Date:                           October 11, 2008

Location:                    Horn Lake, MS

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Oct 11, 2008

As the day illuminates Connie and I are about to embark on a new adventure at the Audubon Point RV Park in Horn Lake, MS.  This is not our first time as new workampers, but we “Yankees” are in a new environment in the Deep South.  We have been further south, geographically, but I feel we are to enjoy a new realm of southern philosophy and living as we venture forth.

We are, already, enjoying the warmth and acceptance that has been afforded us as we step into the life of a southern charm.  Many questions will be asked and answered as we investigate the pleasures and adventures of working in Mississippi for the winter.

I am sure it will be, at least, interesting.

            And so begins my new BLOG as posted on the Workamping Web Site.  It is a lot smaller and much truncated, but I am sure that my loyal reader, or readers would expect that this cerebral meandering would still fill a page or two of typing frivolity and not be limited to just a few short sentences of BS.  I will attempt to not disappoint you.

            Connie and I have, indeed, arrived in Mississippi and are about to begin our winter’s adventure as workampers at this RV Park.  We have left New York to allow it to enter into the doldrums of winter and ventured to the edges of the Deep South to find new adventure.  The finding, I am sure, will be easy.  The enjoying may need some encouraging.  As I stated in my opening WK BLOG, “Many questions will be asked and answered as we investigate the pleasures and adventures of working in Mississippi for the winter.”  Come along with me for the ride and the adventure.

            Our summer was, as most of you are well aware, spent at The Grand Island KOA.  It was a Tale of Two Cities many times. It was “The best of Time . . . . .  “  It was, most meaningfully, near our family and that managed to balance any other emotions, or frustrations, that we ventured through.  As time marches on we will, hopefully, accentuate the remembrances of the good things that spending the summer on Grand Island allowed us to enjoy.  One of which was having a pop-up camper parked behind us for the summer.  That was a very well appreciated gift from our campground manager.

            Many of the frustrations we dealt with this summer were economy induced, and as you read or listen to the morning news I am sure you do not need me to “rehash the hash” as my wife says.  The economic stress felt by all families was well evident at our campground.  There were some busy days, but over the season the campground business was down over 50%.  Remember that Election Day is  a scant 3 weeks away and changes do need to be made.

            Many of our frustrations were centered around this home we call Aurora.  To quickly summarize:  We had a bad fuel pump, turbo thruster valve, and we had to have her towed off our lot at the KOA, where they broke our entrance steps.  We had a new alternator installed in Nashville, and we are now licking our wounds, both emotionally and financially.  Living in an RV is not cheap, especially when she has a penchant for the repair shop. 

            Aurora is now located in a very new and spacious campground just outside of Memphis, TN.  Yes, our address is Mississippi, but we are less than 5 miles form the border of Tennessee and less than 10 miles from downtown Memphis.  The area that we are in is very new and upscale.  It is a prime example of the growth and expansion of the past few years as the Yuppies of center city have moved to the suburbs along with their chain restaurants, boutique shops and large malls. We are just on the outer edge of the Memphis expansion south.  The campground is very new and little expense was spared in the initial development.  It will be interesting to watch as the slumping economy and financial stress of 8 years of Bush’s economy are played out on the retirement investments of the owners of this park.

            For now the sun is shinning, the temperature is warm and new adventures begin tomorrow as we actually start our work assignments.  Connie is going to be working in registration and I am going to be involved in outside maintenance.  It will be a very interesting challenge to see if our “Yankee” personalities can fit into the southern mold of a workampers.  I am sure this story is nowhere near over and that many new chapters are just over the horizon.  Wish us well and, maybe even say a little prayer.

Have a nice day, Y’all.