WORKING AT ADVENTURELAND

WE WORKED JUST WEEKENDS APRIL 28 THROUGH MAY 19 AND THEN THE PARK WAS OPEN EVERY DAY. I HAD A LITTLE PROBLEM WITH MY SCHEDULE AT FIRST, BUT IT WAS STRAIGHTENED  OUT.  MY SCHEDULE IS PRETTY CONSISTANT.  I WORK 11:00 TO 4:00, WHICH IS ALL I WANT TO WORK. DARRELL STARTED OUT 9:40 TO 2:00, THAT LATER CHANGED TO 3:00. HE SOMETIMES CHANGES RIDES DAILY AND THEN OTHER TIMES HAS  ONE RIDE THE WHOLE SCHEDULE. HE WAS BEEN ASKED DAILY TO WORK DOUBLE SHIFTS AND RELIEFS, BUT HE HAS DECLINED.  WORKING WITH TEENAGERS HAS PROVEN TO BE A CHALLENGE, BUT AS THE YEAR PROGRESSED RIVER CITY PIZZA ENDED UP WITH A GREAT CREW!

CHRISTINA, MICHELLE, NANCY, WE WORK THE DAY SHIFT AND WE ARE AWESOME!!!

SAM AND JOHN (NANCY'S HUSBAND.)

ADAM AND JOHN AGAIN.

SOME MORE OF THE RIVER CITY GANG.

DONNA, SHE WORKS IN PREP, WHAT A SWEETIE!!

LAURA, SHE TURNED OUT TO BE A BLESSING!!!!!

BOB, WHO WORKS  IN GYRO, AND GAIL, OUR BOSS!!

J.W., A BLUE SHIRT, ONE OF OUR SUPERVISORS.

AND OF COURSE, ANDREA, ANOTHER SUPERVISOR, LOOKS  AFTER US OLD FOLKS, LIKE WE WERE HER GRANDPARENTS.....BLESS HER HEART!!

MORE OF THE RIVER CITY CREW

RUSSELL, HE WORKS WITH US QUITE A BIT IN PIZZA, HE IS A GREAT KID!

AND RAINI, SHE WORKED WITH US ALOT DURING THE FIRST MONTH, BUT THEN SHE MOVED FROM ONE RIVER CITY SPOT TO THE NEXT. SHE IS A VERY SWEET GIRL, DEPENDABLE AND A HARD WORKER.

AND THEN OF COURSE, LA'TASHA, SHE STARTED WEEKENDS  WITH US AT

 PIZZA, BUT SHE MOSTLY WORKED IN DONUTS, THAT IS  HER FIRST LOVE! A VERY SWEET GIRL, THIS WAS HER FIRST JOB.

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THIS IS THE COMMISSARY, WHERE WE EAT AND VISIT.

THIS IS THE SECOND HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD IN DES MOINES,  THERE HAVE BEEN TEN  DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE TRIPLE  DIGITS. IT WAS 105 DEGREES IN DES MOINES ON MONDAY JULY 23, WITH OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES THAT HIGH,  TEMPERATURES INSIDE RIVER CITY PIZZA WAS 120 DEGREES.  FUNNEL CAKES, WHICH IS ACROSS FROM US WAS 155 DEGREES.

 DARRELL IS OUT IN THE HOT SUN WITH NO SHADE FOR MANY OF THE RIDES. HERE HE IS HELPING EVERYONE INTO THE RIDE.

 

THEN HE GETS TO GO IN THE SHADE TO RUN THE RIDE.

THIS RIDE IS THE DER FLINGER, WHICH HE HAS OPERATED ALOT,  IT TAKES SOME MUSCLE TO RUN THIS RIDE.

HE GAVE ME A RIDE, IT WAS KIND OF SCARY.

 THE SEASON STARTED  WITH ONLY ABOUT HALF THE NUMBER OF WORKAMPERS EXPECTED, AND AS THE HOT TEMPERATURES CONTINUE, WORKAMPERS CONTINUE  TO  LEAVE.  WE HAVE THE AIR CONDITIONING ON DAY AND NIGHT IN THE RV. WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO AUGUST 19!

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

ON TUESDAY, MAY 15TH. WE DROVE OVER TO WINTERSET, IOWA TO SEE THE SIX REMAINING COVERED BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, IOWA. WE STOPPED AT THE CHAMBER AND PICKED UP A MAP AND GOT DIRECTIONS TO THE BRIDGES. THE FIRST BRIDGE WE VISITED WAS RIGHT IN THE TOWN OF WINTERSET IN THE LOCAL PARK, THE CUTLER-DONAHOE BRIDGE. IT WAS MOVED TO THE PARK ON WINTERSET'S 100TH BIRTDAY 1970, FOR IT'S PROTECTION. MANY OF THE COVERED BRIDGES WERE GIVEN NAMES BECAUSE A FARM-OWNER LIVED CLOSE BY, TWO FAMILIES CLAIMED 'NAMING RIGHTS', THUS THE HYPHENATED NAME.  IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE, BUT WE WERE APPALLED BY THE GRAFFITTI ON THE INSIDE OF ALL THE BRIDGES.

WE DID NOT REALIZE THIS IS WHERE JOHN WAYNE WAS BORN, WE DROVE BY HIS HOME ON OUR WAY TO OUR NEXT BRIDGE.

THE NEXT BRIDGE WE VISITED WAS THE  HOLLIWELL BRIDGE, THE LONGEST BRIDGE AT 110 FEET.  HOLLIWELL WAS ONE OF THE BRIDGES FEATURED IN THE MOVIE " BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. "

THEN ON TO THE SMALL TOWN OF ST. CHARLES WHERE THE IMES BRIDGE IS NESTLED IN A SMALL PARK AT THE EDGE OF TOWN.

THEN ON TO THE CEDAR BRIDGE, BURNED IN 2002, REBUILT AND REDEDICATED IN 2004. THIS IS THE ONLY COVERED  BRIDGE  THAT IS OPEN TO CAR TRAFFIC. THIS IS ALSO THE BRIDGE OPRAH WINFREY DID HER 1993 TV SHOW FROM.

WE HAD PLANNED ON VISITING HOGBACK BRIDGE NEXT, BUT WE MISSED THE TURN, SO IT WAS ON TO ROSEMAN BRIDGE, THE ONE MOST FEATURED IN THE MOVIE, "BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY". THIS IS THE BRIDGE WHERE FRANCESCA TACKED HER NOTE  TO ROBERT, TELLING HIM TO COME FOR SUPPER "ANYTIME THE WHITE MOTHS FLY. " YOU CAN SEE LITTLE HOLES WHERE SHE, AND OTHERS AFTER HER, PLACED THEIR LOVE NOTES.

THE LAST BRIDGE WE VISISTED WAS THE HOGBACK BRIDGE, WE RETRACED OUR STEPS AND SAW WHERE WE MISSED THE TURN.

THE BRIDGES ARE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER, BUT IT HAD BEEN A LONG DAY AND WE NEEDED TO GET HOME TO MAGGIE AND MARLEE, BUT WE ENJOYED SEEING THE SIX REMAINING BRIDGES.

THE NEXT DAY WAS MY DAY OFF AND DARRELL HAD TO WORK, I JUST HAD TO RENT THE MOVIE "BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY". IT WAS SO GOOD, I HAD SEEN IT YEARS AGO, BUT IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE ON THE SCREEN THE PLACES WE HAD VISITED.

ADVENTURELAND, ALTOONA, IOWA

WE ARRIVED AT ADVENTURELAND ON FRIDAY THE 13TH. OF APRIL, WE ARE HOPING THAT THIS ISN'T AN OMEN!  WE CHECKED IN AT THE OFFICE, AND WE WERE ASSIGNED LOT NUMBER 67, AND WE LOVE IT!!

IT IS A VERY LARGE LOT AND WE ARE CLOSE TO ADVENTURELAND AMUSEMENT PARK, WHERE WE WILL WORK FOR THE SUMMER. THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE BRIDGE THAT WE WILL WALK OVER TO GET TO WORK.

THERE WERE ABOUT 40 OTHER  RVS HERE, WE MET RANDY AND DEBBY, OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS, WHO HAVE BEEN COMING  TO WORK AT ADVENTURELAND FOR  SIX YEARS. WE ATTENDED THE WELCOME MEETING AT 9:00 ON APRIL 17.

WE MET ALOT OF NICE PEOPLE AND PICKED UP OUR UNIFORMS WE. ALSO SAW A SCHEDULE OF THE ACTIVITIES THEY HAVE PLANNED FOR US THIS SUMMER. LOOKS LIKE FUN!!!

ON THURSDAY, APRIL 19, WE HEADED TO SAULK RAPIDS TO VISIT JSZ. IT IS ONLY A FIVE HOUR DRIVE FROM HERE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE DECIDED TO COME TO ADVENTURELAND FOR THE SUMMER. JACOB OFFERED TO CLEAN  MAGGIE AND MARLEE'S TEETH. WE ARRIVED EARLY ENOUGH TO ATTEND ONE OF ZACHARY'S TRACK MEETS.

WE WORE OUR WINTER JACKETS, IT WAS FREEZING!! ZACHARY'S RELAY TEAM WON FIRST PLACE!!! ON SUNDAY, WE TOOK THE GIRLS DOWN TO HAVE THEIR TEETH CLEANED. THEY BOTH HAD TO HAVE SOME TEETH PULLED.

AFTERWARDS, WE TOOK THE GIRLS HOME AND JACOB AND SONYA WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE AND CAME BACK WITH A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR ME. ZACHARY'S GIRLFRIEND, SIERRA, CAME OVER AND HAD CAKE WITH US. THE NEXT MORNING WE HEADED BACK TO ALTOONA, WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AND IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM. WE WILL GO BACK ON MAY 29 TO ATTEND ZACHARY'S GRADUATION.

OUR FIRST WEEKEND TO WORK WAS THE WEEKEND OF APRIL  28. I WILL BE WORKING IN PIZZA AT RIVER CITY. DARRELL IS WORKING THE NORTH SKY RIDE. WE WILL WORK OPEN TO CLOSE, WHICH IS 10:00 TO 6:00 ON SATURDAY AND 10:00 TO 5:00 ON SUNDAY.  

IT WAS A TOUGH WEEKEND, IT WAS COLD AND RAINY AND BUSY, I STARTED OUT MAKING PIZZAS,  IT WAS A VERY LONG DAY, MY FEET AND LEGS HURT SO BAD BY 6:00 . MY PLANTAR FACIITIS  FLARED UP, WASN'T REALLY  LOOKING  FORWARD TO GOING BACK SUNDAY, THANK GOODNESS, WE WEREN'T BUSY AND I OFFERED TO LEAVE EARLY. HOPING I CAN GET THE PLANTAR UNDER CONTROL AND HOPING I CAN DO THIS JOB. ON FRIDAY, MAY 4, WE WENT TO PELLA, IOWA TO THE TULIP FESTIVAL. THE TULIPS BLOOMED EARLY THIS YEAR, THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL DUE TO THE  "WINTER THAT WASN'T" ......THIS IS ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF THE TULIPS........

WE HAD A GREAT TIME!! IT LOOKED LIKE THE WHOLE TOWN TURNED OUT FOR THIS EVENT!! EVERYONE WAS IN COSTUME....SAW THESE CUTE KIDS IN THE PARK!!

THERE WERE BEDS AND BEDS OF TULIPS WITHOUT BLOOMS........I'LL BET IT'S BEAUTIFUL WHEN THEY ARE IN BLOOM!!

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE TOWN.......THIS IS THE TOWN SQUARE....

AND OF COURSE A DUTCH WINDMILL........

WE EVEN FOUND WOODEN SHOES!!!

BEFORE LEAVING WE WENT TO  A DUTCH BAKERY AND BOUGHT BREAD, IT WAS DELICIOUS!!   THE PARADE HAD STARTED BY THE TIME WE WERE READY TO LEAVE, BEAUTIFUL FLOATS......

MARCHING BANDS AND MARCHING PEOPLE

MARCHING KIDS......

WOODEN SHOES....

IT WAS SUCH A FUN DAY!!