Thursday, May 1, 2014

THE ADVENTURES OF GERI AND CHUCK AS VOLUNTEERS


We are still in Myakka River State Park working as volunteers.
We are enjoying the late spring, days had been in the mid-70’s until this week….   now we are mid-80’s. But Spring has sprung and the trees are loaded with all kinds of air plants or bromeliads in full bloom!
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The colors are brilliant this week!  This plant had fallen from a tree and one of the workers put it behind the shed and it bloomed brighter than any other I have seen!  That is the miracle of air plants, they don’t need water or soil to survive!
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Bromeliads usually grow up high in the trees, so you have to look up high to see them.  In the top photo, only one can be clearly seen but actually there are 6 plants in the photo!
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The above photo is Cabin Road. We have to drive down this road every day to our job cleaning cabins! Beautiful jungle road! If you look closely, you can see that the trees here are loaded with air plants!
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This beautiful flower is wild ginger!
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Can you get any more beautiful than this? I love this plant! It smells just like ginger!  It is a bulb plant so I have “rescued” one and replanted it. They are not native to Florida.
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Baby grapes! We have wild grapes growing  every where! They grow up tall pine and oak trees!

I am so very happy Chuck and I decided to sell our home in NM and go full time in our RV.  We really enjoy our time as volunteers or workampers. We get a free camp site with full hook ups in trade for 20 or so hours a week working in the park.  We meet wonderful people every day!  We are near family and we are creating new friendships!  We are not rich, but we are not in debt either and not having to worry about rent or utilities frees us up to really enjoy life!
Get ready!  It was time for Chuck to get another hair cut!
BEFORE!
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AFTER
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HAHAHAAHA!  A summer haircut!  I took the dog clippers to him!  Grin!  I think he cleans up pretty good!

EASTER
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We spent Easter with family!  The girls went hunting eggs in their yard Easter morning and some of the eggs actually had money in them!
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After all the eggs are found, Annesley and Aubrey divvy up the candy and count the $$$$ with mom and dad!
MYAKKA ENVIRONMENTAL BURNS
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Prescribed burns happen often at Myakka River State Park. 
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This is one of the reasons Chuck and I volunteer! It allows the rangers to do what they were hired to do, keep Myakka River healthy! If there were no volunteers, rangers would be cleaning cabins, mowing lawns, cleaning picnic areas or spending time as camp hosts. Volunteering is essential to keeping our state  parks running smoothly!
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Most of the fire crew is male, but we have a good number of women out there working the fires as well!
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Not sure this is a job I would want to do in the summer heat. But these folks do a great job of keeping the under brush contained and providing less fuel for wild fires!
Just think, if we hadn’t decided to be volunteers, we would have missed all of this!


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Radar and DoogieBowser love to ride in the car with me, Doogie just doesn’t like sharing HIS seat!
I hope you get a chance to visit Myakka one day.  I am excited…  tomorrow we get to go on a 4 hour orientation tour of the park!  Woooo Hooooo!
Have a great week!  From the crew of The MotherShip,
Geri, Chuck, Radar and Doogie Bowser!

8 comments:

  1. Hi, Geri and Chuck!

    As always, I enjoyed the post. You did a great job. I don't think I would recognize Chuck with his trimmed hair and beard if we met on the street. Looks good! Nice to see you were able to share Easter with family. The canine crew looks happy.

    I'm very pleased that this workkamp turned out to be a delight for you. With only a two month commitment, I guess it will be time for you to move on soon. BTW, the flower photos are gorgeous!

    Thanks for a great post! Take care, be well and happy.

    Sue

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  2. what beautiful pictures,even Chuck, and Radar looks precious.Loved talking with you last night when you both do get up here be sure to call there is a new seafood place where Capt Snooks was food is good
    Gayle

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  3. I've never seen the bromeliads in bloom. Thanks!

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  4. After seeing the 'before' photo, I think you need to rent Chuck out as Santa during the holidays! And I'm not sure I would want to spend the summer in Florida, with the humidity and the bugs!

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  5. The bugs have not been bad at all......YET! The humidity takes some getting used to! We have had a lot of rain here since March, everything has gone from winter brown to full blown green and flowers blooming everywhere!

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  6. Great to read how content you are...and those air plants, wow! We have FL apps to work on and send in...thinking I'd enjoy a rustic park better than a RV resort we are headed for, but going to give it a shot! Happy Spring..excited to hear about the next park...

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  7. just fabulous. . .looks like Hawaii. . .love all of it!

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