Early Season Hours in Sales Office

While this coming weekend marks the start of extended hours in the office (we will be open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights), as well as the opening of the arcade and the Grill & Creamery, the Sales Office will have very limited hours in the month of April, and will not be open on the first two weekends. If anyone has any questions regarding site ownership, or the purchase of a site or RV, we do have information at the Main Office, including s price list and a list of "For Sale By Owner" situations. Chris S, who ran the Sales Office in 2008, and his wife Diane and their family have decided to take a position in Virginia Beach for the 2009 summer. They are now full-time RVers, and are getting a chance to travel with the boys and take advantage of some work-camper opportunities in various parts of the country, and we wish them the best in their new location.

The forecast for this weekend looks a little iffy on Friday (Bingo will be indoors), but is supposed to clear and warm up for Sat & Sun. We will remain optimistic for Pony Rides and The Jumping Pillow.

Spring Spruce Up Weekend April 3-5

As we enter into the Spring theme weekends, our goal on the Monday & Tuesday blogs will be to provide a little preview of the upcoming weekend, as well as a review of the prior weekend's events and activities, perhaps with some photos. For those joining us April 3-5, we will be featuring our first Bingo (Friday night at 8:30pm, upstairs Rec Center), with additional Bingo Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 11am. Pony rides will resume this weekend (hope to offer trail rides by April 11), and Saturday night will be our first dance. If you are a weekend camper who will be participating in our Annual Spring Spruce Up: Simply fill a few (4-5?) bags of leaves (if you need bags, please ask the office). To earn your full campsite fee as a future credit, we estimate 4 hours of work, which could be either 1 person working for 4 hours or a family of 4 working for an hour (if staying in one of our rental units, credit is equal to the campsite fee for the weekend). If your site is already “leaf-free”, please check with the office for a list of sites in need of raking. Place the bags of leaves out in front of your site, let the office know you participated, and upon verification, you will receive a credit for a future stay equal to your campsite fee for the weekend ($30). Please note that while we do have leaf bags available at the office, we are unable to provide everyone with rakes or other tools. If using a leaf blower, not before 10AM please. Also, while the water to the sites is back on, keep in mind that if overnight temps dip, your hose may freeze up. Also—if you didn’t use your RV after October, your clocks are probably still correct (with your fall back and spring ahead canceling each other out).

The Strawberry Park Blog Poll has been updated...who will be NCAA champs next Monday night? Would love to see UConn pull off a "daily double" with the ladies, but I don't think the men are quite as favored.

Water is on early to most sites for this weekend

While our goal is always the first weekend in April, Glenn & Jimmy have been working hard to activate the water systems a little sooner this year. Unfortunately, the overnight lows early this week were around 13 degrees, which meant they had to wait until Wednesday to even start the process. Things are looking good in the Cedars and in the Meadows, and while they expect to have all other areas live by this afternoon, please understand that it is very common to discover a few underground breaks from from the winter frost heaving that need fixing. If this occurs, certain segments of the campground will need to be turned off until a "big dig fix" can take place on Monday. Good progress is also being made in terms of leaf clean up, but please understand that covering the whole campground is a month-long project. In addition, many of our new seasonals have begun bringing their RVs onto their new sites, and those that have been unable to do so should be all set by April 1, as there are still a handful of sites in need of RV removal by April 1. As of today, we already have more seasonal site reservations than we had at the end of 2008, and folks are dropping by almost every day to inquire about long-term bookings. The activity schedule for the first weekend is currently posted on the website http://www.strawberrypark.net/current_activities.htm, and includes 3 Bingo sessions and our first Saturday night dance. That means that this coming weekend is my last weekend off until November, and we are making the most of it with Reed Chapin's Christening. The forecast looks like Mother Nature will provide all the needed baptismal waters on Sunday. Lastly, the current poll is closed, with "summer" being the clear winner. I must admit I expected spring to beat fall, but then again, my NCAA brackets are nothing to write home about either.

The Rivalry Continues...if the Rays falter

How unfun was last fall's baseball scenario, with neither the Yankees to cheer for or the Red Sox to cheer against (or vice versa, for you Boston fans) in the World Series. Looking forward to an exciting 2009, with fans of both teams living and dying with every game between the two teams. In addition, the Mets fans (and that camper always feels slighted when I announce Yankee and Red Sox scores at Bingo) can welcome their new stadium as well, with hopes of their own of overtaking the Phillies...which I am sure they can do once again for April through mid-September. Speaking of new stadiums, Jen presented me with a wonderful birthday present (I should clarify--one of many great presents, as she is a terrific present picker) of tickets to the Red Sox first visit to the new Yankee Stadium in early May (luckily a mid-week series, and probably pre-Rod). Need to figure out if we can bring Brock along to share my seat, as he will still be under 2 years old. In case you are wondering about other thoughful gifts, I received a cool "Wizard of Oz" sign from the "What on Earth" catalog (the same place Rich L gets most of his enlightening t-shirts) to hang above the bathroom "Nobody gets to see the wizard. Not nobody, not no how." Plus, a scrumdillicious homemade cheescake that is about to become brunch here on the day after. Looking ahead to opening day (April 6), that is a great day for sports, with afternoon baseball and evening NCAA hoops final. Perhaps the UConn men will be there, if they are not too distracted by Nategate.

The Horses are Coming Home

The horses will be returning this week from their winter sojourn, probably fat & happy and ready to get back to work. We expect to be offering pony rides on the first Saturday of April, and may be ready for the trails by April 11, weather permitting. Strawberry Park is pleased to announce that Cory will be taking over as our equestrian coordinator, as she has been part of our staff in summers past. Despite the fact that the horses have been away all winter, Brock still waves and barks when we drive by the corral area. I am sure he will be more excited than most about their return, and will look forward to pony rides this year. While we will begin the year at the temporary show ring located across from the main entrance, we still hope to make some progress with the new barn and show ring planned for down past the volleyball courts. Elaine will be happy to see her favorite horse (Smokey), while I hope to find one who walks as briskly as Diamond used to on pony rides.

April is only just a week away

Sorry Annie, for while tomorrow may be always a day away, April is almost here...which means Bingo can't be far behind. Still looking good for water back on for April 1, and Glenn may try to test the system this week to look for any winter leaks. As it has been surprisingly dry, there are "fire warnings" posted in our area, which are the result of the lack of rain, the strong winds and the very low humidity (I can tell because I keep shocking anything and everyone I touch). Leaf work has resumed, and with the right weather, hope to be done in a few weeks. I must compliment the DMV, as I went to get my driver's license renewed today and I was in and out with new license in hand in under 5 minutes. Amazing. There were marathon lines everywhere except the license renewal line. Glad I had just gotten a haircut for Reed's upcoming Christening ceremony this Sunday, although at this age, it is not like people are looking at your license every day (it has been months since I was carded at a bar or casino). As we have begun extensive planning for the swimming pool renovations needed to be compliant with the new federal Baker Act, it is reassuring to know that their are certain key parts needed to meet the requirements that have been in place since December...and these parts are ALMOST ready to be manufactured. Makes for an interesting conundrum.

The Wonder of Craig's List

As I have noted before, I am typically a little behind when it comes to the wonders of the internet. Never really got into the whole e-bay thing, and was about a year late on discovering the actual usefullness of Facebook. Had previously mentioned the benefits of Google Analytics, and was pleasently surprised at how simple it was to set up this blog. And now...Craig's List. Gotta love the simplicity of the whole design. No frills, bells or whistles. Some people (like Bob here in the office) look there first when it comes to finding things you might need. We recently started posting a few of our Park Models on the "for sale" pages, and discovered that it is not easy to list something in a couple of different markets. Came across some other unit owners and campers who have posted their RV for sale...and many of those people have included a link to the Strawberry Park website, as well as photos. We just recently listed some job openings on Craig's List (free out here in the rural regions), and have gotten a fairly strong response. While it saddens me to see the demise of some newspapers (such as in Denver and Seattle), I must admit that getting numerous applicants from a free on-line ad sure beats getting a limited reply from an expensive newspaper ad. We have also included a listing of job openings on our website, as well as an application available to be printed, and it seems like we are hearing back from returning employees much faster than in years past. Don't get me wrong, as I am sure there are some negatives to Craig's List. Will we start getting more SPAM email? Not sure if that is even possible. Will we miss out on some people who are not as techno-savvy? Perhaps. As long as we don't somehow become linked to those escort services that apparently also advertise their "services" on Craig's List (at least according to CT Attorney General Blumenthal in one of his nightly news appearances), I look forward to utilizing this simple system more in the future.

Strawberry Park welcomes Vernal Equinox

Spring officially arrived this morning, and what is therefore always a great day is made even better by the fact that the weather is decent...as well as today being Day 2 of March Madness. Sorry that there was no blog yesterday, as I was in Springfield, MA at the Northeast Campground Conference. Usually just an attendee, but this year I was asked to do a presentation on campground activity programs. I was worried about filling the 2 hour block...but before you knew it, I had been babbling on for over 90 minutes. I do hope it was beneficial for those who attended. Luckily, I was able to listen to the UConn nail-biter on the drive home. While there were no major upsets, and only a few dramatic finishes on the first day of the tourney, a few teams were given a scare by the underdogs. Hoping for at least a few big surprises today. Also, updating the blog survey today...what is your favorite season? Something tells me that campers won't be voting for winter. Speaking of which...getting a lot of calls and emails about the water. Our goal is always April 1, and it looks good for this year. Glenn and the crew usually try to activate on a Monday, allowing a couple of days to discover winter breaks, which are fairly common...with all systems good to go by Friday, April 3. We will let you know if things change in either direction.

PBA Tour Visits Norwich with "Go RVing" Classic

For the 2nd straight year, the Norwich Ten Pin Bowling Alley will be hosting a PBA Tour Event. It starts today and continues through Sunday, with ESPN TV coverage of the finals. While I must admit that I know very little about pro bowling, I do enjoy the ESPN commercials with Norm Duke and the "retro look". I guess I will cheer for Walter Ray Williams Jr, since he is also a world champion horseshoe pitcher (although it is tough to root against anyone named "Rhino", the defending champ of this event). While it is great that a major event is taking place just down the road, it would be nicer if the "Go RVing" classic could take place at a time when folks would actually go RVing in the area, as it is still a little early in the season for most campers. For more info, see the PBA site http://www.pba.com/news/feature.asp?ID=1200. In other local news, Brock had his first successful visit to the potty. Probably just a fluke, but there is now optimism. Reed, however, is more than making up for it, with frequent diaper changes and some quality spitting up.

Flowers, gardens & waterfalls

We were very pleased with the new and improved garden at the "Flower Rock" located near the flag pole. A great deal of work was done by Kathy Burch, including the design and plantings of so many beautiful flowers. The history of that garden can be traced back to the early days of Strawberry Park, when it was known as "Edna's Flower Rock", and appeared on postcards for many years. Following that, the garden was maintained by Syl & Cindy Serra, who camped on that site for quite a long time, as both Syl and their children (Trace & Amanda) worked at the campground. Most recently, the garden was under the care of Jean Trottier while she was camping across the street on site 24. Once she & her husband Bob moved back to Mass, the garden was taken over by Kathy. This year, we are looking forward to the front gate entrance area being renovated, with a flower garden and water features, possibly even including some koi fish inhabiting the garden pond. While I am sure Kathy will be assisting, this project will be coordinated by her husband Gene. If you have not seen the garden features on sites 329C and 236, take a look the next time you are in the neighborhood. We look forward to a very attractive landscape adjacent to the front gate, and will keep you posted on the progress.

Rock Stars and Pro Athletes...do they make you feel old or young?

At some point, you realize that there are not too many pro athletes who are older than you are. It usually happens sooner in the NBA, and then the NFL (unless you count kickers and punters, some of whom hung around well into their grandfatherly years)...and eventually, even baseball. Such is the case these days, where I think there are only a handful of MLB players who are not younger than I am (let's hear it for Jamie Moyer, who is 46). I guess I could always become a bigger PGA fan, since Kenny Perry is playing the best golf of his life as he approahes 50...but I was limiting this discussion to real athletes. Forget about the depressing sports where you reach your peak before you finish grade school (like gymnastics), or where you are on a downward slide by 27 (say it ain't so, Roger Federer). All of this can make you feel a little bit older. And then...you think about the aging rock and rollers. The ones who are still alive can "compete" well beyond an athlete's prime years. Billy & Elton are getting together again this summer...and each can put on a high-intensity show for a couple hours straight. Maybe they couldn't if they were subject to the same drug testing as pro athletes, but let's remain optimistic. I think of all this because we went to see Fleetwood Mac on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun. By the way, it really is a nice place to see a concert. Small enough that all seats are pretty good. I guess age all depends on how you look at things. Personally, I thought Stevie Nicks looked pretty good for 60, while Jen thought she had aged considerablly since the last time she saw them in concert. Mick Fleetwood and John Mcvie must be pushing social security age, and no one in the place was having more fun than Mick on the drums. I must admit that while I was never a huge fan (always preferred more of a mellow, acoustic solo artist, like JT or Jim Croce or Harry Chapin), I was incredibly impressed by the guitar work of Lindsey Buckingham. For a guy almost 60 as well, he was as skilled as anyone I have seen on guitar...and probably never received the credit he was due. All of which made me feel that any impending birthday should be seen not as another year that I can't be a pro athlete, but rather, as a reminder that I have plenty of good years left to take the "Button Factory" and other classic songs on the road for a world tour. Just at much smaller venues.

Strawberry Park is pleased to introduce the new managers of the Grill & Creamery

If you've ever been down to Mystic, and perhaps to the Seaport, you have probably passed a tiny restaurant without perhaps even knowing you missed it. Such is Kitchen Little. While locals have known about its existence for years, it has become an increasingly popular destination for the tourists as well. This tends to happen when your business gets reviewed by The New York Times http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/connecticut/mystic-and-the-southeastern-coast/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654641558 or mentioned by Rachel Ray, as is the case with Kitchen Little. Depsite the fact that it is perhaps the smallest restaurant in eastern CT, diners & critics have raved about the food. Strawberry Park is extremely pleased to welcome Flo and Joyce as the new managers of our Grill & Creamery. While they will, of course, continue to operate Kitchen Little, they have agreed to also run the Strawberry Park food venue. While some of the familiar faces from the Grill will be returning, you will notice many new folks as well. You will also notice some menu changes, with an emphasis on freshly made breakfast entrees and seafood dishes made from catches straight from the Stonington docks. Although the menu may be a little limited in early April (as it always is at the start of the season), we expect to be in full swing by May. Be sure to stop by and introduce yourself, as they are eager to meet our campers. In fact, if you are out this way before the start of the camping season, why not take a trip to Mystic...see the belugas at the Aquarium or the ships at the Seaport, and stop by Kitchen Little. It is on the right, just before the Seaport (just don't blink, or you will miss it). While your in the neighborhood, stop by a wonderful shop just over the drawbridge known as "Whyevernot". Be sure to ask for Pam, as she worked at Strawberry Park a few years ago.

A few new activities being considered for 2009

As we approach the 2009 camping season, a few new ideas are being considered for the summer. The first is some form of a "Wii" tournament, similar to our washer toss and horseshoe events (where each entrant brings a can of soda and the winners take all). The most promising video game contests would be bowling and golf, and we just need to figure out how long it might take to run a "Wii" bowling tourney if 24 people showed up to play. We are hoping to utilize the big-screen projector, and have heard that these types of events are popular with some members of the retiree crowd (like many of our snowbirds). Another idea that has regained interest and popularity is a "Trivia Night" with teams competing for prizes. Still trying to see where it would best fit into the schedule, and how to make it a full family "all ages" activity, but it does have potential. With the popularity of our Sunday evening "poolside concerts", and with the great turn-out for the Labor Day Weekend afternoon pool set with The Outriggers, we are checking with some of our bands about playing some Saturday mid-day gigs at the pool. The probable time would be 11am until almost 2pm, as it would be prior to Bingo. Lastly, at our Staff Holiday Party, many people had great fun with "Cup Stacking", and it looks like we may incorporate that into the weekly summer schedule, either as a regular event of as a "rainy day activity". Our long-time pool supervisor Glenn C has organized many tournaments, as is a nimble stacker himself. We look forward to your input on these potential additions to the activity schedule.

Folk Performers Added to Bluegrass Festival...including Tracy Grammer

The 32nd Annual Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival on May 28-31 will be adding a folk music and dance component. In 2006 and 2007, we hosted a fall folk festival, which did not grow in the same manner as the Bluegrass and C/Z events. While the event was not renewed, we have invited many of our favorite folk performers to join us for our BG Fest. Saturday (May 30) will feature folk music and dancing in the upper level of the Rec Center. The exact times are still being finalized, but here is what it will probably look like...

11:45AM Dance Instruction

12:30PM Girl Howdy

2:00PM The Kennedys

3:15PM Clogging Dance Demo

4:30PM Red Molly

6:15PM Tracy Grammer

8:00PM Dance Instruction--2 step/swing

9:00PM Girl Howdy

Of course, this is in addition to the Bluegrass Main Stage performances. As we have already highlighted "Red Molly", today's featured artist will be Tracy Grammer http://www.tracygrammer.com/ She has appeared at our Folk Festival in the past, and we are pleased to have her return to Strawberry Park. Best known for her "Flower of Avalon" album, Tracy often tours with Jim Henry, and will be appearing from Florida to Oregon over the next few months.

Still a few Seasonal Sites & Spring Specials Available

Strawberry Park still has a few long term campsites on hold for the upcoming season. We offer a spring special from April 3 to May 10 (Mother's Day Weekend), which includes 6 weekends and the April school vacation week. There will be activities on the weekends, with Bingo and wagon rides and horseshoes and dances and more. Please note that as April vacation weeks do vary from school district, there are no events or activities mid-week in April, but many families join us for their April vacation, visiting local attractions such as the Mystic Seaport, the Aquarium and more (no mid-week activities/facilities, such as the Jumping Pillow, arcade and Strawberry Grill & Creamery until late June, when schools get out). The fee for the spring special is $454 with w/e/c or $534 with w/e/c/s. We also have about 20 sites still on hold for seasonal bookings. At this time, we already have more seasonals than we had in 2008, and we usually have numerous seasonal sites get booked in March and April. For a list of seasonal sites still open, see http://www.strawberrypark.net/seasonal_availability.htm, while information on our seasonal program can be found at http://www.strawberrypark.net/long_term_camping.htm#seasonal. By mid-April, we will need to "open" those remaining seasonal sites that are on hold to accommodate campers on waiting lists for Memorial Day, Bluegrass Fest and other weekends that tend to fill up fairly early. Remember, if you are looking to purchase an RV, there are a few units for sale here at Strawberry Park. Scroll down to the blog entry from Feb 26 to see a list of RVs, Park Models and sites available for purchase.

Bluegrass Festival Workshops...2009 so far

Our annual Bluegrass Festival (May 28-31) features not only great stage performances, but also the chance to work with some great artists in a workshop format. Kim Cyr of the CT Bluegrass Association coordinates the workshops, while our Kids Academy is directed by Vicki Baker. Although the full workshop schedule is not quite finalized (and will be posted on the BG page as soon as it is finished), we do have some early info to pass along. In addition, the dance lesson schedule for the Cajun/Zydeco Festival is also coming together.

BG Workshops (so far..hoping to add Danny Paisley on Thursday afternoon)

Please note that we are adding a new tent for workshops that will be located at the ballfield, close to all the pickers

Friday 12pm Bass with Mickey Harris

Friday 3pm Songwriting with the Gibson Brothers

Friday 4pm Guitar with Kenny Smith

Friday 5pm Banjo with Aaron McDaris

(still finalizing times for mandolin & fiddle with members of the Greencards)

Saturday 11am Guitar with Josh Williams

Saturday 12pm Fiddle with Michael Cleveland

Saturday 1pm Beginner mandolin with Ron Thomason

Saturday 2pm Vocals with Red Molly

Saturday 3pm Banjo with Sammy Shelor

Saturday 4pm Bass with Marshall Wilborn

(still finalizing the Kruger Bros workshop)

Many of these musicians have earned accolades for their work, including 2008 IBMA awards for fiddle (Michael Cleveland) and guitar (Josh Williams).

Welcome Daylight Savings Time!!

One of my favorite days of the year has changed recently. In fact, the first weekend in April used to be one of my personal favorites, as it had 4 things going for it. First, it marked the unofficial start of camping season. Second, it was NCAA Final Four Weekend. Third, it was the start of the baseball season. And last, it marked the start of Daylight Savings Time. These days, the start of DST occurs even earlier. This Saturday night is time to turn those clocks ahead 1 hour. Sure, we lose an hour of sleep...but with two infants, that really is a moot point. More importantly, it is light out later each day. Almost as important is the theory that maybe the dogs will sleep a little later each morning. At least this year, DST arrives with some spring-like temps. This weekend is also the last of my crazy wrestling tournament marathons, with the New England Championships being hosted by CT at the New Haven Athletic Center. While unlike last year when two of my former wrestlers reached the NE finals, I have no real allegiances this year. Perhaps we will find some future mud wrestlers for our July 4th and Labor Day exhibitions at Strawberry Park.

Strawberry Park Snowbirds Stay Informed via Blog

Have heard from quite a few of our fair weather friends down south. Y'all gonna be jealous of us folks up here in CT when we hit 60 degrees this weekend and the snow melts. Can almost see the grass growing, and Bud is already having dreams of new lawn mowers. I must admit that we are now upon what is my favorite time of year to be where many of you spend the winter...the Grapefruit League and Cactus League Spring Training Season. Jen, Brock and I had a great time last year catching some games down in FLA, enjoying the weather and visiting some of our Strawberry Park South campers. In fact, we still have the Yankee game on the DVR where Brock makes his first TV appearance. Although we will not be heading south this spring, we look forward to making that journey again in the future. Not to neglect our Arizona friends, hope that all is well in Bullhead City...and as much as I loved spring training in Florida, would enjoy getting back to some games out in Glendale & Phoenix once again as well. Now that the Bingo Poll is winding down, we will dedicate our next survey question to our snowbirds...when do you plan on coming back up North to Strawberry Park? We know some who can barely wait until April 1st, while others roll in during mid-May...and some hold out longer, and even then, still wear their little mittens at horseshoes until almost July 4th. Speaking of horseshoes, some of our campers who participate in a summer league at the Norwich American Legion may be out of luck, as there are reports of the Legion Post closing, which would probably impact the horseshoe league. Whatever the case may be, if any of you have any news you would like to share, let me know and I will post it on the blog.

Almost Afraid to Advertise for "Help Wanted"

While Strawberry Park has always had good response to any "help wanted" ads that we have run, this year could be a little overwhelming. When you hear about the thousands of folks who were applying for summer jobs at Six Flags, or the turn-out for a job fair at the new indoor waterpark in Waterbury, you start to wonder about not just the quantity of potential applicants, but in some cases, the over-qualification of many who will apply. I can easily see this season providing some experienced adults for positions that may have been primarily held by teens, such as arcade attendants and Grill & Creamery staff. Advertising this early has had some advantages in the past, as students (high school and college) who have the foresight to secure a summer job well before school gets out are probably the kind of kids we would want. However, with adults currently seeking jobs, many are looking for full-time work...which is not available at seasonal businesses. Therefore, while some may "commit" to a summer job with limited spring hours, in the meantime, they will probably keep looking for a full-time job. For many positions, we have had success hiring people looking for a second job with limited hours. Sometimes there are school staff, such as bus drivers, teacher's aides and food service workers who are looking for summer work. We have already had numerous inquiries from Long-Term campers regarding summer help. Some departments present possibilities, such as our Friday and Sunday RV rental turn-overs, while other areas tend to be problematic for campers (such as security...it can sour quickly when you have to tell your friends or neighbors to quiet down). In addition, there are greater risks when hiring campers (or campers' kids), for if it does not work out, hard feelings can linger, and no one wants that uncomfortable feeling. For the first time this year, we are going to try our hand at "Craig's List" for advertising some positions. Very soon, we will be posting openings for a variety of jobs, including...

Maintenance
Lawn Care
Pool Supervisors
Arcade Attendants
Security Staff
Gate Staff
Reservation Desk
Equestrian Trail Guide Assistants
Grill & Creamery

and many more. We are also in the process of sending letters to the staff members from 2008 that we are inviting to return for 2009 (don't worry if you have not received a letter...they have yet to be mailed). However, not everyone is invited back. We tend to be quite tough when it comes to expectations. For instance, if we had to talk to you more than once about putting your phone away and texting while working, you probably won't be invited back. Or if you told us on August 10 that August 12 would have to be your last day because you need 2 weeks to "get ready" for school.

On a different topic, still can't believe that "Fill Your Card" is winning the Bingo Poll (and where's the love for "Stand Up Sit Down"?). I have been told by some voters that they would have liked to see "Single-Double-Triple", which could account for the "Coverall" votes, as well as a sentimental vote for the "Diamond". And finally, this weekend is the start of Daylight Savings Time, so turn those clocks ahead 1 hour Saturday night.

Fourth of July Weekend reservations start April 2

Just a reminder that we will begin taking reservations for the 4th of July holiday weekend (July 2-5) starting on April 2, as that is 3 months prior to arrival date for a 3 night stay. If you will be staying 4 nights or more through the holiday, you may reserve now. Remember, with the exception of our Park Model rentals which run Friday to Friday, there will be no site reservation arrivals/departures on Fri July 3 or Sat July 4, as we do not break up the holiday weekend. If you are looking to make your summer vacation reservation for that holiday week, don't wait too long, for sites will fill quickly once we begin reserving the weekend. Since about 80% of the sites get reserved for weekly vacation stays, there will be a very limited number of sites available on April 2 for the holiday weekend, and they will be somewhat scattered. Therefore, the maiximum number of sites that may be reserved will be 2, and we will do our best to keep you together. Also, please remember that our rates are based on a family up to 5, and we don't allow more than 8 people per site, with extra person fees applying beyond a family of 2 adults and 3 children. And looking ahead to the fall...while we are currently reserving fall weekends (after Labor Day, starting with our Country Western Jamboree) and summer vacation weeks, we will start taking Labor Day Weekend reservations on June 4 (again, 3 months prior to arrival date for a 3 night stay).

So much for leaf clean up starting this week...

The early plan was to start leaf removal the first week in March, and things had been looking mildly optimistic. Not anymore. Looks like about 8" of fresh snow, with numerous windblown drifts being much higher. The worst part is that unlike typical March snows, they are calling for a few chilly days ahead, inhibiting meltage. If we can start leaves by March 23, should be done by mid-April, just in time for the mowing to begin. The camping shows are now done for the season, with Providence finishing things off this past weekend. That means our first Bingo is just over a month away. The snow should be gone by then.