(Key Largo, FL)
Our first day of work. John Pennekamp State Park requires that we put in 20 hours per week per couple. Four days a week, five hours a day. We put in anywhere from 2.5 to 3 actual hours everyday. Our work week runs from Sunday to Wednesday. (9:15 to 11:30 or 12)
Four couples share this job. Two teams if you will. We work with Mike and Joan who hail from southern New Jersey. We start with the guys using a leaf blower to clear the sidewalks of leaves and twigs that have fallen. In the meantime the laundry area, two washing machines, two dryers, a sink and counter have to be wiped down and lint traps cleaned if needed. From there we move to the bathrooms where the guys hose everything in sight down and we follow behind and spray a disinfectant from a sprayer one would see in a garden, the one with the pump handle. The guys hose everything down again and we come behind and squeegee the floors and set fans out to help with the drying. Mirrors are cleaned and toilet paper checked and replaced as necessary.
This first day was pretty rough because Bob and I were tripping over each other and I had done the mirrors and then I walked in on him doing them again. We have to work out a schedule on who is doing what and when.
Then the four of us sit outside for a half hour talking and let the fans dry the floors. We go in every 10 minutes or so and reposition them.
We put everything away and go to the even smaller restroom and repeat the process there.
After this is done Bob and I are responsible for 24 of the 47 campsites for tidying them up after a camper leaves. Now, if no one leaves on that particular day, we don’t do anything. We are not to go on any site which has campers on it. If a site is empty Bob cleans out the grill of charcoal ash if there is any and I walk around the site with a set of “pickers” and a bucket to pick up any trash left behind.
Most of the campers who come here are here for a reason. A lot of them are divers and use the campground to put their RV’s or campers on are only here at night time. The rest of the campers are seniors who are touring Florida during the winter months. We don’t see kids, or haven’t as yet.
Bob and I have to help several campers at the gate. Sometimes they can’t reach the number pad to put in the code and have to get out and walk around the truck or RV to put it in. Some of the older folks don’t move too fast and by the time they walk around the RV and get settled back in the gate is back down. We go out when we see this and have them back up a little to clear the “eye” of the gate thingamajig and we put the code in for them. Doesn’t happen too often, but occasionally.
We’ve had campers come up to us over the weekend and ask us questions to which we knew no answers because we just don’t know anything yet. Time, it will just take time.
So that’s what we do with our mornings four days a week.
This would not be my first choice for a workamping job and I've already told Bob I won't do this again but I can do just about anything for 2 months if it gets me a free stay in the Florida Keys.
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