There are Pros and Cons to everything...
There are a lot of really neat things about this park and this gig...
We are finally all by ourselves, the other couple having left this morning, so we certainly have privacy back here behind the fence. Of course, we are fully lit by a spotlight all night, but I guess that's so that the thieves (if there are any) can see what they're taking. And we really only HAVE to work two days a week, unless we want to put in more, or we get asked to take a shift for the ranger. Yesterday, we hung flags while the museum was closed. Yeah, one flag could be considered controversial, but we were doing what was asked....and today, also while the park is closed, Dick is blowing off the sidewalks and removing some storm debris. You may have heard that some areas of Florida received up to 6 inches of rain a couple of days ago and had wind gusts up to 70 mph. Yep, that would be US!! I should be out there picking up debris and boaters' trash, but that leads me to the really BIG drawback for this gig. The no-see-'ems!!! You cannot see them, it's true, but THEY ARE THERE!! They continually buzz about your head and hears, and they BITE ANYthing that is exposed. Heck, if you ask ME, they bite right through your clothes!!! (How ELSE would you account for bites on my belly & back!!!) Ankles, feet & ears are their favorites, I do believe. Everyone keeps telling us they should only be out around dawn and dusk, and they're supposed to be poor fliers. Yeah, well, I know better!!!
They are out almost 24 hrs a day, and they may be poor fliers, but they manage to find us!! Internet research tells us there's no real effective method of control, other than DEET and lots of it, but they say that since they're such poor fliers they only congregate and cluster within 150 feet of where they are born and die. HA! They have scope creep a gazillion times worse than any Wachovia project ever even THOUGHT about! I think they are sending out pheromes that broadcast "dinner's on, come & get it!" We move, as directed, but it seems that we are simply moving into another herd of the darned things! Dick is bitten just as much as I am, but he doesn't seem to get the welts and reactions I'm having. No surprise there, is it?
So, while his bites are initially painful and annoying, only I get left with the full-body itches. Yeah, I'm sure it looks just great to watch me scratching all my parts. I do get some funny looks, fer sure. But, then, on the other hand, the butterflies are tremendous all around our camper.
Dick trimmed some of the taller grasses (in a futile effort to control the bugs), but left the thistles standing. As a result, out every window, we are watching Swallowtails (Black & Yellow) and Monarchs eating, drinking and being merry. We have even seen a couple of hummers taking in the nectar. And, we have rescued 3 turtles from the roads — 2 box & 1 I haven't yet identified. Of course, there's not much traffic, so they were probably safe, but you know me. They were much safer after I moved 'em, I'm sure.
And the red-winged blackbirds are numerous here, too. They are really spectacular, sitting atop the cattails and marsh reeds, singing their little hearts out. They look so proud with their red shoulder epaulets - like little generals!! And there are a couple of woodpeckers over at city hall that are always willing to voice their opinion. The wisteria was in full bloom last week, making the woods smell wonderful, but the rain storm beat all the blossoms off the vines and now there's nothing but petals on the ground. Dogwoods and azaleas are in full bloom here now — we were really surprised to even SEE them, but they're all around. Clouds of white rising about masses of pink and purple really brighten up the landscape. Speaking of which, I guess because of the economy here, people don't really put a lot of money into their homes or their landscape. Yards are not well-manicured or maintained, and most contain at least two boat/trailer combos.
About the only thing to do around here is fish, but only from a boat. We have tidal rivers on two sides, coming together to form a Y, with the bottom leg leading 5 miles out to the Gulf. We are in the crook of the Y, so it's pretty marshy all around us, with not very good "river access" to fish. Well, I suppose we could do it, if we wanted to get wet feet and challenge the 'gators. Just not sure I want to fish all THAT much. Besides, what would we do with what we caught?? I'm not gonna kill or clean it, and I'm SURE not gonna cook a fish in our camper, nor will I even EAT it, so we'd only just throw it back, and that seems like unnecessary pain for the fish. With MY luck, I'd catch a turtle or dolphin and then I'd REALLY feel bad. With the 'gator and no-see-em conditions, we can't even take Sunny down to either river, so she stays in the camper, catching up on her ZZZ's.
So, there we have it: short, easy working conditions; nice weather; lots of pretty wildlife vs. BITING BUGS AND LOTS OF 'EM; MORE BITING BUGS; no recreational opportunity. Definitely food for thought. As in, "that bug is thinking of biting us!"
We did go dancing up in Tallahassee on Monday night..that was probably more fun for us than it was for some of them. I got kinda bored, with the slow pace of things, so I decided to start some stuff. I cut across a square, and we kinda switched positions a couple of times. Once, a lady to my right had stepped out of her position to go talk to someone, so I went and stood where she should have been. When the caller started the tip, she backed up, only to find me there! She squealed like a stuck pig when she stepped on me and made everyone laugh out loud. We got several invitations to return, and the caller personally thanked us for attending, but I dunno that it's worth it to drive so far (it's all the way thru downtown) for such a short time. I thought it was a hoot that they were telling us how great a caller was coming to Panama City (122 miles away) for a weekend real soon - ole Tony Oxendine. Yep, he's great all right, but since we had such good fortune to have him as our LOCAL caller for so long, I just cannot come off the hundreds of $$ it would cost to go dance a couple of tips to him. Sure, it'd be fun, but, geez, with fuel at $4 per GALLON, I just don't think so!!! Ain't NUTHIN that much fun!
Well, Jose's just come in from blowing shtuff, and he needs my help to pick up some piles. Good fella that he is, has put it all out in the parking lot, so's the buggies won't drain me dry!! Gotta love him! Also gotta go!!
We think of y'all often, and miss ya much! Y'all take care and travel safe.
We are finally all by ourselves, the other couple having left this morning, so we certainly have privacy back here behind the fence. Of course, we are fully lit by a spotlight all night, but I guess that's so that the thieves (if there are any) can see what they're taking. And we really only HAVE to work two days a week, unless we want to put in more, or we get asked to take a shift for the ranger. Yesterday, we hung flags while the museum was closed. Yeah, one flag could be considered controversial, but we were doing what was asked....and today, also while the park is closed, Dick is blowing off the sidewalks and removing some storm debris. You may have heard that some areas of Florida received up to 6 inches of rain a couple of days ago and had wind gusts up to 70 mph. Yep, that would be US!! I should be out there picking up debris and boaters' trash, but that leads me to the really BIG drawback for this gig. The no-see-'ems!!! You cannot see them, it's true, but THEY ARE THERE!! They continually buzz about your head and hears, and they BITE ANYthing that is exposed. Heck, if you ask ME, they bite right through your clothes!!! (How ELSE would you account for bites on my belly & back!!!) Ankles, feet & ears are their favorites, I do believe. Everyone keeps telling us they should only be out around dawn and dusk, and they're supposed to be poor fliers. Yeah, well, I know better!!!
They are out almost 24 hrs a day, and they may be poor fliers, but they manage to find us!! Internet research tells us there's no real effective method of control, other than DEET and lots of it, but they say that since they're such poor fliers they only congregate and cluster within 150 feet of where they are born and die. HA! They have scope creep a gazillion times worse than any Wachovia project ever even THOUGHT about! I think they are sending out pheromes that broadcast "dinner's on, come & get it!" We move, as directed, but it seems that we are simply moving into another herd of the darned things! Dick is bitten just as much as I am, but he doesn't seem to get the welts and reactions I'm having. No surprise there, is it?
So, while his bites are initially painful and annoying, only I get left with the full-body itches. Yeah, I'm sure it looks just great to watch me scratching all my parts. I do get some funny looks, fer sure. But, then, on the other hand, the butterflies are tremendous all around our camper.
Dick trimmed some of the taller grasses (in a futile effort to control the bugs), but left the thistles standing. As a result, out every window, we are watching Swallowtails (Black & Yellow) and Monarchs eating, drinking and being merry. We have even seen a couple of hummers taking in the nectar. And, we have rescued 3 turtles from the roads — 2 box & 1 I haven't yet identified. Of course, there's not much traffic, so they were probably safe, but you know me. They were much safer after I moved 'em, I'm sure.
And the red-winged blackbirds are numerous here, too. They are really spectacular, sitting atop the cattails and marsh reeds, singing their little hearts out. They look so proud with their red shoulder epaulets - like little generals!! And there are a couple of woodpeckers over at city hall that are always willing to voice their opinion. The wisteria was in full bloom last week, making the woods smell wonderful, but the rain storm beat all the blossoms off the vines and now there's nothing but petals on the ground. Dogwoods and azaleas are in full bloom here now — we were really surprised to even SEE them, but they're all around. Clouds of white rising about masses of pink and purple really brighten up the landscape. Speaking of which, I guess because of the economy here, people don't really put a lot of money into their homes or their landscape. Yards are not well-manicured or maintained, and most contain at least two boat/trailer combos.
About the only thing to do around here is fish, but only from a boat. We have tidal rivers on two sides, coming together to form a Y, with the bottom leg leading 5 miles out to the Gulf. We are in the crook of the Y, so it's pretty marshy all around us, with not very good "river access" to fish. Well, I suppose we could do it, if we wanted to get wet feet and challenge the 'gators. Just not sure I want to fish all THAT much. Besides, what would we do with what we caught?? I'm not gonna kill or clean it, and I'm SURE not gonna cook a fish in our camper, nor will I even EAT it, so we'd only just throw it back, and that seems like unnecessary pain for the fish. With MY luck, I'd catch a turtle or dolphin and then I'd REALLY feel bad. With the 'gator and no-see-em conditions, we can't even take Sunny down to either river, so she stays in the camper, catching up on her ZZZ's.
So, there we have it: short, easy working conditions; nice weather; lots of pretty wildlife vs. BITING BUGS AND LOTS OF 'EM; MORE BITING BUGS; no recreational opportunity. Definitely food for thought. As in, "that bug is thinking of biting us!"
We did go dancing up in Tallahassee on Monday night..that was probably more fun for us than it was for some of them. I got kinda bored, with the slow pace of things, so I decided to start some stuff. I cut across a square, and we kinda switched positions a couple of times. Once, a lady to my right had stepped out of her position to go talk to someone, so I went and stood where she should have been. When the caller started the tip, she backed up, only to find me there! She squealed like a stuck pig when she stepped on me and made everyone laugh out loud. We got several invitations to return, and the caller personally thanked us for attending, but I dunno that it's worth it to drive so far (it's all the way thru downtown) for such a short time. I thought it was a hoot that they were telling us how great a caller was coming to Panama City (122 miles away) for a weekend real soon - ole Tony Oxendine. Yep, he's great all right, but since we had such good fortune to have him as our LOCAL caller for so long, I just cannot come off the hundreds of $$ it would cost to go dance a couple of tips to him. Sure, it'd be fun, but, geez, with fuel at $4 per GALLON, I just don't think so!!! Ain't NUTHIN that much fun!
Well, Jose's just come in from blowing shtuff, and he needs my help to pick up some piles. Good fella that he is, has put it all out in the parking lot, so's the buggies won't drain me dry!! Gotta love him! Also gotta go!!
We think of y'all often, and miss ya much! Y'all take care and travel safe.
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