Leaving Branson

Well. . .our workkamping at Compton Ridge Campground in Branson MO has finally come to an end! And we’ve learned some valuable lessons & adjusted our future plans from these experiences.

First & most importantly, we won’t EVER stay at the same campsite again for eight months at a time. It’s just too easy to start accumulating “stuff” again — plus getting too spread out. It takes longer to gather up all the stuff, cart off the trash, & swap items in the storage unit than it does to just break camp, hook up & pull out.

Secondly, it doesn’t make sense to work at the type of campground that we wouldn’t choose to camp at in the first place. That probably means never accepting a job before visiting the campground first. Since we don’t use/need a swimming pool or playground, could even do without a campground laundry since I had to take the truck to get to the laundry at the campground anyway, a shower house, or lots of children’s activities, this isn't our type of place to hang out. And since camping at Corps of Engineer campgrounds are half price for us, we prefer those more remote, peaceful settings much more than the large, active, & busy ‘resort’ type campgrounds.

Jeff assures me he will NEVER, EVER ask (or allow) me to work in a café or restaurant environment again! I can’t remember ever hating a job so much. After constantly being on the go for 2½ hours during those super busy meals, my feet & legs hurt so badly, & then washing the pots/pans & other required cleaning was totally disgusting. Somehow I can clean up cat puke or dog poop without getting the kind of gag reflex caused from handling greasy pans. I also hated the heat, the smells, & the extra hours & meals for special groups & activities.

However, I enjoyed running the cash register & keeping track of the money (since I’m a bean counting computer junky). Of course I enjoyed but am still very surprised at receiving tips. But the best part of the summer was meeting & talking with all kinds of people – from many locations around the US. We made some new friends & have a few new places to driveway dock during our travels. We TOTALLY enjoyed being in the Ozark Mountains & actually call the area home now (more than anywhere else).

My favorite time of the year has always been Fall, and in spite of this summer’s heat & draught, the Fall foliage in SW Missouri was spectacular this year. Click on the photo above to view my album of colorful leaves.

Before leaving Branson, Jeff got a grill guard put on the front of the pickup, but ran out of time & energy to get the new double step put on the Casita before leaving. We also only have one of the three cellular shades installed that we got for our windows. We have a few other enhancements (mods) to get completed too as time & energy allows.

We spent the weekend helping my parents move out of their 1-bedroom senior-citizen apartment into the 2-bedroom unit right next door. Now Mom gets a tub instead of only a shower & daddy can look out or open windows in three different directions. I think they’ll enjoy this apartment a lot. We stayed at Arrowhead Point RV Park & Campground, about 15 minutes away from my parents, & actually got to see some sunrises AND sunsets since we’re not snuggled in the woods anymore. OH. . .and we also got satellite service again. Love my DVR! It’s a great little campground too!

We’re heading off to Virginia now to visit Jeff’s mother & see his father’s burial site. Now that we’re on the road again, I should have interesting reasons to post more frequently to this blog, including more photos & lessons in living small. We’ve survived (& indeed thrived) living in our egg for over 17 months now. The cats handle the traveling & new campsites just fine, & Kira is always excited about new places. Hopefully I will even have the time & energy to work on training her better, read a book, & find more photo ops.