Friday January 8, 2010-Stephen F Austin SP

We woke to 28 degree weather today. It stayed near the freezing mark all day long, never getting above 34 on our outdoor thermometer. It made my outdoor times pretty quick but I did get my patrols of the RV area and the restrooms in during the day. They were cold walks but it felt good to get out of the trailer and in the clear air.

I did talk to Larry in the afternoon and learned that the golf cart that I was to have gotten would not take a charge on the batteries, so he had left it at the shop. This brings up one of my pet peeves about the state and the way parks are funded. I have learned that everything bought at a park must come from Austin. That doesn't sound too bad does it? That way all materials can be accounted for by the bean counters and they can take advantage of buying in quantity and get discounts on the materials. But take it to the local level. Let's say you are working on a lawnmower or leaf blower. You need a couple of bolts and nuts or a belt to finish your job, but if there aren't any in stock in the shop, you have to fill out a requisition form, send it in to Austin and wait for the shipment from headquarters. That may be an extreme example, but you get my point. Why not give each park a certain amount of money, say $250.00 to buy small items locally. As the money is spent, more money is requested from Austin. In the case of the golf cart, it appears to me that it may need new batteries. There are 6-6 volt batteries on the cart, which would be over the limit, but why make it so difficult for the people in the parks to do their job? The state is getting free labor in the form of Park Hosts so why not give them the equipment they need to work?

Enough of my rant, off the soapbox now.

I chatted with some of the other hosts here in the park during the day. Everyone is hunkering down due to the cold, but since we're in Texas, just wait a few days and the temperatures will be in the 60's or 70's.

So long.