Thursday Storm

Today was a busy day.  I had been off Monday and Tuesday and away from the park Wednesday.  I was the only Assistant Manager on duty today and I really had no idea of what had been done in the park and what was needing to be done.  There were a few people that had specific projects to work on, but the majority of the park staff worked on getting the Youth Camp ready for the summer camp that will begin at the end of next week.  Last Friday was the last business day that I spent in the office, so there was a lot to do.  I had thirty-eight e-mails to read!  Some of them needed action or other responses, so I flagged them until I got through reading them all.  I had some messages on my voice mail so I listened to them next.  Once I had a handle on all of the new things that had come in, I began knocking things off of the list.  I answered the e-mails and returned the phone calls.  I approved time sheets and completed my own.  I followed up on some things that I had been waiting on last week, and I answered calls from the field while I worked.
In the afternoon, the Park Manager and I walked the Youth Camp area.  It was really coming together and the Rangers were doing a terrific job.  They were working together in the Florida humidity to detail clean and prepare the cabins.  It is no small task and it will continue tomorrow and into next week.  There were a few small cosmetic fixes that had to be done to some of the cabins.  We made lists of the more involved fixes.  A Ranger with a hammer was all that was needed for others and they were fixed right away.  The cabins have been there for a while, and many of the groups that stay in them are hard on them.  The park staff put a lot of effort into making these cabins as good as they possibly can be and it really shows.
Towards the end of the day, the sky began to get darker.  Another storm was moving in.  At 4:00, all of the morning shift people were gathered and ready to head home before the rain started.  It was as if the wind blew them away, they were gone in an instant.  I made it home after the rain had started and I was so grateful for the dry, covered path between the carport and the front door.  I love my new home, especially when its raining.

Thought of the Day #21
Throughout my day, I never had the chance to take any photos.  I also didn't see anything spectacular.  I headed outside after the rain stopped to photograph a new bloom in the yard this evening.  I have several of these plants and have been waiting for a bloom so that it would be easier to identify.  No such luck, this one evaded my Wildflower Field Guide as well.  Perhaps a reader will help me out again.