STONE CREEK RV PARK AND R & R

ON THE LAST DAY OF 2011 WE ARRIVED AT STONE CREEK RV PARK, READY FOR A LITTLE R & R. WE WERE TIRED AND SPENT THE FIRST DAYS RESTING AND GETTING THINGS DONE WE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO WHILE WORKING AT THE CHRISTMAS TREE LOT. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A WALMART CLOSE, WHICH WE QUICKLY  BECAME REGULAR CUSTOMERS.

MOST OF THE TREES IN THE PARK HAVE MISTLETOE GROWING IN THEM, I NEVER KNEW MISTLETOE GREW IN TREES LIKE THIS. 

WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET IN THE BEAUTIFUL JACUZZI,  IT WAS A LITTLE COOL FOR AN UNHEATED SWIMMING POOL THOUGH.  TURNS OUT WE HAD THE WHOLE POOL AREA TO OUR OURSELVES FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF JANUARY, GUESS THE FOLKS HERE THINK IT'S A LITTLE COOL FOR AN OUTDOOR JACUZZI, WE THOUGHT IT WAS PERFECT WEATHER.

 OUR FRIENDS FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREES ARE HERE ALSO, AND  WE SHARED SOME AWESOME MEALS AND GOOD TIMES!

THEY INVITED US TO HAVE BREAKFAST ONE SUNDAY MORNING SO WE COULD MEET THEIR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS, WHO LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO. WE ATE AT A MEXICAN RESTAURANT AND HAD OUR FIRST MEXICAN BREAKFAST AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!

DARRELL ENJOYED HIS POTATO WITH BACON BREAKFAST TORTILLAS!! AND I HAD SOMETHING I COULDN'T BEGIN TO SPELL, BUT IT WAS DELCIOUS!

WE ENJOYED  ALOT OF THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES HERE IN THE PARK, BINGO, POT LUCKS,  ICE CREAM SOCIALS. MAGGIE &; MARLEE  ENJOYED THE AGILITY EQUIPMENT AND PLAYING BALL IN THE FENCED IN AREAS.

SAN ANTONIO HAS ALOT OF DOG PARKS AND WE TOOK THE GIRLS EVERY CHANCE WE GOT!

ONE DAY MIKE AND KAREN TOOK US BACK DOWN TO THE ALAMO. WE ENJOYED IT ALOT MORE  THIS TIME, WE WENT ON A THURSDAY AND THERE WEREN'T TOO MANY PEOPLE.

WE HAD LUNCH RIGHT ON THE RIVERWALK, THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT!

WE DID GO BACK TO CAMPING WORLD AND I FINALLY  FOUND SOMETHING TO BUY!! I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED A MAP TO PUT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RV AND ADD THE STATES AS WE VISIT. WE WILL ONLY ADD A STATE IF WE SPEND A NIGHT IN IT. WE ONLY HAVE 3 STATES SO FAR......SOUTH DAKOTA, COLORADO AND TEXAS.

WE HAVE  ENJOYED OUR MONTH AT THE RV PARK AND  ON THE 31ST WE WILL HEAD FURTHER  SOUTH TO THE GULF OF MEXICO , WE WANT TO STAY AT SOME TEXAS STATE PARKS  STARTING  WITH  GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS.

AHH.............WE LOVE RETIREMENT!!

FINISHING UP

ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, DARRELL HIRED DAVID TO HELP LOAD THE TRAILER, IT TOOK ABOUT FOUR HOURS TO GET EVERYTHING LOADED.

WE HAD PLANNED ON RETURNING IT SATURDAY TO THE WAREHOUSE, BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY TRAILERS THAT HAD TO BE GONE THROUGH, SO DARRELL PUT THE TRAILER IN THE TENT, AS WE WERE EXPECTING RAIN. DARYL AND ELAINE HOSTED A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER FOR ALL 14 CHRISTMAS TREE LOT COUPLES.

IT WAS THE FIRST WE HAD SEEN OF THE ORIGINAL COUPLES SINCE THANKSGIVING, THERE WERE ALSO THE "OLDIES", THE COUPLES THAT HAVE BEEN COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR. DARRELL WASN'T THE ONLY GUY THAT LOST WEIGHT, IT LOOKED LIKE THEY ALL WERE LEANER. WE ALL AGREED IT WAS HARD, HARDER THAN WE ALL IMAGINED, BUT MOST OF THE NEW COUPLES COMMITTED TO COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.

FINALLY, ON TUESDAY MORNING, WE RETURNED THE TRAILER TO THE WAREHOUSE, FINALLY, OUR JOB WAS COMPLETE, EXCEPT FOR GETTING PAID.

ON WEDNESDAY, OUR FIRST FREE DAY WE WENT TO CAMPING WORLD, WE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET HERE SINCE WE ARRIVED IN SAN ANTONIO!

I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ALOT LARGER, AND I DIDN'T FIND ONE THING TO BUY! ON THURSDAY, WE WENT TO THE WAREHOUSE AND  PICKED UP OUR CHECK FOR ALL OUR HARD WORK. IT WAS WAY MORE THAN WE EXPECTED, AND WE WERE VERY PLEASED. WE COULD STAY ON THE LOT UNTIL SATURDAY, AND HAD RESERVATIONS FOR STONE CREEK RV PARK FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY. SO, SATURDAY MORNING, WE HITCHED UP THE RV AND WERE OFF ON ANOTHER ADVENTURE!!!  LOOKING FORWARD TO A LITTLE R & R.

OUR FIRST WORKAMPING JOB COMPLETED!!

THE LAST WEEKEND BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WE WERE A LITTLE BUSY, WE HAD CUT DOWN OUR LARGE TREES TO 7 AND 8 FOOTERS AND SOLD  THEM IN A HURRY, OTHER LOTS WERE CALLING ASKING IF WE HAD ANY 7 FOOT TREES.

BY MONDAY WHEN WE OPENED, FOLKS WERE JUST DRIVING  BY AND LOOKING IN TO SEE IF WE HAD TREES, AND THEN DRIVING OFF, THINKING WE DIDN'T HAVE TREES, SO DARRELL LINED WHAT WE HAD LEFT IN THE FRONT FLAP, SO FOLKS COULD DRIVE BY AND SEE WE DID HAVE TREES.

BY TUESDAY MORNING WHEN WE OPENED WE HAD 18 TREES LEFT, SO DARRELL LINED THEM UP OUT FRONT.

WITH MOSTLY FOUR FOOT TREES LEFT, WE HAD A COUPLE FIVE FOOT TREES, EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FOR TALLER TREES. THROUGHOUT THE DAY WE SOLD A FEW, MOST FOLKS WERE HAVING TO SETTLE FOR THE SHORTER TREES, BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT EVERYONE WAS SOLD OUT OF TREES, WHICH WAS GOOD FOR US!! IT HAD REALLY CUT DOWN ON THE WATERING!! BY THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 23, WE HAD SEVEN TREES LEFT, DARYL SMITH CALLED AND TOLD US WE COULD MARK DOWN THE FOUR FOOTERS TO $10 AND THE TABLETOPS TO $5. SO, WE TOOK THOSE TO THE CURB, MADE A BIG SIGN, AND FIGURED WE WOULD SELL THOSE OUT PRETTY QUICK.

WE FOUND OUT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, OTHER LOTS WERE SOLD OUT AND CLOSED, SO WE WERE GETTING ANXIOUS!

BY AFTERNOON WE WERE DOWN TO 3 TABLETOPS, SURELY WE COULD SELL OUT TODAY!!!

BY 5:30, WE HAD TWO TABLETOP TREES LEFT, SO DARRELL CALLED DARYL SMITH AND TOLD HIM WHAT WE HAD LEFT, AND HE SAID WE COULD CLOSE DOWN. DARRELL TOOK THE STANDS OFF THE TREES AND WERE WALKING THEM OUT TO THE CURB AND A MAN STOPPED WANTING A TREE, DARRELL GAVE HIM BOTH, HE WAS VERY HAPPY, BUT NOT NEARLY AS  HAPPY AS WE WERE!! 

OH CHRISTMAS TREE......OH CHRISTMAS TREE......HOW LOVELY ARE YOUR BRANCHES!!

WE OPENED THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING WITH  ANTICIPATION,  WERE READY TO SELL CHRISTMAS TREES FOR HOLIDAY HILLS, OUR FIRST WORKAMPING JOB. THE OWNER, DARYL PREDICTED WE WOULD SELL 60 TREES ON FRIDAY, WE SOLD HALF OF THAT.  WE WERE KIND OF BUSY, NEVER A RUSH OF FOLKS LIKE WE THOUGHT.

ALL WEEKEND THAT WAS THE WAY IT WAS, WE DID HALF OF WHAT DARYL THOUGHT WE WOULD DO, WHICH WAS DISAPPOINTING. WE DECIDED WE NEEDED MORE SIGNS, SO WE GOT SOME EXTRAS AND PUT THEM UP, IT HELPED A LITTLE,  BUT, OUR SALES WERE DISAPPOINTING. DARYL TOLD US THAT BECAUSE THIS WAS A NEW LOCATION, IT WAS PROBABLY TO BE EXPECTED.  THE LONG HOURS AND HARD WORK KICKED OUR BUTTS EVERY DAY. WHEN WE SAID WE COULD DO ANYTHING FOR A MONTH, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD NEVER DONE THIS. WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE TREES BEING HEAVY AND DIRTY. DARRELL LOST WEIGHT AND I NIKNAMED HIM "PIGPEN", BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS DIRTY. WE LAY IN BED EXHAUSTED, LAUGHING ABOUT WHAT WE HAD GOTTEN OURSELVES INTO. WE HAD BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO WASH OUR CLOTHES, SHOP FOR GROCERIES, AND GET CHANGE FOR THE BUSINESS.

WE HIRED THREE YOUNG MEN TO HELP US, SAL, JASON, AND DAVID. THEY WERE VERY GOOD HELP, ALWAYS CAME TO WORK, AND ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP. THE PICTURE BELOW IS OF SAL.  

AND THIS IS JASON.

AND DAVID, WHO TURNED OUT TO BE SO TALENTED!

HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE "LITTLE TREES" FOR THE KIDS, AND THEY LOVED THEM!

MADE OUT OF SCRAPS, THEY KIDS TOOK THEM HOME TO DECORATE FOR THEIR ROOMS, WE CREATED ALOT OF GOOD WILL WITH THOSE LITTLE TREES!

THIS YOUNG LADY HAD NEVER HAD A REAL TREE AND SHE WAS SO EXCITED!!

WE TOOK ORDERS FOR A DOZEN TREES TO FLOCK, AND THEN IT STARTED RAINING, JUST BY LUCK AND BY GOLLY, THEY ALL DRIED, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DISAPPOINT OUR CUSTOMERS. DARRELL WAS BUSY FOR 5 DAYS FLOCKING TREES, AND THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL!! 

WE SOLD THIS TREE FOR $149.99. WE LAUGHED, HOLIDAY HILLS CALLED IT A "NATURAL", IT LOOKED LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN CUTTING IN THE BLACK HILLS, ALL OUR LIVES. THE COUPLE WERE TICKLED FOR IT, AS THEY HAD LARGE ORNAMENTS, AND NEEDED  A SPARSE TREE TO ACCOMODATE THEIR ORNAMENTS.

THIS IS WHERE I SPENT ALL MY TIME, I WAS THE CASHIER.

ONCE IN A WHILE, I WAS ABLE TO COME OUT OF "THE BOX" AND DO SOME FUN THINGS, LIKE, NETTING A TREE.

MAGGIE AND MARLEE SPENT MANY AN EVENING WITH US OUT IN THE CASHIER'S BOX.

DARRELL SPENT ALOT OF TIME WATERING THE TREES, THEY HAD TO BE WATERED TWICE A DAY AND MISTED AT NIGHT.

 ALL THE GUYS MADE TREES, IT WAS SUCH A TREAT TO SEE HOW EXCITED THE KIDS GOT OVER THEM.HERE THEY ARE ALL LINED UP WAITING FOR THE LITTLE KIDS TO CLAIM THEM AS THEIR OWN.

SAL MADE A CUTE  REINDEER, DAVID COULD NOT LET HIM GET ONE  OVER ON HIM, SO 

HE HAD TO MAKE A FULL BODY REINDEER.....THE COMPETITION WAS ON!!

AND THEN DAVID CAME UP WITH SOMETHING QUITE SPECTACULAR! THIS IS AS CUTE AS IT CAN BE......MADE OUT OF SCRAPS!!

DAVID MADE ONE FOR ME, IT'S THE ONLY CHRISTMAS DECORATION WE HAVE IN THE RV.

THE CHRISTMAS TREES HAVE ARRIVED!!

WE GOT OUR FIRST LOAD OF CHRISTMAS TREES, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, THE FIRST LOAD WAS 33  TREES. DARRELL AND I DROVE TO THE WAREHOUSE AND PICKED THEM UP AND WERE BACK AT THE LOT BY 10:30, SALVADOR AND BEAU WERE READY TO GO TO WORK!

WITH A LITTLE DIRECTION FROM DARRELL, THE BOYS STARTED PUTTING THE TREES IN THEIR STANDS,  THEY TOOK RIGHT TO THOSE TREES, WORKED EFFICIENTLY AS A TEAM, AND DARRELL COULD SEE THE 33 TREES WEREN'T GOING TO KEEP THEM BUSY LONG, SO HE WENT AFTER ANOTHER LOAD OF 55  TREES. THEY GOT THROUGH THOSE IN A HURRY TOO! THEY WERE BOTH TIRED BY THE END OF THE DAY, AND DARRELL AND  I FELT VERY FORTUNATE WE HAD FOUND SUCH GOOD HELP FOR US!!!

THIS WAS THE FIRST TREE THAT WE GOT TO SEE UNBANDED, AND THEY ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TREES I HAVE EVER SEEN!! THEY DO KNOW HOW TO GROW CHRISTMAS TREES IN SALEM, OREGON. 

THE NEXT MORNING WHEN WE WENT OUT AND OPENED THE TENT, THE SMELL WAS INCREDIBLE!! IT WAS WORTH DRIVING OUT FROM SOUTH DAKOTA, JUST TO EXPERIENCE THAT SMELL!!

WE ARE  UNOFFICIALLY  OPEN IF SOMEONE WANTS A TREE EARLY,  ONLY WHEN WE ARE OUT WORKING IN THE TENT, BUT THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING IS THE ACTUAL OPENING DAY!!!

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

SAN ANTONIO IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY, AND THE NICEST FOLKS YOU WOULD EVER WANT TO MEET, IT LOOKS ALOT LIKE RAPID CITY  EXCEPT THERE ARE LEAVES ON THE TREES AND THE FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING IN NOVEMBER!!!! WE VISITED THE ALAMO ON FRIDAY, THE WEATHER WAS GORGEOUS!!!

WE WENT DOWN TO THE RIVERWALK, BUT WE DIDN'T ALLOW ENOUGH TIME TO SEE MUCH, WE PROMISED OURSELVES WE WILL COME BACK BEFORE WE LEAVE SAN ANTONIO.  WE HAD TO GET BACK TO THE RV BECAUSE ALL OF US MANAGERS WERE HAVING A POTLUCK.THE FIVE OTHER COUPLES ARE, CAL & DIANE, PHIL & MARY, JEFF & GLENDA, MARK & CAROL, GIB & JOY WITH THEIR GRANDSON, DEVON. THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS, AND WE ALL GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER,  TWO OF THE COUPLES SOLD CHRISTMAS TREES IN CALIFORNIA LAST YEAR, NOT FOR HOLIDAY HILLS.THEY SAID IT WAS FUN, BUT HARD WORK AND LONG HOURS, WHICH WE KNEW.

IT WAS A CHILLY EVENING, SO WE ALL TURNED IN EARLY, BECAUSE THE NEXT MORNING AT 10, WE START TRAINING.  WE ALL MET AT THE WAREHOUSE, WE MET OUR BOSSES,  DARYL & ELAINE SMITH, THEY GROW THE TREES IN SALEM, OREGON AND BRING THEM TO SAN ANTONIO TO SELL, THEY'VE DONE THIS SINCE 1988. BRIAN & TERRI AVERY ARE THE TRAINERS. THEY ALL SEEEMED VERY NICE. THE GUYS WENT WITH BRIAN, AND THE GALS WENT WITH TERRI. 

THE GUYS WERE TRAINED IN HANDLING THE TREES, THE GALS IN HANDLING THE MONEY AND CASH  REGISTER.

OUR HEADS WERE SWIMMING BY EVENING, SO MUCH INFORMATION!! WE DIDN'T GET QUITE DONE, SO WE HAD TO RETURN ON SUNDAY, ELAINE TOOK US ALL OUT FOR LUNCH, HAD MY FIRST TASTE  OF TEXAS MEXICAN FOOD.......IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

DARRELL & THE GUYS STARTED SETTING UP THE FIRST TENT SUNDAY, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE JEFF & GLENDAS, NONE OF THE REST OF US KNEW WHERE WE WOULD BE FOR SURE. MONDAY ABOUT 11, TERRI CALLED TELLING US WE WOULD BE AT LOT #4, AND GAVE US DIRECTIONS. I AM SO HAPPY WHERE WE ENDED UP, I LOVE OUR LOT, HOPE WE CAN SELL ALOT OF CHRISTMAS TREES HERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A CIRCUS TENT, AND I TOLD THE KIDS WE HADN'T JOINED THE CIRCUS!!IT IS 60' W BY 120' AND HOLDS 350 CHRISTMAS TREES!! IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR MAGGIE & MARLEE, WITH AN 8' FENCE ALL THE WAY AROUND, THEY CAN RUN LOOSE AND PLAY BALL, AT LEAST UNTIL WE OPEN.

I AM WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF WALMART, AND THERE IS A JIM'S RESTAURANT RIGHT NEXT DOOR, IF I DON'T FEEL LIKE COOKING. IT IS A VERY BUSY CORNER, BUT WE SIT FAR ENOUGH OFF THE STREET, WHERE IT IS PRETTY QUIET. I LOVE SOUTH TEXAS IN THE WINTER, MOST DAYS IT IS BETWEEN 70 & 80, WITH COOL EVENINGS.

THE "GUYS" CAME IN THE AFTERNOON AND HELPED SET UP THE TENT, THIS WHOLE TRAILER LOAD OF STUFF IS NEEDED TO GET EVERYTHING SET UP.

IT TOOK THE REST OF MONDAY AND ALMOST ALL OF TUESDAY TO GET EVERYTHING SET UP, THE "GUYS" DO THE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL PART OF THE SETUP. THEN, THEY MOVED ONTO THE NEXT TENT, ETC, UNTIL ALL ARE SET. LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR "ADVENTURE". THE TREES WILL BE ARRIVING AROUND THE 18TH. WE ARE BUSY HIRING HELP, PUT A SIGN ON THE FENCE AND THERE IS SOMEONE HERE ALL THE TIME LOOKING FOR A JOB.

LEAVING RAPID CITY

WE LEFT RAPID CITY ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011 AT 10:30 A.M. HEADING FOR SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO OUR FIRST WORKAMPING JOB, SELLING CHRISTMAS TREES UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. WITH TONS OF WISHES FROM  FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR SAFE TRAVEL, WE  HEADED OUT,  WITH GREAT EXPECTATIONS AND  MAGGIE AND MARLEE. WE HAD A GREAT TRAVEL DAY AND ENDED UP IN SEIBERT, COLORADO AT A PASSPORT AMERICA CAMPGROUND, WHICH WAS SMALL, BUT ADEQUATE. AS SOON AS WE HIT THE OKLAHOMA LINE, WE RAN INTO WIND AND STOPPED EARLY DUE TO THE WIND. WE ARRIVED  AT THE TEXAS STATE LINE ABOUT 1:00 P.M.

WE STAYED IN AMARILLO, TEXAS, AT A VERY NICE RV PARK, ALSO A PASSPORT AMERICA PARK,  WITH A SWIMMING POOL AND HOT TUB, WHICH WE ENJOYED BEFORE LEAVING ON TUESDAY MORNING.  WE FOUND ANOTHER PASSPORT AMERICA RV PARK IN BRADY, TEXAS, AND WITH THE HELP OF MRS. GARMIN, WE DROVE RIGHT TO IT. IT WAS ALMOST DARK BY THE TIME WE GOT THERE. IT WAS A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT, AN RV PARK AND TRAILER PARK, IT WAS PRETTY SCARY. WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF THERE!! WE LEARNED A GOOD LESSON! WE ARRIVED IN SAN ANTONIO ABOUT NOON ON WEDNESDAY AND WENT RIGHT TO THE EMPTY LOT WHERE ALL THE CHRISTMAS TREE MANAGERS WILL MEET. WE MET CAL AND DIANE, VERY NICE FOLKS, THEY HAD VISITED THE CHRISTMAS TREE WAREHOUSE AND MET ELAINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WILL BE GOING TO LAREDO, TEXAS, 130 MILES FROM HERE. PHIL AND MARY ARRIVED LATER, AND CAL SAID THERE WOULD BE SIX COUPLES HOUSED HERE UNTIL WE WERE ALL ASSIGNED OUR LOTS. 

THERE IS NO WIFI HERE AND NO CABLE TV,  WE BOUGHT A CRICKET MOBILE BROADBAND MODEM AND A CARD FOR 3 G HIGH SPEED INTERNET. WE WANT TO GET OUR DISH HOOKED UP ASAP. SATURDAY, AT 10:00 A.M. WE START TRAINING FOR OUR NEW JOBS.