday, the governor amended her orders to allow the seasonal owners to move into the  campground in the next few days, with a long list of regulations and restrictions for workers and residents. The pool, playground, and bathhouse will not open yet. Several of the neighboring campgrounds have opened for everyone without her permission, and I expect Sandy Shores may do the same soon. However, the Silver Lake State Park Campground next door is not due to open until June 22.  The 600 acres of the State Park  dunes will open for daytime use on June 3. That should bring the area back to life in a big way. Meanwhile, the Sandy Shores owner has plenty of masks, gloves, and disinfectant to help us stay safe. There is a now a plexiglass sneeze guard at the check-in counter, and office access will probably be limited for awhile.

Chirstmas came early this year with the delivery of an online order delivery of toilet paper.  All previous attempts were unsuccessful both from grocery orders and online, bur we're stocked up now. The owner's son had given us a couple of bathhouse rolls to use just in case.

Life has been relatively calm for us the last two weeks, with both of us doing computer chores, and taking daily walks in the campground.  I'm doing a lot of reading as well.  However, we're ready for new challenges and adventures that will certainly come as campers start arriving

APRIL 16 - APRIL 25 : NC to MI

Thursday, April 16:: For many months, we've had a problem with low-voltage on our chassis batteries. Hank checked everything he could as we continued to travel,  but the problem kept cropping up. Lately, it's been difficult getting the motor to start up. Near the end of our stay in NC, the motor started when tested. However, when it was time to leave The Matthews Campground,  the motor would not start, again due to low-voltage.  Thanks to the campground owner, we got a battery boost and were able to go on our way.

Thursday night, we stayed in the Cracker Barrel parking lot in Beckley, WV.


 Many Cracker Barrels have RVparking spots, but they aren't long enough for us to stay hooked up, so we don't overnight in them very often.  However, with the Coronavirus limiting their service to carry-out, now their parking lots are practically empty. This location welcomed us warmly and said to park wherever we needed to. We thanked the manager and staff by ordering dinner.

Friday, April 17: The RV motor  wouldn't start.  Hank fired up the generator and was able to start the motor during a power peak.   At that point, we decided to make a slight detour in our route and head to Celina, OH and Cruising America RV Service - our favorite repair facility.  The owner, Kevin Mallory, is a former engineer with Fleetwood and American Coach and has helped us several times in the past.  Kevin told us to come whenever we could get there, and he would  have a place for us   with electric hookup until he could work us in mid-week.  The 6-hour trip went well with one fuel stop as the  weather turned colder and rainy. We arrived in Celina shortly after 5 P.M., talked briefly with Kevin and settled into a spot for at least the next 5 days.

Wednesday April 22, Kevin's helpers (two grandsons) removed two decorative window valences so Hank could restring the day-night shade, a common problem with these shades. Hank had restrung at least one small one before.  The batteries were checked, and faulty connections were found, probably dating back to work we had done in Michigan last fall.  The connection repair was scheduled for Thursday.

Thursday,April 23: The repaired window shades with the valences were reinstalled.  The battery connection repair was completed, and the engine fired right up as it should. We decided to stay one more night to get ready to travel on Friday.

Friday, April 24: We left Celina, OH at 8:50 A.M. on Friday and traveled  in dense fog for the first hour or so. Again, traffic was light and our 6 hour journey to Michigan, including a lunch stop and fuel stop, was uneventful.

Now it is time to self-quarantine for the next 2 weeks other than doing drive-up grocery pickups. .  We're looking forward to warmer weather and an enjoyable summer.

March 19 - April 15: The Matthews Campground, Raleigh, NC

Sunday, March 19, we traveled from Concord, NC to The Matthews Campground in south Raleigh, NC for a month's stay. This campground has 11 full hook-up sites on gravel pads in a wooded setting, but no other amenities.  The Matthews are also owners of Capital City Customs, Inc. which does custom RV renovations.

We come back to Raleigh each spring for medical checkups, to help with the Raleigh hamfest, and to visit with the many friends we left behind when we started fulltiming.  The Coronavirus pandemic cancelled most of those plans shortly after we arrived, so the last month we have stayed to ourselves. Hank had an eye doctor visit right after we arrived, resulting in new eyeglass lenses, We used a drug store drive thru for RX service and ordered grocery items to be picked up with out having to go in the stores.  We decided to forego our medical checkups since we're not having any health issues. Our time was well spent  with our computer activities, TV and reading.

There was severe weather during our stay with an extended period of high winds, including a 63 MPH gust, and several tornado warnings in the surrounding area.  Listening to all the tree debris hitting the roof was not a comfortable situation, but luckily it appears we came through it okay.  There were some big branches down around  the campground but none fell on campers, and a large pine tree fell across the access road during the worst storm. The owner and his son promptly took care of cleaning up the campground when the rains stopped.

A couple of weeks ago, we found out we would have to leave here as scheduled on April 16 as our campsite had been previously reserved by someone else for that date.  Most campgrounds in this part of NC were full or closed, so we had to find somewhere to go until time for our summer campgournd job in Michigan in early May.

After speaking with our summer boss about the situation, he assured us he still needed us for the summer, and after hearing of our situation, he invited us to come to Michigan whenever we needed to do so.  Tomorrow, April 16, we'll be leaving Raleigh to start our 4 day journey to Silver Lake, MI.

MARCH 10 - MARCH 18: Travel and Hamfest

Tuesday, March 10: We left Travelers Rest to start our journey north driving on I-75, Hwy. 301, and I-95 before arriving at the Walmart in Pooler, GA for the night.

Wednesday, March 11: The route we took was I-95 to I-26, then north on I-77 to the Cabela's store in Fort Mill, SC where we apent the night.

Thursday-Saturday: We finished our trek to the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC for a 4 night stay in the rear parking lot where there were RV hookups. Friday morning, we had a nice visit with our youngest son, Mike, in nearby Huntersville.  The Charlotte Hamfest was held on Friday and Saturday.  With the Coronavirus reports intensifying, the hamfest attendance was much smaller than normal, but those that came were in a buying mood, so vendors were happy overall. Friday night we enjoyed a nice dinner with Chuck and Alan, two good friends from Raleigh, NC.