September

September has brought us many new things to experience and we have enjoyed them while learning more about our jobs here in Desert Hot Springs.


We joined the company of some of the many annual residents for their monthly Pancake Breakfast.  These ladies sure know how to cook up a morning meal that will satisfy even the hungriest appetite.  All you can eat pancakes, sausage, orange juice, fresh fruit and great coffee!  It was nice to spend a morning among the camaraderie of the wonderful people who live here and call this home.  It was very welcoming and enjoyable.

The cooks!

Filled up on good food!

We enjoyed a Labor Day barbecue and were treated to a rare rain shower.  The surprising thing was that no one "ran for cover" when it started raining.  Yes, some had their umbrellas ready and opened them over their heads but, for the most part, they just enjoyed the rain!  As a congenial group, we all sat there enjoying our burgers and made comments on how refreshing and good the warm light shower felt.  The rain gives the desert a very unique smell.  It's an earthy smell but instead of having the smell of the rich black dirt of the mid-west it's more of a wet dusty smell that becomes potent as the ground and brush soak up what little moisture it can.  We were blessed with a spectacular double rainbow over the mountains   When it started to appear, it became the focus of everyone's attention.  How rare to have rain in the desert and even more rare being blessed with this beautiful sight that always leaves me in awe.

A beautiful sight

A few days later, we woke up to the sound of thunder.  I went outside and watched as the soft rain fell and grew heavier and heavier until it forced me back into the shelter of home.  It's funny how one can take rain for granted growing up in the mid-west, here it is a treat and something that is greatly appreciated.  Dick, one of the residents mentioned that the rain was the most he had seen at one time in years!  I continue to tease Paul that it seems where ever we settled down, we seem to bring the area unusual weather patterns.  When we lived in Florida everyone said it was very unusual to have low humidity in the summer for the two years we were there.  When we lived in South Carolina they had a snowstorm that brought enough snow to build snowmen and have children sledding with their boogie boards on the grass!   That hadn't happened for over 12 years. While staying up in the California Delta area for 6 months, we were told they had an unusually rainy and cold winter with several days of frost.  Maybe it's Nature trying to tell us something, though I'm not sure what it can be. To get away from the heat of the desert in the Summer, there's always the close-by mountains and forests. We'll be going up there more often during the Fall to do exploring and hiking. We'll also go up there in the Winter to get some real snow fun.

Our daily view on the way to work

As for our work .... we are doing well, learning all the new things it takes to help run a Park Model/RV park.  Some residents are here year round but the majority are only here during the cold brutal months of the North.  They come from all over, Oregon, Canada, Washington and I've been told as far away as Europe!  Paul is learning much more then he anticipated.   Dealing with electricity and water issues, inspecting and approving new construction, authorizing resales, ensuring properties are maintained to a satisfactory condition, and also dealing with the day to day complaints and inquiries from residents. Paul seems to be always in a constant letter-writing mode when he's not out and about at both resorts in his golf cart, or having one on one meetings with residents. He's become a  member of the emergency response team, and participates in their weekly radio checks and training.  As with any job at his level,  he also attends Manager Meetings and gives me the lowdown on all the latest plans that he can share when he gets back.

I have been doing the front desk, which entails dealing with the residents' complaints,
maintenance issues, package pick-ups, answering the never-ending ringing telephone and making reservations for the traveling rver's.  It's always a challenge but also fun learning new computer programs and a new telephone system.   Just recently I have taken on the job of updating the monthly resident billing, which in itself takes quite a bit of time, detective work when there is a billing error, learning how to navigate new computer programs and patience with myself as I want to ensure doing a better then "good" job.  It is a big responsibility and I feel honored that the Resort Management trust my skills and knowledge to get the job done.

Over the summer we have been working at both Sky Valley Resort, which is an all age
family resort that has approximately 1200 sites and Caliente Springs which is the 55 plus
resort and has approximately 600 sites.  The resorts are approximately 5 miles in distance from each other.  Come winter Paul's focus will be on the Caliente Springs and I will continue to float between the two resorts.    It is starting to get busy, with the returning snow-birds, but working again sure feels good.

View from Barbara and Norb's patio

We are trying to make plans for the holidays,  maybe spend Thanksgiving with family up in the San Francisco Bay area and Christmas here, as Paul has elderly family friends in the area, Barbara and Norb.   They live on a beautiful golf course in Palm Springs, California.  We have been trying to go to their place once a week to help them out with doing odds and ends things.  Paul has been cleaning up her computer as it hasn't been updated for some time.  Me? I try to help out with anything and everything!  Barbara is in her late 70's (never ask a woman her age *smile) and Norb is 91.   After a bad fall, Norb has limited vision and uses a wheelchair to get around.  I guess God really had a reason for us being here and knew what He was doing before we even got the job offer.

That's an update of where our lives are at the moment.


Thanks for sharing in our journey,
Jo




"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia