GETTING INTO THE WORKAMPER ROUTINE

                             AS PROMISED:

CHAPEL OF THE HILLS AT JOHNSON CREEK RV RESORT


This is the chapel where we attend Sunday services. Chaplain Tony Cafaletti and his wife Peggy are also workampers. Peggy works in the office and Tony does Sunday services and is always available for RVer's needing his services.

The chapel is small but so is the congregation. However, all RVer's are welcome and encouraged to attend.




Sharon and our neighbor JoAnne are getting into the workamper routine. This has been a quiet week in terms of RV's in and out of the park. Not much traffic. Sharon works Sunday, Noon-5:00 p.m. and Monday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Peggy works Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Noon-5:00 p.m. and JoAnne works Friday, Noon-5:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00-5:00 p.m.  Lisa, the park owner works Tuesday thru Friday mornings 9:00 a.m. - Noon. I pick up trash, read electric meters, and clean a few hours on Sunday and Monday.

The best part of the week: The five days you don't work! We had been doing it all wrong the last few decades. Working 2 days and being off 5 days is much better that working 5 days and being off 2 days. Sometimes it REALLY IS difficult to keep track of the days. However, Cornerstone Insurance Employees gave Sharon a day of the week clock which helps us immensely. Thanks guys!! We certainly don't want to show up for work on the wrong day.

                     JoAnne
                                                    Jim & JoAnne are also our next door neighbors.

                                                       
                                                                                     
                                                                    Jim and one of their two dogs

                       Brandy or Cody??

                               














         

WORKAMPING

WORKAMPING-lifestyle that combines ANY kind of part-time or full-time work with RV camping. If you work as an employee, operate a business, or donate your time as a volunteer, AND you sleep in an RV, you are a Workamper. Workampers generally receive compensation in the form of a free campsite, usually with free utilities (electricity, water, and sewer hookups) and additional wages. Workamping positions can include working at campgrounds, RV resorts, mobile home communities, Christmas tree or pumpkin sales lots, amusement parks, motels/hotels, national parks, state parks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer locations, national monuments, lighthouses, retail stores, food service, sales and more. Many Workamping positions are filled by couples who can share the labor, though having a partner is not a requirement. Workamping is particularly popular among retirees.


That describes what we have been doing for seven months now.  The position at JCRV is only 13.25 hours a week for a free full hook-up site. We, however, do pay for our own electric usage. Just like other jobs, we are finding that you have to hustle to get the work done. I pick up the trash and am supposed to be able to do that in 15 minutes. I find that it takes me closer to 30 minutes to do it on Sunday morning. Sharon is supposed to work in the office and do some cleaning in the club houses, cabins, and apartments. Of course, we are new at it, but she finds that she can't get all of that done in the 13 hour window. I have helped do the cleaning while she works in the office. Not a big deal, only a day and a half, so we think it is worth it. 


Most Workampers enjoy traveling to and living in new places. As a result, Workampers may work in one location in the summer and a different location in the winter. Some Workampers return to their home for part of the year, while others have sold their homes and live on the road all year long. These types of Workampers are often called Fulltimers. While Workampers tend to spread out in the summer time, many congregate in the winter months along the Colorado River in Nevada, Arizona, California and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The towns ofLake Havasu City, Quartzsite, and Yuma, Arizona become central gathering points in the winter.

External links

• Workamper News
• WorkampingJobs.com
• CampHost.org
• Bureau of Land Management
• Forest Service Volunteers Page
• Volunteer.gov
• Camp Host US
• Camp Host USA

SOME OF THE INFORMATION FOR THIS PIECE IS TAKEN FROM "WIKIPEDIA".

DAY TRIP TO LUCKENBACH & LBJ RANCH

LUCKENBACH POST OFFICE UNTIL 1971- NOW A GIFT SHOP

LUCKENBACH BEER STAND

 And, this is about all there is to Luckenbach, TX. We enjoyed seeing it, however, Willie, Waylon, and the Boys were NOT there. They have concerts every Friday night. We were there on Tuesday so missed that too.

LUCKENBACH DANCE HALL

After our tour of Luckenbach, we ventured on east to the LBJ Ranch and park. We enjoyed a drive thru of the ranch. It is a nice place if you like Texas ranches. LBJ and Lady Bird were there (buried)!

LBJ RANCH

CEMETERY ON LBJ RANCH
LBJ IS TALL STONE ON RIGHT
BILLY GRAHAM DID SERVICE

JOHNSON CREEK

                          JOHNSON CREEK RUNS THROUGH THE BACK OF THE PARK

It has been a beautiful day here today....upper 80's but has cooled off to 81 at 6:30 this evening. Cool breeze, almost perfect. We have enjoyed the outdoors today. Went to church at the Chapel on grounds with Tony, the park chaplain.........former Baptist minister. Congregation of ten today.Visited this afternoon with Jim and Joanne, our neighbors, also workampers here. Took a walk and enjoyed these views. If you were here too, it couldn't get any better. I'll post pictures of the Chapel that an RVer built. Quite impressive little place. They have had some weddings in it. I am enjoying it here this evening on our little bit of  Texas........"Hitchhiker Ranch"!

JCRV PARK, INGRAM, TEXAS

       


TOP LEFT--WELCOME, TOP RIGHT--PAWNEE DR., LEFT--48 PAWNEE, OUR SITE
                 
The TEXAS HILL COUNTRY (THC) is really neat. I'm sure we will have some pictures at some point or you can look online. Lots of short trees and cactus. Locals don't always like the cactus. I guess it is a nuisance to them. We can't get over how much they have spent in concrete here. Still people don't appreciate things. We saw some guy tonight, after dark, come rolling in, tried to turn left where the sign said, "NO LEFT TURN", scraped the side of his motor home, backed up and took off way too fast looking for his site. Another guy had just knocked the sign down yesterday doing the same thing.  A lesson I learned at  Lake Ozark State Park............you can't hurry in an RV and you had better make wide turns. Trees and posts don't move and will do damage to the side of your RV! However, I will admit, it is difficult to drive these big rigs a lot without doing some kind of  "BooBoo" at some point.

We are settling in and feeling more relaxed. Went to Kerrville this afternoon. Had to resupply both food and beverage before we start work. Not sure of hours or exactly what we are doing yet. Will probably do some training Sunday afternoon. More later on the workamper position.

The locals tell me I will need to wrap my water hose. I does get down in the 20's for short periods of time. Usually warms back up during the day. I guess we will know more on that shortly also.

Two weeks into retirement.......will try to take it one day at a time and just let it happen. I know, that doesn't sound like LON! Later..................

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ESCAPEE'S HOME

  
ESCAPEE'S NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AND OUR PERMANENT MAIL SERVICE AT 140 RAINBOW DRIVE.

We stayed here for a week and got our Texas licenses. Moved to Ingram, TX today, October 13th. We will be workampers at Johnson Creek RV Park until the end of March. Pictures and video of the park can be found at http://www.johnsoncreekrvresort.com/

Texas "Newbies"

 The licensing process is as much a hassle in Texas as it is in Missouri. I had previously licensed the truck, however, it had to be inspected upon arrival in Texas. Since the RV came from out of state, it had to be inspected (which was a joke). So we had to hook up again and take to town. Then to tax office to get RV license. Today we went to Department of Public Safety to get driver's licenses. OH BOY! Be sure to hold on to every piece of paper--registrations for vehicles, soc sec card, 2 forms of ID besides your old driver's license, proof of insurance for both vehicles, etc. Typical government hassle! Anyway, it is done and we are legal in Texas. Also registered to vote. 

I have contacted Johnson Creek RV Park and they are ready for us to arrive. I imagine we will land there the 13th or 14th, (Thur or Fri next week). We did have some problems with a slideout when we left Columbia. When we got to Marshfield, Paul helped me with it and we had a support bracket welded under it at a local RV  dealership. We left Marshfield on Tues, stayed at fairgrounds in Texarkana that night, and got to Livingston, Wednesday.

Weather is beautiful, but too HOT for me. It is dry and 91 today. Will surely be cooling off soon. Chance of rain around here and San Antonio this weekend. We haven't slowed down long enough to relax yet. At McDonalds using their wifi now. The only wifi at our Escapee's park is $3/day. Retirees can't afford that!! Rates are cheaper and I guess they make up for it that way. Hope it is better at Johnson Creek. We are going to go get groceries at HEB grocery store. (Thanks for the gift card KJ)  HAPPY HOUR begins at 4:00 so I guess I had better get off here and get done with errands. We are going to explore the area and might stay at Lake Livingston a day or two next week before going on to Ingram.

I know some of you will have questions about the "Fulltime Lifestyle". If you will let me know what they are, I will try to write about those issues. Just not sure what you are interested in. A lot of this today is just the hassle of getting moved and establishing residency. The actual living day, today in an RV may be of more interest to some of you. Really isn't much different, you live in one part of your house most of the time imagine. It is just a little smaller. We plan on being outside a lot. If you don't RV, you probably don't get it. If you want to learn more about Escapees and full-timing, check out www.escapees.com  I might recruit another member.

I'll write more after we settle  at Johnson Creek RV Park, Ingram, TX.