April 4th - Time to WORK!!!???????

We help campers miss the palm trees while backing in.

Not only did we come back to Borrego Springs because we liked it so much but we are going to go to work. When we were here in January we started talking with some of the camphosts and others that worked in the RV park we stayed at. We asked how a person becomes a camphost and they suggested we talk to the owner. Kirt called him and he invited us to interview. On our last day staying there we met with Dan, the manager/owner, and talked about camphosting. It sounded like fun and we told him we would love to do it. He said he would let us know during the summer if they needed anyone next winter. In mid February we got an email from him and he asked us if we would like to come back and work the month of April. We were planning on heading home about the first of April but what the heck? Why not? We accepted and arrived March 29th to get ready to WORK!!

Well, we started our new JOB on Wednesday. We will be working Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week through April. We have a lot to learn but the other camp hosts are very nice and only too happy to help us out. One of the main parts of the job is to be the ambassador for the park as new campers arrive. We greet them and escort them to their site. We have a company car (golf cart) to use while we are staying here. It's pretty handy on laundry day too.

One of our fellow host's site.

Each Tuesday the park hosts a "Campfire Night" where we build a fire and supply hot dogs and smore fixins for the campers. The gent in the center of this picture, Jerry, and his wife Brenda (not in the pic) host it.

The area we use for the hot dog cookout is at the 9th green so it makes for a lovely setting.

There is a catch and release pond for the kids to fish in.

Hard to get real excited about a campfire when it's 85 degrees outside but it was nice.

This is Andra, another rookie camphost starting in April. Most of us work as couples but she  is working as a solo act. Her husband was killed in a car crash near Palm Springs last year.  Here she is giving her dog, Cooper, a ride in her buggy.

Not all fish are 10 pounders but there are some big ones in the water waiting.
(Mostly catfish.)

Only in California. Budweiser and Clamato premixed in a can.

Andra (Left) and Brenda setting up for the dinner.

This little waterfall goes into the fishing pond around the green.

And little flowers survive the desert heat and offer spring blooms.

Another fisherman stopped by to check out the action.

He just reached into the water and picked out his supper.

Holly, cooking up a dog.

One night while were asleep we had a visitor. An owl perched on top of the motorhome and hooted for a while. At first the scratching and pounding startled us but when the hootin' started we figured it out. We could hear his friend answering in the distance. 

On our first day of working we were given the task of making up ice bags for the camp to sell.
It felt really good scooping up the ice in the 95 degree heat.  (We made 20 bags :-)

"How many bags do we have to make?"

Another task we have been given is to host the Manager's Meet and Greet event. Each Thursday we will be hosting a wine tasting event at the main clubhouse by the pool.  This is Kirt setting up the bar.  Holly will be creating hors d'oeuvre trays to go with it.

Holly and Jeanne sliced and diced cheese and veggies while Jim showed me how to setup the bar.

This was Jim's (center right) last time as host. They will be leaving after spending the winter here.
The guy on the right is a guest in the park.  And the girl on the left is Andra.

All in all the first couple of days have not been too bad. Tomorrow we will start doing more of the "work" work. Stay tuned.