A busy fourth day!

 8:02 am - Thursday - May 21st - LPG&RVR - 58° F, humidity 28%, cloud cover 16%, wind 3 mph out of the north....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies this morning with a forecast high of 78° F.  On this date in 2017 TLE and I were in Tahoe City.....

....having lunch at the Bridgetender Tavern and Grill, right across the street from 'Fanny Bridge'...I'm sure you understand why it is called 'Fanny Bridge'.

Okay, now for Wednesday's happenings.  As we edge toward this year's version of Memorial Day the park is pretty empty, but by Thursday it will begin to fill up quickly.  Time to get everything mowed when there are very few RV's around which to mow, so after another quick round of the golf course I got busy doing just that, and by lunch time I had mowed the small Gazebo, the large grass area by site #30, the group fire pit grass, all five pull through, water/electric sites, 8 of the 10 full hookup sites, all 10 of the back in sites, as well as tent sites 1 through 3.  Now that the 2 bag Husqvarna is fixed I can get a lot of mowing done in a short period of time.  

I gave TLE her usual lunch break, and was not nearly as busy as Tuesday.  After lunch I headed out to finish the final two full hookup, pull through sites, then headed out to the golf course to mow around those tee boxes for which I am responsible.  I was back in a record breaking 45 minutes.  I still had about 40 minutes of my work day left, so I washed and dried the golf balls I had garnered from the driving range on Monday, then washed the golf carts which had been returned.  I was home a little after 3:30 pm taking a long, hot shower, then a nap.  I returned early (around 4:45 pm) again to take care of the rest of the golf carts of which only one had not yet been returned.  Once again, by the time I finished stowing the final cart TLE had finished closing the office....perfect timing!  Let the four day weekend begin!

Claude came over around 5:20 pm with a platter of freshly grilled 'London Broil', some chips and olives.  The 'London Broil' was perfectly seasoned, and melt in your mouth delicious.  We ate and talked about an hour before Claude headed for home....his 4 day work week begins Thursday....

....are we a handsome gang, or what?!  Thanks for stopping by!

A day behind.....

 7:27 am - Thursday - May 21st - LPG&RVR - 55° F, humidity 30%, cloud cover 16%, wind 1 mph out of the east by southeast.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 78° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I were in Telluride, CO....

....with Glenn and Laureen Parker....found a place serving food with alfresco dining....a rare find during the early days the Wuhan Flu fiasco.

I owe you a post about Tuesday.  I had good intentions Wednesday morning to write the post when I got home from work, but I took a nap instead.  So, before I write about Wednesday I will give you that Tuesday post.  The problem I have as I add one year upon another to my total trips around the sun, is that if I don't write about the prior day the next morning the things I did on that day get mixed up with what I did that day, but I'll do my best to recap Tuesday as accurately as I am able.

I began Tuesday staging the six new EZ-GO golf carts (all gassers by the way), then another four Yamaha gassers.  By the end of the day we had rented 14.  After that I headed out to do a round of the course finding minor goose/duck leavings.  I also found a lot of goose feathers which indicates they are molting.  The four sand traps still looked untouched from Monday, so I was back at the Clubhouse within 40 minutes.

We've been down to one string trimmer since the end of last summer, and since Claude uses the only one we have quite a bit I was having difficulty getting any trimming done around the Clubhouse.  There were a couple of string trimmers in the Caddie Shack, which had not been used in the four previous seasons I've worked here, so we all thought they were inoperative, but we thought wrong.  I pulled out of of the two and found there was NO fuel in the tank, so that was a good sign that it hadn't been hung up with gas still in the fuel system, which would gum it up.  I added fuel, and after a few pulls of the cord it started running....WOW.  I then lubed it, and proceeded to get a lot of trimming done.  I guess one should not assume anything, but I get caught in that trap on a pretty regular basis.

By the time I finished with the trimming it was time for TLE's lunch break.  I was kept very busy during the lunch break checking in 10 RV's, selling a hat, and a golf bag towel, answering numerous phone calls, and sending a few people out to play golf.

I did a lot of watering around the park Tuesday, and spent some of my last two hours moving sprinklers, and then washing/stowing the carts which had been returned, and was off by 3:30 pm, as usual.  I returned to pickup TLE early (around 4:45 pm) to find more carts had been returned so I washed/stowed them finishing just as TLE finished closing the office for the day.  So far I have not worn shorts, or a t-shirt this four day cycle as it has been too cold.  Maybe I will be able to do that on Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back into the 60's....

 6:01 am - Tuesday - May 19th - LPG&RVR - 34° F, humidity 30%, cloud cover 5%, wind 1 mph out of the northeast.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 71° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I were driving the 'Million Dollar Highway' out of Durango, CO....

Descending into Silverton, CO

....the road is a narrow, windy, and twisty with 1,000 foot drop offs.  Our highest point was 11,200' elevation with two other summits just under 11,000'.  We were often in first gear climbing and descending.

Monday was significantly warmer than Sunday with a forecast high in the mid 60's, but it was still cold.  After staging our six new EZ-GO golf carts I headed out to make a round of the course.  On days I work, and Claude doesn't (he works Thursday through Saturday every week as course Marshall) I take care of the goose/duck leavings, and rake the four sand traps....

This is the sand trap at the 15th hole....Claude is doing

 a great job of keeping the weeds at bay

Still very cold at 9 am

.....by the time I returned to the Clubhouse it was time to clear the driving range of balls so it could be mowed later in the day.  It took me about 90 minutes to glean two 5 gallon buckets of balls as many of them were in the woods on either side of the range, and past the 250 yard marker on the other side of the dirt road which crosses the rear of the driving range.  I didn't return to the Clubhouse to give TLE her lunch break until 12:10 pm.

The restaurant is not open on Monday's so it was pretty quiet while TLE was at lunch.  After her return I headed out to do some weed eating around the Clubhouse area, then jumped on the 2 bag Husqvarna and headed down the hill to the 'Night Office' to mow the grass there.  By the time I returned it was after 3 pm, and there were 6 of the 9 carts we rented Monday awaiting their daily spa treatment.  By the time I finished washing and stowing them it was well after 3:30 pm, and time to head for home.  After a nap I headed back to the Clubhouse around 4:55 pm to pickup TLE, and head back home for the day to celebrate 'hump night' (the night in between day 2 and 3 of our four day work cycle).  Tuesday and Wednesday will much warmer with temps getting back into the 70's so there should be a lot more activity on the golf course.

Thanks for stopping by!

The last of Winter?

 6:03 am - Monday - May 18th - LPG&RVR - 34° F, humidity 35%, cloud cover 52%, wind 2 mph out of the north by northwest.....partly cloudy skies today with a forecast high of 64° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I were riding our bicycles along the Animas River.....

......in Durango, CO....there is a place where one can 'surf ' the river in Downtown Durango.

We didn't go to work until 7:45 am Sunday morning since no one was signed up to play golf until after 9 am.  The temperature at 8 am was around 37° F with a blustery wind which I am sure made it feel a few degrees cooler.  I staged 5 of the Yamaha gassers being pretty sure no more than one, or two of them would see action Sunday.  Then began the task of sorting out all of the golf carts. 

We have a new guy, Steve, who now works opposite me, who started work Thursday, and he did a really great job of clearing the driving range of those 55 gallons of golf balls, and washing the 14 carts left over from Wednesday.  Unfortunately, he didn't know we were going to move 6 of the very old Club Car square front golf carts out of the shed to make room for the 6 new EZ-GO golf carts we acquired in the off season, so all the carts were packed into the shed like sardines.  It took me the better part of an hour to remove the old carts and park them over by the 'Caddy Shack', but finally, around 9 am, order was restored.

That is about the time it began to snow.....

.....that lasted for about 30 minutes, and then the sun came out for a few minutes.  Then it began to snow sideways.....

....for the next 3 hours it went from this to sunny, then back to this over and over again.  I could only spend 10-15 minutes outside at a time before returning to the warm confines of the Clubhouse to get warm again.

The restaurant was busy all morning, and into the late afternoon serving customers.  When you get weather like this at a rural RV park people get a little stir crazy sitting in the RV's, so they take a break and head to the restaurant to order a meal, and kill some time.  I managed to stay somewhat busy all morning, and then gave TLE her lunch break at 12 pm.  I sold one sweat shirt, checked in a couple of people, and took a phone call, but that was the extent of it.  Instead of going right back to work at 1 pm, I headed home to take my own lunch break, returning at 2 pm for the final 3 hours of my shift.

Upon my return I found the only two carts we rented had been returned, so I washed and stowed them, and I was pretty much done with my day.  It was too cold, and damp to mow, or do anything out on the golf course, so I watched some of the final round of The PGA.  It wasn't until around the 13th hole that one player began to separate himself from the pack....Aaron Rai from Britain.  Ultimately he won by 3 strokes finishing at 9 under par, and was the first one to get to 7 under par in four days.

TLE and I were on our way home by 5:05 pm.  It was still very windy, as it had been all day long.  We had all three heaters running for several hours to keep the Newell interior warm, and cozy.  An thus ended the very wintery day of May 17th....will it be the last?

Thanks for stopping by!

Winter again?

 6:10 am - Sunday - May 17th - LPG&RVR - 35° F, humidity 41%, cloud cover 60% (looks like 100%), wind 11 mph out of the north by northwest.....heavy cloud cover this morning with a forecast high today of 56° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I were in Durango, CO with Glenn and Laureen ordering food from the only open restaurant....

No sit down dining

.....as you will recall, this was at the beginning of the Wuhan Flu scare, and you could not eat inside restaurants....only take out.  We found a table down the street and ate our food....almost normal, right?  The view this morning....

.....in two days we have gone from idyllic weather back to winterish conditions.....it will only get to 56° F today, and there is a slight chance of SNOW!  Winter will just not let go!

Saturday began cold, and remained cold all day long.  I do not think it ever reached the forecast high of 61° F.  I had visions of sitting outside watching The PGA, but they were quickly dashed when I stepped outside around 9 am to breezy, chilly winds.  We spent the better part of the morning inside the warm confines of the Newell with the front electric heater running continuously.  

I drove over to the Clubhouse around 12 pm to practice my putting for the upcoming putting contest at 4 pm, and it paid off to some degree as I made it through four rounds before being ousted.  The previous two weekends I only made it to the second round, so this was a big improvement.  On top of that I did not beat myself for a change....I lost to a better putter.  Instead of my usual Hawaiian shirt and shorts I wore long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a puffy jacket over that to stay warm.  I wore the jacket for most of the putting contest.

TLE and I stayed until the end of the putting contest, which we don't usually do if I have lost, but she needed to be there to pickup the cash drawer as we go back to work for another four day shift beginning Sunday (we work Sunday through Wednesday this week).  We were home by 5:20 pm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Taking a hardline....

 7:48 am - Saturday - May 16th - LPG&RVR - 44° F, humidity 33%, cloud cover 37%, wind 9 mph out of the north by northwest.....partly cloudy today with a forecast high of 62° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I had just arrived in Durango, CO.....

....during our Summer of the Wuhan Flu.  We spent the entire Summer travelling through rural America where life was pretty normal.  The view this morning....

....a few clouds this morning, and the forecast high for the day down from 71° F Friday to 61° F today.

The weather Friday was so delightful.  It had the perfect balance of warmth, balmy breezes, and clear blue skies.  If the rest of the Summer featured those three elements I could die a happy man.....not that I am not happy....I am.  It's just when conditions like those we had Friday come around it changes your whole focus from wondering if you dressed warmly enough, or not cool enough for the conditions.  Instead you're just walking around outside in a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops enjoying the crystal clear views, and balmy breezes without a care in the world.  Unfortunately, the month is May, and we are at 5,500' elevation in Northeastern California where one day it can be like this, and within two days the temp will dive into the 50's driven by cold, blustery winds, which is what is coming Sunday.  The key is living in the moment, which is what I did Friday.

Of course, The PGA Championship was playing on the TV in the background until after 4 pm.  I drove over to the Clubhouse mid morning in Club Car Villager #20 to turn in my time card, pay my $2 for the weekly putting contest, and pickup a FedEx package which contained the necessary elements to complete the hardline sewer connection I've been talking about since before we left The Wilson Wilderness.  To complete the setup, and install the hardline I needed a 45°, 3.50 inch inner diameter PVC coupling.  I had already acquired the other needed items....about 16' of 3" inner diameter PVC pipe,  and 2 flexible 3.5" outer diameter rubber couplings, so once I had the 45° PVC coupling I was ready to go.  

Upon my return I began to cobble together the assembly, and then install it.  Unlike many projects I have undertaken over the past 15 years, this one went exactly as I had planned, and within 30 minutes it was installed, and ready for service....

.....this hardline setup will provide significantly better drainage, will not be damaged by UV rays, and cannot be crushed by a misstep while entering the 'lido deck' from the front.  Remarkably, I did not need to cut anything.  I had, quite by accident, acquired the EXACT length of PVC pipe to complete the connection...doesn't get much batter than that.  We are now in a position both here and at TWW where we no longer have to use the flexible, UV vulnerable Rhino Flex sewer line anymore....

....every Summer I've had to buy new lengths of the Rhino Flex due to UV damage causing it to spring leaks. And with that I was done with my outdoor projects this four day weekend.  

We watched The PGA all afternoon, and by the end of the round there were 58 golfers within 6 strokes of the lead.  The tournament began Thursday with 152 (I believe) golfers, and by Friday evening only 72 made the cutline which was at +4.  There are two golfers at -4, so there are 72 golfers within 8 strokes of the lead.  I don't recall another PGA tournament in my lifetime with that many golfers so close to each other after 36 holes.  They call Saturday 'Moving Day' in golf, so we'll see if anyone can separate themselves from the rest of the field.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wash, rinse, repeat....

 7:38 am - Friday - May 15th - LPG&RR - 48° F, humidity 26%, cloud cover 4%, wind 1 mph out of the north.....crystal clear, blue, sunny skies today with a forecast high of 71° F.  On this date in 2017 TLE and I were in South Lake Tahoe....

....having dinner at Sidellis Brewing and Restaurant after seeing Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.  The view this morning....

We slept in again until after 7 am on day two of our four day weekend.  We began watching The PGA tournament (second major of the year) around 9 am, and had it on until after 3 pm.  In between I deployed the corner piece for our sunscreen so we can sit outside Friday watching The PGA, which is being played near Philadelphia this year....

....it was too cold and breezy to do that Thursday.  The TV will sit upon the Rubbermaid outdoor storage unit.  Eventually we'll deploy the sunshade for the front of the Newell as it gets steadily warmer.

As you will recall I showed up a day early for my scheduled haircut at Kaleidescope, so I had to drive back into Alturas Thursday for the actual appointment.  TLE decided to remain home, so  I left at 1 pm, and was back by 2:10 pm.  This is probably the longest (7 weeks) I have gone between haircuts in many years.  I was really getting shaggy, but order has been restored.  Once again the round trip drive was uneventful....just like we like it.  The VW is running like its old self, and the memory of the catastrophic coolant loss/broken turbo water pump is becoming a distant memory.

As is most often the case on our four day weekends we did not stray far from our site, other than the trip into town.  I haven't been over to the Clubhouse since late Tuesday when I went to pickup TLE from work.  The campground, at least what we can see from site #55, is slowly filling to capacity.  All of the deciduous trees, which usually don't leaf out until late May/early June, are fully leafed out now portending a possibly warmer summer than usual....we hope that is not the case....lol!

Thanks for stopping by!