Looking back at our posts for the first part of 2012

ORPI  Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  The most beautiful desert environment.  Great volunteer services.  The location is remote, the visitor center is only 5 miles from the Mexican border.  It is basically 100+ miles from anywhere so to visit other attractions in Arizona requires some driving.  The working conditions are great.  32 hours per week per couple, so it is easy to perform.  There are several tasks as volunteer, the van tours ( either as the driver or the guide), patio talks to give, evening programs given at the campground, driving to Quitobaquito several times.  All good stuff.  Some of the volunteers we have met there have left special memories in our hearts.  We are going back there in January - April.

  Tallac Historic Site    WOW !  How do I put it in words?  A wonderful place to spend some time.  Great volunteers, I mean great!   It fealt like we were leaving family when we left on Monday morning.  we were the first to leave.  Everyone in the campground stopped by to say " This is not good bye, but only 'see ya later' "   Of the eight spots in the campground , everyone plans to return next year.  The work!  We worked our butts off during the first session.  It is the time to get teh site ready for visitors;  take down and store all the window shutters, rake pine needles, repair winter damage on the buildings, rake pine needles, get the displays arranged, rake, paint what is needing it, rake, etc. The second session arrives and the grounds are in pretty good shape.  It time to increase the number of programs and tours and the fun of interpretation begins.  R gave tours of the Pope House, dressed as the maid.  I gave tours dressed in straw hat and 20ish garb also.  Then came the Servants tours, dressed as the butler.  The finale was the events called "Vintage Vatican" where both the maid and the butler plus others serve Mrs Pope and her guests on the front porch of the Pope house.  The whole ten weeks was a good time.  Our "going away bbq was like a family get-together.  I will miss them. 

Back in Eugene

Sorry for being absent.  Things got very busy at the end of our stay at Tallac.  But we are home now.  At least for two weeks.  It will be a busy time here too.  I could spend the whole time on the yard, but I won't.  R and I worked on it today, cutting back the wisteria on the arbor, cutting back the grape vines on the gazebo, trimming back the ivy and bushes along the back fence, trimming the branches on the Maples out front.  Do you detect a theme here?  I will take a load of brush to the recycler when I'm done cutting.  It's why I would rather stay out there.
   One of the sprinkler heads needed to be repaired.  The bedroom slide motor is acting "funny" so I will need to take the trailer in next Monday.  Put that with an appointment with our financial advisor and with R do to qualify for social security in November, it is time to see an agent to get her signed up for supplemental insurance.  So you see, the time will go very fast.

The Fourth

Yesterday was a busy one.  After our Wednesday meeting, we all scattered in a hundred directions with our tasks in mind.  I spent most of the day at the Pope house.  Bob and I did a cursory cleaning of the inside and swept the front porch. Midmorning I changed into my tour-guide outfit and then we went outside and started talking to visitors.  We get a lot to our tour folks from the direct contact with visitors strolling by the house.
   Two afternoon tours were scheduled for the holiday.  Both were full.  I lead them and Bob was my sweeper.  The sweeper has many jobs.  He helps to keep the group together, answers anyh questions that the leader forgets,  locks the door behind the group, keeps an eye on things.  Not all tours have a sweeper but it is good when you do.  R is doing two tours this afternoon.   I will try to assist her in her tours if I have the opportunity.

The appliance Hunt

It did not go well.  After calling the place and finding out taht they had an electric range that would have been great for our needs in the volunteer house, I went into WM and helped R finish getting a few things.  We then drove out to Mountain House which is 5 miles east of Carson City on Hwy 50 to the FISH store ( It's like Goodwill). 
   "Oh, we sold that a few minutes ago."

Grrrrrrrrr  

Monday July 2, 2012

I'm sitting in the parking lot at Walmart in Carson City.  I have a good cell signal so I can use the hot spot created by my cell phone.  I know that I can go to McDonalds, but I am paying for this from verizon so I will use it.  The cell signal at our RV site is ok for voice but not strong enough for WiFi.

  We are here in town to get a few things, hit Costco. (yipee!) and look for a used range for the volunteer building at our campground.  The existing one works but some rodents, probably mice , used it as a hotel over the winter and when R tried to bake cookies in the oven, the kitchen was filled with an extremely unpleasant odor.  we pulled the stove (range) out from the cabinets and thoroughly cleaned in and under it, but we noticed that its insulation had been used as a bed, so the smell will be there forever.  guess what?  We decided not to use it again.  That is why we are appliance hunting today.  Finding a used range is not as easy as you would imagine.  I will let you know how the hunt went.

  Sunny and 82  at Noon in Carson City. 

Tallac Sessions Two

Second Session

It is amazing how time flies.  Already the first session is behind us and it is the beginning of the second week of the second session.  The main differences?  Less manual work and more interpretation. 

   The first session was getting the site open; taking off all the shutters, repairing any building that has had a hard winter, cleaning all the buildings, pulling out the materials that are part of the display for each building.  Also, the grounds are in need of prepping too.  Raking the millions of pine needles, weeding the flower beds, mowing and watering the lawns.  It was rewarding but lots of work.

    Memorial Day came and we went into the transition mode.  On week-ends  tours of the Pope house began and the museum was open. 

   July 16 was the magic day and the Tallac site went on full schedule.   It seems it is the magic day in this area because other places also went on full schedule on this day.  Full schedule means more tours.  More tours mean more fun.  More fun for our visitors and more fun for us volunteers.  R conducted her first two tours of the Pope house on Thursday and I gave mine on Friday.  We are encouraged to conduct the tours in costume if we wish.  One of the bedrooms of the Pope house is used as the costume room and it is filled with costumes for both men and women. 

    While Fort Vancouver has costumes for eras from 1820’s thru WWII, Tallac is aimed at a specific timeframe of the 1920’s.  As I mentioned before flappers dresses do not look good on every body.  So R has found a maids costume that works and conducts her tours as one of the Pope staff.  I have discovered two costumes.  One of them includes a beige sport coat, shirt and tie and a straw hat.  Adding my own black slacks and shoes and it was complete.  The straw hat makes it.