Another Update

View from Thunderbird Lodge looking east up Rainy Lake

Still here at Voyageurs.  Still working as volunteers.  Nothing new to report.  No new teeth cleaned, pulled, or fixed this week.  Tour boat is busy.  I think they're filling the fuel storage tank in the maintenance yard about every third day to keep up with the fuel burn.  Some of the summer staff has left, so the rest of the staff's a little busier.  We say goodbye to Randy & Shirley this coming Sunday.  I like how they planned it so they could watch Saturday's Florida State game before they give up their satellite antenna and leave. And we sent our "gripe" list to Paul & Kay Cross for our fall trailer servicing.  I've learned to just have them add 2 hours of work for whatever we break on the way down to Lagrange, IN, too.

Been struggling today to figure out why our credit score dropped 28 points from last month.  Finally found it.  Discover Financial Services (Discover Card) changed it's corporate name to Discover Bank since last month.  So our credit reports now show our old Discover Card as canceled and added a Discover Card with the same credit limits as a new card.  The fact that it's the same stinkin' card we've had all these years and nothing else changed is, apparently, meaningless to the FICO gods (aka credit reporting agencies).  I'll add this to my growing list of reasons why the FICO gods don't have a clue as to what makes a good money management process.  Factually, paying off mortgages, auto loans, credit card balances, etc, makes you a poor credit risk.  Paying a ton of interest and paying nothing off makes you a great credit risk.  At least that's the way they're scoring us.

Later, David

Weekly Update

We're back in the swing of things.  Water levels are back to normal for this time of year.  The new tour boat schedule doesn't roll off our tongues, but it's gettin' there.  Family canoe trip is done for the season.  (Actually, it never went out due to either flooding or weather.)  The visitor center is definitely busier with the addition of the two weekly trips to Kettle Falls.  And while the biting flies still "bug" you, it's significantly less buggy than when we left.

Donna got some culture in this week.  Friday evening she joined Randy & Shirley for a night at the Rainy Lake Orchestra's Rainy Lake Sinfonia (string concert).  I'm told it's the only time they get culture up here.  Donna hit pay dirt again Tuesday when she joined Randy & Shirley for a 14+ mile kayak trip down the Rat Root River through Black Bay back to the maintenance area here at Rainy Lake VC.  Long day - some blisters, but she was all smiles.  However, she pays for it today with having one tooth pulled and two filled.  She's not having any pain, so it's all good for now - until she recalls it's hamburger night at Sha Sha's resort!  Apple sauce and mashed potatoes for her...and maybe sneak in a french fry.

So that's our week.  Not a lot different than when we were working.  Oh...wait...we're working...in a national park.  Yep, it's a tough life, but someone's gotta do it.

Later, David

Back at Voyageurs NP

We're back for the last half of the season.  Had a good trip back up with only one day of rain.  As for Rainy Lake, water's down but still high.  Maintenance was able to get out do some serious mowing.  New maintenance pier installed.  Most of the docks are above water.  All campsites are open.  The Kabetogama tour boat is out of service for the rest of the season, so the Rainy Lake boat has picked up a few more tours to compensate.  Bugs less intense, but still a pain.

Laundry done.  Truck & trailer washed.  Groceries bought.  Name tags back on our uniforms.  Time to go to work.

Later, David

Weekly Update

Ludington Marina

Friends have arrived and we're just hangin' out & eatin' good (read healthy).  Moved to the lake house for a few days.  Donna & friends make a couple of laps around the lake each morning in a paddle boat and for some odd reason, Donna's drawn to yard work.  We've walked around the lake, too.  Bugs not near as bad here as at International Falls.

Anyway,  our sabbatical is about over.  The current plan is to leave Ludington Sunday and head back to Voyageurs Natl Park for the rest of the season.  Don't know what's really going on up there at the park, but the boat tour times have changed radically.  I guess we'll find out when we get there.  We know that they canceled all boat tours at Kabetogama Visitor Center.  So now we get to go back and learn all that boat tour stuff all over again, try to remember passwords, etc.   But it is fun!

We've also started to "firm up" our plans for the rest of the year.  We should be near "Pretzel heaven" (Shipshewana, IN) about September 29th;  Fredericksburg, VA about October 9th;  High Point, NC about November 7th;  Atlanta, GA about November 11th;  Birmingham, AL about November 8th; and Gulf State Park, AL about December 1st.  At least that's the plan!

Later, David