Westward, Ho!

Labor Day was our final work day of the season at Camp Hatteras. We left the Outer Banks the following Wednesday headed for the North Georgia mountains leaving behind wonderful memories and some truly great friends. The mountains were quite a change from our summer beach home, but as beautiful as ever. Out of the two weeks we were in the area, it rained for about a week and a half of that time. The area received over 10 inches of rain and we actually had to evacuate the campground for one night due to flooding. We were fortunate to not receive as much rain as the Atlanta area did.

We met with our realtor and decided to leave the house on the market for now since there are glimmers of hope and slight suggestions that the market is picking up. If you know of anyone wanting to buy a lovely mountain home, please get in touch with us. We have well and truly loved our home but are happier and more satisfied with our vagabond lifestyle than anyone ever thought possible.

With no WiFi and very spotty aircard, we were mostly incommunicado until we arrived in south Georgia for a week to visit with family and friends. This week has flown by as we've made the rounds with family and friends. If you missed the pictures for this blog, it's because the camera batteries died and we just haven't uploaded photos yet.

After finishing chores this afternoon, we'll begin packing down so we can head out in the morning. The plan is to travel in a southwesterly direction toward Tallahassee, FL to pick up
I-10 to Tucson and hang a left on 19 toward Amado, Arizona, our destination.

Yes, it is a long drive, but adventure is calling! This is a wild and beautiful country we live in and we aim to soak it up.

Westward, ho and safe travels to all.

Hurricane Bill Passed Us By (Yeah!!)

Spending the summer on a narrow barrier island is a wonderful and beautiful experience. That is, unless there's a hurricane in the Atlantic. The Outer Banks aren't known as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic' just for the shallow shoals, but also for the fierce storms that brew off the coast.

We were fortunate and blessed to have Hurricane Bill pass us by. The dunes are a bit smaller today and there are still rip current warnings posted, but all in all, we survived very well. Portions of Highway 12 (the only road in and out) were closed due to ocean overwash and dune spread.

The house featured in the movie, "Nights in Rodanthe" is about a mile and a half north of us and it suffered a lot of overwash and beach erosion.

We had a fair bit of rain and wind Saturday evening, which blew down the tents and frightened a lot of folks, but all is well now.

For the most part the busy summer season is winding down. School has started in a lot of areas, so we still have kids in the campground, but now mostly on weekends. The beach is not crowded but is still sort of dirty from the storm. Shell hunting is nice now and you can find bigger shells after a storm.

We, too, are winding down and looking for the next campground jobs for fall and winter. It has been the most fabulous summer. We've met some fascinating people from all over the world and from all walks of life. There are some pretty wonderful and caring kids out there and this instills hope for the next generations. We have developed strong bonds and found cherished friends in some of our colleague Workampers here.

Even though the season may end, many of the relationships formed here will carry forward. The lesson we continue to learn is that as human beings, we are more alike than different.

We hope your summer has been as enriching as our has.

K&J

Do you sell worms?

The last few weeks have been very busy and interesting. We saw the peak of the summer camping season in all its glory. Activities were popular with the kids and adults and we found ourselves wondering why in the world we scheduled so much. But, it has all been good.

The question, "Do you sell worms?" came from a young boy after a long Saturday of serving up biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast, hotdogs for lunch, and ice cream later that afternoon. He wandered into the conference center and asked this question. We didn't have any worms to sell him but thought, "Why not?" after having served up a variety of things to others all day long.
It is hard to believe our summer is almost over. It seems just a few short weeks ago that we arrived in awe of our new home for the summer. Now, we find our time here drawing to a close and thinking what an amazing summer we have spent at the beach.

In the last several weeks we have tried to check some things off of our list of sights and activities that we wished to see and do. We went out on a pontoon boat with a group of fellow workampers on one of our days off. We spent the day relaxing in shallow waters near Gull Island in the Pamlico Sound. This week, we saw Currituck Lighthouse, the last of the four we had hoped to see before we left the island.

We are preparing our minds and our rig for our next adventure. We have submitted resumes for various positions in several states and we are excitedly waiting for responses. Our desire and enthusiasm to see new places and try new things remain intact.

We are looking forward to seeing family and friends on our way to our next destination.

Until then, be well and be safe.
K&J

Seasons in the OBX

Well, so much for trying to keep the blog up-to-date. The days are speeding into weeks and the summer is passing at warp speed. There have been a few stormy days and nights here but nothing so terrible. Weather-wise we have been very fortunate - not too hot and not too cool. The daytime highs for the end of July are quite mild, mid to upper 80s, but the constant breeze keeps the temperature tolerable, sometimes even a bit cool.

The weather is certainly changeable, and we've changed up a couple of scheduled activities, had to cancel one or two, changed a few plans on our days off and such, but all-in-all not too bad. We have the very best intentions of keeping the blog current, but after a long day and sometimes evening activities, the blog is the last thing on our mind.

Work is going exceptionally well. The park is busy, busy, busy. Activities are humming along and participation is strong. Kathy's birthday came and went with no major problems other than a pulled calf muscle from trying to play tennis like a 25-year-old again. The leg is much better, but she still hobbles a bit. (And she never played tennis all that well anyway). On the other hand, Jerri pulled a muscle on the top of her foot running the beach and has switched up from running to biking to give the foot a rest. She still hobbles a bit, too. But neither of us is going to let a little hobbling slow us down. Our most attended activities continue to be tie dye, ghost crab hunts, and marshmallow roasts.

Now, back to topic: Seasons in the OBX. We arrived here in May to gale-force winds and rain. The only greenery were the stubby pines around the campground that looked a lot like bonsai. The ducks and geese had teeny, tiny babies following around in a cute line - the ones that survived are grown now. A couple of weeks ago, the Indian Blanket wildflowers were blooming in clusters all over the dunes. Almost overnight the dunes sprouted tall grassy fronds resembling Pampas Grass, which bloomed into Sea Oats, waving gracefully in the wind. The cattails on the pond were beautiful but have almost bloomed out. The Morning Glory vines are prolific everywhere and there are some unidentified pink flowers by the Marina and one of the ponds. Without fanfare, the seasons of the OBX are giving slight clues indicating what might be next.

We were surprised to hear some of the other workampers counting down the days left before they move on to other campgrounds and other jobs. We strive to just be here now.

We've given up trying to use the awning since the wind can gust up at any moment. Everyday we see the other campers put out the awnings only to take them back in a few minutes later. No point in fighting a losing battle with the wind. It's great for kites but not so good for awnings, umbrellas, and such.

Not much is going on right now... we plan campground activities, we facilitate activities, we plan activities for us on days off and so it goes. We visited the Aquarium on Roanoke Island yesterday. After visiting some of the larger aquariums, like in Atlanta, GA and Mystic, CT it was very small and quaint, but the folks were nice. Tried our hands at crabbing from the Marina walkway today. Caught a couple of small crabs and turned them out to grow some more. The point being, there's not a lot to report. Life as usual seems the norm, so no complaints in that area.

The Workampers are planning a shrimpfest the evening of August 12th at the Marina, so there's always something to look forward to. We've met some really cool Workampers from a variety of backgrounds. They, too, have shucked the bonds of the corporate world for a much freer lifestyle. We've met some really interesting members and guests from all over the world. There are a lot of French speaking Canadians in the park right now and trying to explain that next week is 'pirate week' was more than we bargained on. Also, the men like to wear Speedos (not pretty!). Of course, serving hotdogs by the pool every Saturday has proven to be quite interesting as well. We have seen more "crack" than most DEA agents! Where has the modesty gone?

Enough rambling. Here's hoping that we all have 'life as usual' with no complaints.
Life is an occasion. Rise to it!
K&J

It's Tuesday - We Must Be Off....

Yes, it's Tuesday so that means we must be off. This is our version of the 'weekend.' Well, we survived the Fourth. It wasn't so bad considering the number of people times the heat index could have equalled disaster.

The Fourth began with tragic news that a fireworks truck transporting fireworks to Ocracoke exploded. The truck was from South Carolina and we've since been told there were at least 3 fatalities from the explosion. The truck had just driven off the ferry into the village when the explosion rocked the island. Thankfully, the ferry did not explode although service was interrupted for several hours while they transported emergency personnel only. By the afternoon the ferries were back on track. If you've ever visited Ocracoke you know it's pretty remote and only accessible by ferry. Imagine trying to get emergency personnel in place.

News traveled fast and we were told that our local fire truck would not be participating in our campground parade. Yes, as recreation directors we organize, decorate and lead the parade of kids, dogs, bikes, scooters, skateboards, wagons, and wheeled things through all the nooks and crannies of the campground, usually headed up by the bright red fire truck. The good news was that the fire truck did appear right on time to lead the parade - the bad news was that after the first turn, the fire truck turned on its sirens and left us in a cloud of dust to attend an emergency on the beach.

That emergency turned into a water rescue and we were left diverting the parade away from the ambulance and other emergency vehicles. No tragedies here, just some guests swimming in the ocean took in too much water. Could have been worse since there were lots of rip currents. Did we mention the Fourth was a weird day??

All in all it was a good holiday and a great week. We always hope for the best and try to prepare for the worst and hope we never need it. Lots of people were shooting fireworks down on the beach. Wonder what it did to all the sea turtle nests? Park Service has large portions of the beaches closed for turtles... We humans never consider the impact our pleasures create on the planet.

Sunday night we had some fantastic OBX storms come through with sideways rain, thunder, lightning and the works. Wind gusts rocked the coach all night. When we went to work Monday all the tent campers were gone but their tents were sad, flat reminders where they had been.

Wednesday arrived before we could publish this blog entry so just to let you know, we did go jet skiing this morning. We had fun and will definitely plan to do it again. The need for speed on the water offered excitement and a refreshing activity for a hot July day. We'll hang close for the rest of the afternoon and get ready for another fun-filled week of recreation to include hula hoop games, a marshmallow roast, ghost crab hunting and much more. Did we mention that we are now offering aquacise in the mornings? We never would have thought we would like it much but it really does give you a good workout without all the sweat and pressure on the joints. "That damn aquacise" is still heard occasionally when Kathy feels the results later in the day, but she knows it is good for her.

The traffic has really picked up on the island making every trip, short or long, a lesson in patience. The baby geese are about as big as their parents now. We have enjoyed spending our days watching them grow.

Enjoy your days and stay safe.
K&J

Crabfest Update and Other Stuff

Crabfest was wonderful! The crabs were tasty even if they were a little on the 'hot and spicy' side. We ate crab until the juice ran down our elbows. And the company was pretty good, too! The majority of the workampers were able to get together for crab and comraderie - ummm, ummm, good. Only a passing cloud and a couple of drops of rain, not too shabby.

Otherwise it's been work, work, work - or should we say fun, fun, fun!?! Our 'work' looks like fun to everyone else, and most of the time it really is just plain fun. It would seem that everyone envies our jobs, but sometimes it is tough work. The temperature is heating up here in the OBX, as well as the humidity. Being on the beach and playground sounds great, but can be rough. Sunscreen and antiperspirant are our best friends.

The two remaining baby geese are now just smaller versions of the parent geese. Their feathers are in and they are colored just like the adults. The baby ducks... well, that's just a sad story. There were two groups - now reduced to one small group of just three orphan babies and one of them is crippled (probably from a turtle bite). The cats around here are huge and do what cats do (like eat what's available). Everyday we look to see the latest count of baby ducks.

Monday we were at the beach working on a huge group sandcastle learning and practicing stacking techniques, how to make walls, bricks, and all the good stuff. Yes, it is a hard job. One of the workampers (Judy) is very skilled at working with sand and has taught us lots of cool techniques. We are still unskilled newbies, but willing to watch and learn. We toted a lot of water and moved a lot of sand around.

In our off-duty time, we've been flying kites on the beach and acting like tourists. When we have time in the evenings we walk or bike to the beach with our kites and fly them. The airfoil is really easy to get up and has a 50 foot tail. The spinner kite is fascinating and uses the 'magnus effect' (whatever that is) to rotate and fly. Still didn't find time to jet ski this week - maybe next week.

Yesterday we trekked up to Bodie (pronounced body) Lighthouse, then on to Roanoke Island and Manteo. We visited the waterfront in Manteo, which reminds us of a smaller version of River Street in Savannah with the shops and restaurants. We walked a bridge over the sound to the Elizabethan Gardens and museum. Spent some time scratching through the courtyard looking for shark's teeth and other fossils. Afterwards went up to Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head for the only Wal-Mart and groceries at Harris Teeter. We made a full day of it and were wiped out afterwards.

Today we stayed home, stayed cool, and relaxed. The park is quickly filling up for the Fourth of July, which will be a very busy weekend for us. In looking back at the past blogs, we've apparently had a lapse in time. Could be that we're caught up in our work, even though it's not a really good excuse.

WiFi in the park has been splotchy at best, but mostly down. We'll try to do better at posting to the blog.

Have a safe and happy 4th!
J&K

Pictures and Catching Up

Okay, finally transferred the pictures from the camera to help explain the last post. Notice the pic of Jerri and 'Bob the Teacher' who happens to be an avid hang glider and kite flier extraordinaire. Although we didn't kayak, jet ski or fly kites on our days off this week, we are now in search of a multi-line recreational kite to play around with. Bob inspired us with his huge collection of kites which he carefully removed one at a time and flew each one. One looked like a seagull, another was a trick kite, you get the picture. His joy was contagious. He and his wife, Sharon, fed the gulls and love all things that fly.

Kites and kiteboarders were plentiful last week. This picture was taken behind Kitty Hawk Kites in Rodanthe during the Triple S Invitational. A lot of the kiteboarders were packing it in after a day on the Pamlico Sound.

An update on the two remaining baby geese: their flight feathers are beginning to come in. Although they still appear awkward and prehistoric, they are growing into their huge feet. They come up to the coach most days eating bugs and grass (and looking for a handout).

The mama mallard and babies disappeared for a while and we were puzzled why they didn't appear to grow. The mystery was solved when we discovered there are two mama mallards and two sets of babies, one bigger than the other. There are 7 left of the original 11 babies in the first set and 6 babies in the second set. They too come right up to us looking for a handout. They also nibble on toes.... it tickles....

Back to work tomorrow. Planning lots of activities for the next two weeks. We'd love to hear from y'all, too.

Take care and watch your toes.
K&J