Work
Volunteer fail?
I started a volunteer gig when I returned from Thanksgiving in Tillamook. One day a week, for four hours in the afternoon, I drive a golf cart at the Lee Health Regional Cancer Center in Ft Myers, shuttling people from their cars to their cancer or rehab treatments and back to their cars when they … Continue reading
Taking out the docks
The final task in my marina mini-career was taking out the docks. The floating docks had to be removed from the lake and stacked on shore, to keep them from being crushed by the winter ice. This is normally a simple task, taking maybe a day and a half. This year it took a bit … Continue reading
Winding down the marina season
The marina closes October 15, but business has been very slow since Labor Day. Once the kids are back in school the lake is used mostly by fishermen – and now duck hunters. But very few pontoon rentals. So a day at the marina consists of minor chores and hours of reading, doing Sudoku and … Continue reading
The ever-changing view from the marina
Even on a dreary day the view from the marina office is pleasant. On a sunny day – or a stormy day with sunny breaks – the view can be absolutely breathtaking. I particularly like the marina when the sun gets low in the sky and long shadows mix with bright boat profiles.
Bored at the marina
The marina was very busy this summer, except for those few days when the weather was bad. But even on those days I had maintenance chores to keep me busy: power-washing the pontoon boats, replacing worn boards on the docks, etc. Now, post-Labor Day, business has fallen off the cliff. On Sunday the wind was … Continue reading
Staining the docks
One of the tasks of a marina guy is to maintain the docks. This includes replacing worn board (I have replaced about 25 this year) and staining the docks. Replacing the boards is a matter of using a crowbar to rip up the old one, then screwing down a new one. Not hard, except on … Continue reading
Putting in the docks
As previously mentioned, I am helping manage a marina this summer. That means, among other things, that I am learning how to tie nautical knots. It also means that I participated in the spring activity known as “putting in the docks.” As a seasonal marina on Lake Champlain, the Apple Island Marina must remove its … Continue reading
Workamping
“Workamping” is not in the dictionary, but it probably will be soon. It is a gerund that describes the work situation of a full-time RVer who is employed by the campground in which he/she is residing. The word describes what Jett and I are doing this summer at Apple Island Resort in South Hero, VT. … Continue reading
The downside of WFH
Since arriving in Florida, I have been working out of the RV using my Verizon hotspot. This has worked pretty well overall, despite the cramped quarters. I am able to access the servers that physically reside in Burlington, MA, just as I would if I were working in Cambridge. And I can participate in meetings … Continue reading
And the answer is… Vermont?
The question is: where will we be next summer? We were trying to find a workamping position (in which we work at the campground) somewhere in New England and right now the most likely place is a campground in northern Vermont, on Lake Champlain. It is not a done deal and is a bit further … Continue reading »