As the Season Winds Down

2014 October 29

The season here at Ocean Waves Campground is winding down. Of the seventy or so campsites, about thirty are occupied. Many of those are retired folks who come for a month or two. The weather's still beautiful, so we may have weekend visitors coming down to fish, or just to enjoy the peaceful ambiance and sea air. But, in general, the days I am in the office, the phone barely rings. The bustle of tourists coming to buy souvenirs, or t-shirts, ice cream and sodas, Skeeter Beater, or ice are passed. If you had told me the contrast between October and July would be so extreme, I might not have believed you. 

Those hot, humid days of summer, when people with in the pool all day, with kids were running everywhere, and with campers coming and going, were busy, hectic days. Now, the sun rises later and sets earlier. The store is quiet, except on days when the "crafty ladies" meet to assemble some handmade creation. The early mornings can be cool, sometimes damp with heavy dew, but the sun warms things up for the mid-morning and keeps the air comfy until late afternoon. I enjoy this time of year, but as a work camper, it can get boring. Still, on our days to clean the bathhouses, I am grateful for the cooler temperatures and fewer people using the facilities.

I feel so fortunate to have had my first work camping experience in a family owned campground, in the Outer Banks. Truth be told, if I hadn't been familiar with both the campground and the owners, I don't know that I would've ventured into the work camping arena. I have friends and acquaintances who have had less idyllic adventures. But we have been blessed.

The blessing will continue, too. The owners have asked us to stay on here, through the winter, as resident "caretakers" of sorts, even though the campground is closed from November 15 until March 15. We have agreed to stay. And, we will be here again for next years camping season.

This is a blessing beyond anything I had hoped. Raymond is not enamored with the RVing lifestyle and was talking about "putting down roots", which was one reason this job was appealing. I have always loved the NC coast, which was another reason this job was alluring. Now, we have spent a spring, summer and fall here. The summer did not kill me with its heat, as I had feared. Spring and Fall weather was a delightful as I remembered. I am not concerned about the winter, since we have spent time in the Outer Banks in November, December and in February at various times. We know the wind blows hard and it gets cold. We're OK with that. There is still sunshine, and that is the important factor for me. Sometimes there is snow, but it melts by the next day, which is important to Raymond. So, for now, we are full timers, staying put, at least until a year from now. We're not making any plans beyond that at the moment.