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	Your Truly Restful Getaway

Thoughts from Stan

by Stan Horst

Wow!  It is hard to believe that August is half over and the kids are getting ready to go back to school.  Where does the time go?

I think part of what makes the time go so fast is how much we pack into it.  We've had a very busy summer with the cabins - a big thank you to all who made Cabin Creekwood a part of your vacation plans!  Not only have the cabins been busy, but we've had to cover more responsibilities, as Deb's parents went on a 2 ÂÃ?½ month trip to Alaska.  They left in May, and did not get back until August!  They had a great time, but we realized just how much Mary Jane does around here!  You'll have to ask them about their travels when you're here.

Despite missing Mary Jane, we were able take our family away a couple of times.  In July we traveled to Texas to visit Deb's sister and family.  While there, we dropped our daughter Jordan off at the Global Expeditions headquarters for her mission trip to Panama.  While we were gone, a good friend Lori Pirkle covered things at the cabin for us.  You'll have to read about her adventures further down in the email.  I think you'll enjoy it.

More recently, after Stan & Mary Jane returned, we took our family camping for a few days in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It was a wonderful, relaxing time, and we were so glad we could get away before school started back in session on the 23rd of August.

Through all of our busyness, we are constantly reminded of the importance of relationships.  No one ever looks back on life and says, "I wish I would have worked more." 

All the Best!

Stan the Cabin Man

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Stories from Toby Jax

I went to the beach!  It was a lot of fun.  We camped real close to the water, so all you had to do was cross over the dunes, and there it was!

There were lots of other dogs at the campground, many of them noisy critters.  They barked and barked, especially when I walked by.  But I just ignored them.  I've got better things to do than to be troubled by barking dogs.

I got to play on the sand a lot.  Stan & Deb took me there to walk.  I had to stay on a leash, which I really don't like, but I got used to it.  One of my favorite things to do is to chase the water up and down.  I also like to dig holes in the sand.  One hole I dug kept filling back up with water, so I had to empty it out lots of times.  You can see me doing that here on this YouTube video.

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Life at Cabin Creekwood, Through the Eyes of Lori Pirkle, who came to take care of our cabin guests while we traveled to Texas. 

Life at Cabin Creekwood can be very interesting.  We've been doing it for 16 years, so don't think anything of the chaos that can erupt.  It is all just in a day's work for us.  But if you think we sit around drinking coffee all day, well this diary by our good friend Lori Pirkle ought to put that notion to rest.  Here's what she had to say about the time that she covered for us when we went to Texas.  Enjoy!

Cabin Creekwood...

through the eyes of Lori Pirkle as documented in a daily diary for your reading pleasure.

Friday, July 1, 2011
Dear Diary,
Today was my first day at the cabin.  7am came early, especially to a woman who has been sleeping in and lounging around her house until noon most days prior.  I arrived at the cabins around 9am and cleaned the pool - well, checked the levels and skimmed it that is.  The pool was actually very clean already.  I did realize that either a person who sheds a lot of hair was there or they had extensions that fell off.  Who knew dealing with someone else's hair in the filter would be so gross.  I think to make matters worse, when I reached in to grab out the stuck clump a spider was still alive and started crawling on me.  Yuck! I then dropped all of my stuff in the house when I was greeted with Debs first phone call of the vacation with a small "to do" list that included mailing the honeymooners clothes back. Cabin guests started checking out and the following things were brought to my attention:
Rockwood - the guests did catch a mouse and they cleaned out the trap and left it on the deck.  Dead animal number 1 for my stay. RIP Mr. Mouse.
Logwood - said there was a nail sticking up in the floor by the bottom right corner of the first bed.
Barnwood - said there was a large stain on the floor that looked like a wet, dirty dog came inside and slept there.  They also returned the air purifier and vinegar and said they helped and the smell was gone. 
I then was wondering where I could find a hammer to fix the nail issue so I called Deb.  Here is how my conversation went: "If you were a hammer, where would you be?"  I was then directed to the shop and found it.  Woohoo for getting my tools together to be a handywoman in Logwood. I then received another phone call from Deb asking if I could locate and mail Jordan's Malaria meds to Texas and they had to be there by Tuesday.  No problem, especially since I had to mail the honeymooners clothes back to them today as well. Debb, Jane and Brittany then showed up to clean where I passed the information along that the cabin guests told me. Debb and Jane headed out.  
When Brittany was packing her basket she told me that there weren't anymore Rockwood postcards.  So yet again I had to make a phone call to Deb. This one went like this: "If you were a Rockwood postcard where would you be?"  My question was then followed with, "I am soooo sorry.  I meant to get those before I left and I forgot." I told Deb it was ok and that I can get them out I just need to know where they are.  She then said, "That's why I am so sorry because of where I have to send you.  I am so embarrassed.  They are in the attic."  I then said, "You have an attic."  Oh yes, they do.  Its one of those scary, pull down ladder attics that make you think you are going to break the string as you pull because you have to pull so hard and then you duck thinking the ladder is going to come flying at you and smack you in the face.  Needless to say, I am sure it was a rather interesting sight as I was trying to get the ladder down to climb up there, holding the phone the entire time. Once I was up there Deb directed me to the back section of the attic where I found the boxes of postcards.  Luckily it was only the 4th box down, not the 9th/bottom one.  I then got a small stack and headed out of the attic.  I loved Debs comment at that time saying, "After this week I bet you will have to reevaluate if you want to be my friend." I responded with, "No, I will just know all your deep, dark secrets" and we had a good laugh.  Brittany was able to head on her way to Barnwood.  I then went down and got the trap from Rockwood and reset it upstairs.  I then went to Logwood and nailed in the nail the guests mentioned.   I then headed into town to mail the meds and the clothes.  However, I learned that if you are staying in someone else's house and mailing items for them that you should probably either memorize or bring their address with you so you don't look like a doofus when trying to fill out the label on the package. Needless to say, I looked like a doofus and had to Google the cabins to find the address.  I know it now.  44 Creekwood Lane Lyndhurst VA.  I am still working on the zip code.  Once I was back at the cabins Jane and Brittany finished up and I was able to start laundry. 
I had some down time between loads of laundry and decided that I wanted to watch TV.  I tried turning it on, but was having a lot of trouble getting it to work.  I tried for about 30-minutes to figure it out when I finally gave up and called the Horsts.  How embarrassing is that to be a 30-year old teacher that can't figure out how to work the TV.  To my credit, they do have 5 remotes.  What happened to the day that one remote would turn the TV on and off?  Much later Debb finally returned looking exhausted.  All I have to say is that it was a good thing that Debb brought carpet cleaner with her because when she returned she said that the stain in Barnwood smelled like a dog so she scrubbed and scrubbed it.  She then said when she got to Creekwood the guests must have had a long-haired, white, fluffy, shedding dog.  She said the dog slept on the navy blue couch as well as in/on one of the beds.  She said it also had bladder issues and she cleaned up 4 pee spots on the floors there.  She said I should probably go back and check Barnwood and Creekwood in the morning to see how the spots look as well as how the cabins smelled.  I then went back to laundry, and more laundry.  Luckily I didn't have any check-ins today so I was able to go to town to get my allergy injections and grocery shop.  When I got back Cata Latin (missionary from Chile) was up at the cabin sitting on the bench reading.  I went to introduce myself and said, "Are you Cata Lima?" She then responded with "I Cata ___".  I couldn't understand so I assume she said "Cata Lima."  She said "I wash clothes."  I realized that it was going to be hard to communicate with her so I said, "Ok. I hope you enjoy your stay.  If you need anything I am staying here in Deb and Stan's house."  She was very nice and polite.  I wish I paid more attention in Spanish class now because I would have loved to carry on a conversation with her, or attempt one at least.  I then unloaded my groceries and checked the voicemail.  While I was gone I had 3 missed calls.  One of the messages was from the Capital One fraud department.  They said there was suspicious activity on the credit card (i.e. the Horsts were using it going to Texas and I used it in VA to mail a package).  I called Deb to let her know about that, even though Deb called Capital One before they left letting them know the situation. I guess they didn't read the notes in their computer.  When I got off the phone with Deb I checked my voicemail again and had two missed calls.  Really?... I wasn't on the phone with Deb that long!  However, back to the original messages:
The first was a woman who wanted to possibly book a reservation in August.  I called her back.  One of the main questions she had was that she wanted to know what house the Stein family lived in.  She said they thought the Stein family owned Logwood and lived in one close to it and they owned the kennels and asked if I knew how far Logwood was from the house they lived in.  I was thinking, "Ok, Deb didn't prepare me for this one."  I told the lady that I was filling in for the owners and they come back next Sunday and she could ask more specifics from them or email and I am sure they would respond in a reasonable amount of time.  She then said that she wants to stay but she won't book a reservation until she knows more about the Steins house.  Ok.  I mean, what do you say to that??   The next message was from a woman who is coming with a group of 18 to stay in 3 cabins starting next weekend.  She wanted to know a whole list of things, including what cabin would be best to cook for and serve 18 people. She also wanted to know if there would be enough dishes, cups, cooking pots/pans, and utensils for all 18 people. She also asked how far the cabins were from each other, if each cabin had a clothes line, if we provided dish soap, bed linens and towels, and if we provided aluminum foil.  WOW that was a lot.  I answered most to my ability but once again, I had another list of things to ask Deb now.  Good thing I had to call her back anyway because one of the messages that was left when I was on the phone with her originally was from a lady at church who was supposed to do nursery duty on Sunday and could no longer do it due to an ill mother.  So I called Deb back again, which I think was our 5th time talking for the day, and asked her the remaining questions as well as told her about nursery duty.  As soon as I got off the phone with Deb the phone rang, again.  This time it was one of the cleaning ladies calling to cancel out for Saturday.  If you knew how much Deb had to go through to fill the cleaning schedule for Saturday originally, you would realize that this phone call was not good.  So instead of calling Deb back I decided to call some people on my own and got it covered.  Thankfully Debb was willing to help me out otherwise I would have had another phone call to Deb asking her to walk me through cleaning a cabin, one of the largest ones too! I was finally able to eat the dinner that I brought back with me from town, an hour after I arrived back at the cabins.  I then rested and watched some TV.  I was really tired so I decided to shower and go to bed, but once I got out of the shower I was wide awake again.  Around 12:30am I was still awake when I saw headlights coming up the driveway.  I greeted the young woman in the office where she said she was here to check in.  I asked her for her last name, knowing that there were NO check-ins scheduled for Friday, and realized that her reservation was for the following Friday, July 8th.  I then asked her if she had her copy of the reservation.  When she pulled it out I had to point out, at nicely as I could, that her reservation was for next Friday, not this Friday.  She put her hand over her mouth and said, "Oh no. I can't believe I did that." She then asked if I knew of any place that might have openings that are pet-friendly as they had their dog in the car.  I spent about 20 minutes looking up places and giving her phone numbers and she called to find a room.  She couldn't get anyone to answer at Royal Oaks and had to deal with lovely automated recordings at Wintergreen.  She finally decided to drive to Royal Oaks and I also gave her two hotels names and numbers in Waynesboro that were pet friendly and she left.  I guess she is the reason why I couldn't fall asleep earlier.  I went back inside and headed to bed. Who knew that all in my first day I would be a pool cleaner, handywoman, secretary mailing personal packages, and a travel agent?  I am excited to see what tomorrow brings. Good night.

Saturday, July 2, 2011
Dear Diary,
8am comes early, especially when you don't go to bed until 1am. There are things I learned last night staying in someone else's house: 1. don't run the washing machine when trying to go to bed.  The sink makes a gurgling sound and it will scare you.  2. when the air comes on you will hear a suction and a thump.  After investigation I learned that it was the filter in the AC that was sucking up against the unit frame when the AC turned on.  3. It's best to sleep with the TV on in someone else's house so it can block out all of the unfamiliar noises.
Anyway, I decided to start my day by going to the cabins that needed to be addressed so I could be in the office area for the rest of the day.  I started down at Barnwood.  I looked for stains on the floor and checked for an odor, but nothing detected.  Great.  I then went to Logwood to collect the mouse traps.  The first three were clear; however a mouse wasn't so lucky with the 4th.  That brings our dead animal count to 2.  RIP Mr. Mouse, Jr. I then headed to Creekwood to see if I noticed the stains on the floor from where Debb cleaned up after the dog with bladder issues and to see if I noticed a smell.  The cabin smelt like a cabin and I did notice two stains.  I put the back of my hand on them and smelt my hand and phew-wee!  It smelt like pee.  So I put my "Ms. Carpet Cleaner" hat on and cleaned the carpet in those two spots.  I then headed back to the cabins to clean the pool.  Today was the first day I vacuumed the pool and all I have to say is that Stan makes it look like a piece of cake....but not so much.  I finally got the hang of it, if you can call it that, and was able to successfully vacuum out the pool.  Once I got back to the office I received a phone call from people who wanted to rent the canoe.  I didn't know when Todd was coming to get them for the youth gathering or if I could rent them, so who do you call?  DEBBIE!  Deb and Stan said I could rent it if Todd wasn't coming to get it. So my next phone call was to Todd.  He was very nice and said he could get them Sunday instead.  Yes, my first canoe rental!  The people told me they would be coming around noon to get the canoe.  I then checked out the guests in Oakwood where they said the hot water handle was falling off when you turn it and that it needed to be fixed. When Debb got here I let her know what Oakwood said.  Since I thought the handle was coming off we decided Debb needed a screwdriver.  I decided to go to the shop and look around.  That is where you keep tools, right??  WRONG! I looked, and look, and opened, and closed, and looked, and no screwdriver.  I finally had to call Deb again.  "Deb, if you were a screwdriver where would you be?" Know what the answer was??  "In the tool box in the back of the car we have."  Well, that helps me.  Luckily Deb said there is probably one at the cabin and I found one in the kitchen (yes, kitchen because that's where you keep tools) and Debb was able to head off to Oakwood.  Sherry then arrived and I helped her get packed up and we headed to Foxwood. I showed her the basics, stripped the beds and headed back to the office to wait for the canoe people. They finally came.  I learned by helping them load the canoe onto their van that 1. This canoe is very long, 2. This canoe is very heavy, and 3. This canoe is very awkward.  We finally got it loaded and off they went.  I decided to go check on Sherry and she was coming up the road.  I then went to go check on Debb.  She was almost done but wanted to show me the "broken handle".  Well, I think the guests over exaggerated a little.  The handle wasn't broken - it was the top over that holds the letter "H" down that was broken.  Common sense says if it keeps popping off on you, then take it off and leave it. That's what Debb and I did.  No screwdriver was needed after all but at least I now know where to find one- next to the cooking utensils and measuring cups!? Debb finished and left around 2pm. 
 I thought to myself, "Well, I have an hour before guests check in so I might go swimming."  That ended up only being a thought as guests started arriving at 2:10 then at 2:30, then 3:00 and so on.  My favorite check in of the day was the family staying in Creekwood. I asked them how they would like to pay for the remaining balance when the grandmother said, "Well, what if we don't like the cabin?  Can't we go check it out and decide if we like it before we pay?"  What do you say to that? She then said, "Can we pay when we leave in case we leave early?" I said, "We typically collect the payments upon your check in.  I know you will like the cabin." And I had a little more fluff in there.  She seemed to go for it so she paid. The dad then bought two of the Cabin Creekwood baseball caps and they headed on their way.  Guests continued to check in including three sets of guests that were all related and each family asked where the other families were staying.  I was able to make a nice dinner tonight and sit down and relax when around 9:30 I hear a "Ding dong." I go into the office and it's the Creekwood family.  They had promised their kids they could go swimming so they were here to swim and wanted to know how to turn on the lights.  I went down there and took care of it for them and headed back inside when another car came up the driveway.  This time the car came in, turned around, and left.  At 10 the family left the pool and I went out to say good night when two people from Mountainwood came up the driveway. They were looking for a van of family members.  I believe that was the vehicle that came down and left, so the Mountainwood family went back to their cabin.  Then I decided to go back inside when yet another car came down the driveway.  It was about 10:10 at this point.  It was the guy staying in Logwood.  He said he needed to make a phone call and then told me that there were fleas in his cabin.  I told him that I am sorry about that and that I will call the owners and see if maybe tomorrow while they were out I could set a flea bomb for them.  The guy then made his call and went to his car.  I went outside and told him that I was unable to reach the owners and asked if I could leave a note on their door with info that I get from the owners when they call back.  He said that was fine and I went back inside.  "Ding dong." It was the guy again.  He said he and his wife don't feel comfortable staying in the cabin and they were going to leave (with more fluff in there).  I said that was fine and asked if they could bring the key back up here or if they would like me to come get it. They said they would bring it back and away they went.  Around 11:00pm the finally brought the key back and I was able to go to bed.

Sunday, July 3, 2011
Dear Diary,
Today started out well.  My alarm clock was Deb calling me to talk about the "fleas".  Good thing she called because I learned I don't know how to set my alarm! It was nice waking up to Deb saying, "Good Morning" and "I am soooooo sorry."  I am starting to think that is a common phrase these days.  No more, "Hey Lori" when I answer the phone, just an "I am soooo sorry" greeting instead.   So, once I got up I went to the pool.  No snakes! No varmints! Just a few bugs, but I can handle bugs.  I went to church today where the Latins shared and what a blessing that was.  After church Dave and I made it a date day.  We went to lunch then headed to Lowes to buy flea bombs.  Who knew the first time I would ever buy flea bombs wouldn't be for my house.  We then came back up the mountain, checked Logwood, and set off the bombs.  Once again, first time I ever set off a bomb was not in my own house.  I am developing very valuable skills while up here on the mountain that will probably help me in the future.  Dave and I then headed back down the mountain to see a movie where luckily we arrived before the downpour, strong winds, and large hail hit.  Once we sat down in our seats, while the ads were playing, my cell phone rang.  A family member of a cabin guest was in the office looking for his family.  He asked if I knew where the Blickenderfer family was staying.  I thought to myself, "I am not a computer and I don't have that information memorized" but I knew for PR purposes that he (and the Horst's) probably wouldn't appreciate that answer.  After I received a little more information about the family, or group of families that is, I was able to point him in the right direction.  Luckily that was my only phone call while I was in town.  After the movie we drove to Harrisonburg for dinner.  I then went to Walmart in Waynesboro and headed back up the mountain.  When I arrived home, around 10pm, I checked the voice mail.  I love how people leave messages that say (along these lines), "Hey Stan.  I am heading into town and was wondering if you had any kayaks available to rent and possibly a 1 bedroom cabin.  Just give me a call back and let me know.  Thanks brother." And that was the end of the voicemail.  Yes, the person probably assumed Stan would be checking the voicemail, but they assumed wrong.  After calling Deb and looking at the caller ID I found a number matching the time the voice mail was left.  However, the persons name was listed as "Cell phone, USA."  Thanks Mr. Caller ID.  So, I dialed the number and was greeted with, "Hey brother, what's up?"  Once again, he assumed it was Stan, but he was wrong.  I then called Deb back to let her know who the caller was when "Ding dong" the door bell rang.  Deb's response to that was priceless, "Was that the door bell??"  Yes, it was. Cabin guests wanted to do smores and needed to buy the supplies.  You can't stay in the woods and not have smores, even if it is 10:15pm, right?.  I then called Deb back to finish my conversation where I told her that yes, a cabin guest came by to get smores.  I then told her that the Horst house is a hoppin' place after 10pm.  I guess that light I installed, you know, the bright CCW in the sky, has been working.  I have learned that I should not get into my PJs until at least 10:30 as this is the third night in a row that I have had guests after 10:30.  Thankfully after they left the rest of the evening was quiet. 
Random lessons I learned today:
1. When turning on the gas burners, don't bend down and have your head too close, especially when it doesn't seem to light, because once it lights a flame shoots out at you
2. People put their trash cans in different places in their house then you are used to in your own.  Look at what you are doing before you drop trash into the "trash can" or it might end up on the floor.

Monday, July 4, 2011
Dear Diary,
Today started out like normal, but at least I learned how to set my alarm properly.  I woke up and headed to the pool to do the morning cleaning.  Once again, NO SNAKES!  It is day 4 of the snake's vacation and they have until next Sunday before they are allowed to come back.  We talked, you know, and made that arrangement on Friday.   I learned today that there are a lot of bugs that are attracted to the pool, especially in the far side filter.  I also learned that when you take out the center floating thing in the filter bugs go everywhere. Today I decided to scoop them up with my hand and put them in the filter to dispose of.  However, it sounds easier than it was.  I realized that bugs creep me out, but still not as bad as the clumps of hair from Friday. Eww.  After the pool Todd came by with the canoes and kayaks.  We first unloaded the life jackets and gear into the shed.  Todd then moved the table and golf cart to allow him more room for him to maneuver his truck.  When he was doing this he looked into the white bucket by the hose and said, "You have a dead rat".  However, I thought he said, "You have a dead rattler" and thought there was a rattlesnake.  Good thing he said dead or I would have sprinted out of there before I could have asked him what he really said.  Upon further inspection we realized a squirrel was in the bucket.  Who knew that squirrels couldn't swim. RIP Mr. Squirrel.  Todd graciously disposed of his body.  Now that brings our total of dead animals to 3 for the week.  Todd then worked on getting the canoe and kayak trailer back in place.  Boy, is that a task to get them back where they need to go.  Good thing Todd was driving and not I or the canoes and kayaks would have resided in the pool for the remainder of the Horst's vacation. Todd then headed on his way.  About 10 minutes later the family in Rockwood came to rent the kayaks, all three, for a family outing on the lake.  Next thing I knew it was almost 11 and Jane was here, but Edgewood still had not checked out.  At about 11:15 I walked down to Edgewood and knocked on the door and politely reminded the guests that checkout is at 11 (or should I say, "WAS").  They apologized and said it would be about 15 more minutes.  At noon they checked out and Jane headed on her way.  This couple was the most polite, wonderful couple I had the pleasure to talk with to date.  They were very complimentary, and even asked what type of bed was in Edgewood as they would like to purchase the same bed for their house. They then asked about other cabins (locations, amenities, beds, etc).  I told them where Barnwood, Oakwood, and Logwood were and that I was about to head to Logwood. They then thanked me, insisted on compensating Jane and I for our time we spent waiting, and headed on their way.  About that time I had a cabin guest from Mountainwood come in and say that he was very dissatisfied with the bed in their cabin and that he and his wife have not been able to sleep.  I told them to check back at 3pm and I might have a different cabin available for them to switch to for their last night here.  I then headed to Logwood.  Once I got there, Lou and Barbara (Edgewood guests) greeted me with excitement and asked to see inside Logwood.  After giving them the bug bomb disclaimer they followed me inside where we continued to talk. They checked out the cabin, laying on the beds and sitting on the couch.  They said they LOVE Logwood and hope to come back 3-4 times a year and stay in the cabins.  YAY for very nice, satisfied guests.  We all then headed on our merry way.  Once back at the house I was able to hang out, shower, and relax when next thing I know Logan and Derek come walking in the door... yea, didn't know they were here.  I then got to watch Logan try to perform surgery on his own foot to remove a rock.  Yes, he used one of your kitchen knives Deb and yes he used one from Kendall's collection as well.  However, no luck.  I pulled out tweezers and cuticle cutters from my bag and they did the trick.  Surgery is complete with a happy patient. After a little while a storm came through so all of the teens in the pool left.  The office was rather quiet. I then realized that the umbrella was still up at the pool and thought to myself that I have two options: 1. go down in the rain and close it or 2. Possibly have to find it in the morning.  I decided option 1 was the best option so away I went.  About 20 minutes later Mary Beth and Bruce showed up to get Logan, not knowing he had left already.  Woops. Around 5pm I listened to the voicemail and realized I missed the Mountainwood family when they called to ask about switching cabins.  I called them back and they were on their way.  They came and switched cabins.  After that it was a very quiet evening.  I was able to change into PJs early and relax.  I guess I forgot to turn on the CCW (Cabin Creekwood) bat light.  Maybe I should do that more often.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Dear Diary,
I am really getting the hang of my alarm now, especially the snooze button.  Today started off with cleaning the pool after the storm that came through last night.  Who knew that so many things could end up in one pool!  There were leaves, centipedes, sticks, a vole, etc. in the pool.  Yes, you read that right, a vole.  That brings the dead animal count to 4.  RIP Mr. Vole.  I decided to skim the top first because there was so much stuff floating.  I then tested the water and started vacuuming.  I ended up going around the pool twice with the vacuum.  I learned that leaves sometimes neither float nor sink.  They like to stay suspended in the water, making it harder to clean.  Thanks leaves.  I then skimmed the pool again, going around twice.  It was finally clean to my standards after an hour.  A little bit later Jane showed up and took off with her goodies. I was able to sneak in a shower before the two cabins checked out.  The guests from Mountainwood who moved to Edgewood were very thankful for the switch and they said they slept very well.  I then headed to some cabins to take care of a few things and came back to relax.  Amy came by to swim and pick up her backordered scrapbooking supply.  I also had a phone call from a person who is thinking about staying so I got together some information to mail to her.  I had a lady who is staying at Foxwood come by and ask if her cousins who were staying in Mountainwood and Barnwood were still here.  I informed her that Barnwood left yesterday at 3pm and Mountainwood left today at checkout at 11am.  I guess families don't communicate....?
 Dinner time came.  Of course, as my dinner was almost done, in its critical "must keep stirring" stage the phone rang.  It was a woman whose daughter lives by Sherando Grocery who was wondering if we had any cabins available.  It would have been nice if that was the intro to our conversation, but after I went through all the cabins she then told me that she wanted to come this weekend.  Well, sorry I can't help you there.  I continued to provide her with more info and she hopes to stay here soon.  Dinner time.  YES.  After dinner I relaxed.  Around 9:30 "ding dong".  The Latins were here doing laundry and wanted to know if the wifi was working.  Yes, it was working here but for some reason not down at Edgewood.  They brought their computers back here and then "ding dong" the Latins again.  They were wondering what the password was for the wifi.  Around 10pm it was rather quiet so I was thinking it was going to be another uneventful night when 10:20 came and "ding dong".  Cata was at the door just to give me a hug and say thank you.  So sweet!  I am glad I was able to talk to her today and tell her how beautiful her sermon was and that her daughter did an excellent job translating.  What a blessing for sure!!  Also, what a nice way to end the day.  Good night.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Dear Diary,
 This morning started like many others but I beat my alarm clock.  7:30 came and I was awake.  Why?  Who knows.  Jane had already arrived and left for the cabins by the time I was heading out to the pool.  When I got down there I noticed that 1. There were a TON of dead bugs on the surface and 2. The water was cloudy.  I went about my business and checked the levels - and no chlorine was registering.  Added a few scoops, still nothing, added a few more and wah-lah.  We have chlorine!  I decided to get ready for the day and go take a water sample to town.  When I got back down to the pool to get my sample I checked the levels again to make sure the Chlorine wasn't too high and almost no Chlorine again.  UGH.  I put in another scoop and headed to the pool store.  They tested my water and said I had some ammonia in it... probably from the dead vole the other day.  I plan on shocking the pool tonight.  Doesn't that sound funny?  I bet some people picture me down at the pool with an electrical current, but no, I will be adding more chemicals to kill whatever is in there.  I then ate some lunch and did laundry.  I had a cabin guest check out 3 days early and then had another cabin guest call and cancel her reservation.  That is definitely something I don't know how to do so I had to call Stan again, third time today, and he talked me through it.  I then went back to laundry.  Fun, hunh?  The Latin's came and visited again - well, they really came to use the wifi.  I then had a cabin guest call to see if I knew anything about the Civil War Trail down by the cabin.  They said there was a sign for the trail and then attached to it were two signs saying, but not in proper English or spelt correctly, "No trespassing or you will be shot." Nice, hunh?  I called Deb to see if she knew anything about it.  She said that the guests should probably avoid it as there is a guy that does live back there in the camper.  The guests then came by the office and I passed that along to them.  He said he was going to take a picture of the sign and investigate it.  After all, he is a big history buff and wants to know what the trail is.  They left as my first cabin guests were checking in for the day.  They were from Germany.  I asked for their name and instead the woman said, let me show you.  I knew who they were at that point.  I said, the "Van __" family. She laughed, said, "Vaun ___" and I checked them in.  One of their sons was very concerned about bears so they asked if the bears were around here.  I told them that no guests in the past week have said anything so they will be fine.  If they see one, get inside.  I then them the only animals they will see will be squirrels, deer, and chipmunks.  Just then the littlest boy started jumping and said, "chipmunks!" but in German of course.  The mother said they know and like chipmunks because of the movie.  Well, I am sorry to say that the boys might be disappointed.  These chipmunks are skittish and don't sing and dance.  Sorry guys. 
 Next I decided to go down and check the pool again.  And what do you know - no chlorine being registered.  Ugh. I put in two and a half scoops, nothing.  Two more, nothing. Two more, nothing.  I decided at this point I was going to go ahead and shock the pool and close it for the day, which was fine because a storm was coming in.  At this point I also decided that I appreciate pools so much more, and their care givers, and that I don't want to ever own a pool or spa.  Too much work and confusion for this little lady. The family from Germany then came by to get some firewood and ask about chiropractors.  Apparently the father threw out his back from lifting suitcases.  He went to a chiropractor recently but is still in a lot of pain.  I told him I would look up some places and leave the information for him just in case he wants to go again locally.  They also commented on how clean the cabin was.  They said they stayed in a Days Inn in Arlington when they were visiting DC and it was filthy.  I would have not recommended a Days Inn, especially near DC. But anyway, they left and then it was quiet until 10:30, "Ding dong".  The Latins were here and wanted to know if it was ok if they used the phone line and outlet to skype, I assume.  Of course it is.  At that point I turned in for the night.  Good night all.

Thursday, July 07, 2011
Dear Diary,
 Today started out like many others.  I got up and to the pool I went.  The chlorine was low again so I added two scoops and wah-lah, it was back up at 3ppm.  However the ph was also low so I had to wait to call Stan about that one.  I then cleaned out the pool.  Thankfully I skimmed it last night after the "storm" and got all of the leaves out of it so it made cleaning it much faster this morning.  Once again, no dead animals in the pool.  Maybe Mr. Vole was an example to all of his friends and they decided that swimming was not for their species.  And thankfully no snakes either.  The snake family did call today and say they missed home and Mr. Stan.  I reassured them that Stan would be back on Sunday and they can come home at any point from Sunday on.  After the pool I came back to the house and needed to work on a soiled mattress pad.  I taught myself how to get blood stains out of a mattress pad - go me!  Bleach does wonders.  I then did laundry and hung out while the cabins were being cleaned. Debb then came back and was confused about the sheets.  I sent two sets to Edgewood that didn't appear to belong there and we had a hard time figuring out what size the sheets were.  It would be so nice if tags would actually identify the size they are instead of just saying, "I'm made in China" or something like that.  Oh well.  Maybe one day I will reinvent a tagging system for sheets since I don't have the colors memorized like Deb does.  Yes, she knows just by looking at the pattern and color of the sheets what size they are.  That should tell you how many times she has looked at the sheets, washed them, folded them and put them away.  It's rather impressive if you ask me.  Since I am still unsure about the size (I think they are fulls) and where they belong, they have been added to my "Ask Jane" pile.  Cabin guests then started checking in.  Mid-afternoon I had the family from Bermuda (via England) come by and say, "Lori, can we ask you a question.  What is a smore?" I Then explained it to them and that you put a graham cracker, then chocolate, then a roasted marshmallow, then another graham cracker. The father then said, "What is a graham cracker?"  I thought everyone knew what a graham cracker was and what a smore was, but I guess that is my own ignorance again.  I told them they would have to bring the idea home and try it some day. Everyone had checked in by 4:10ish so I decided to go to town because I needed to get something from my house and I had dinner with Dave while we were there.  We decided to try a new place, the Green Leaf, in downtown Waynesboro.  It was actually VERY good and reasonable (sandwiches were $7 with chips).  I then headed back up the mountain where the Latin's greeted me.  They were doing laundry and checking email.  They asked if they could print their tickets and I said go ahead and use the computer and you can do that.  However, at that time another cabin guest (Mountainwood) came in to buy smore goodies.  I had to run back and forth from the back office to the front office to take care of it, but she was very patient with me.  The Latin's then said goodbye and headed back to their cabin.  Around 9:45pm Pastor Greg called.  I guess a phone call is better than a late night "ding dong".  He said he was having trouble reaching the Latin's... which since they don't have internet at the cabin I can see why.  He asked me to pass along two messages to them so back down the driveway I went.  I decided to walk, again, because it is good exercise.  However I am always questioning my decision once I get to their driveway.  That is a nice hill you have to go up.  And no, I am not going to take the golf cart.  I am still scared of that thing.   So I passed along the message and headed back.  I didn't realize how dark the driveway gets at night.  I was spooking myself out, even though I had a flash light, running through all of the scenarios that I could possibly encounter: 1. a snake in the road hissing at me, 2. a deer runs out in front of me or at me or 3. a bear decides to bless me with his presence.  Luckily none of those three things occurred, or at least to my knowledge.  I then went down to the pool to check the levels again. Since the pool wasn't holding chlorine or his ph level. (I had to put 2 more scoops in of chlorine around 8pm in case someone decides to swim) Stan suggested that I go ahead and shock it again.  I put in 10 scoops of chlorine and decided to do the ph in the morning.  I then came back to the cabin and it was quiet for the rest of the night. 

Friday, July 08, 2011
Dear Diary,
Yes, another day in the woods.  I woke up and went to the pool, where I was anticipating low levels of chlorine again, but received quite the opposite.  The levels were very high.  I added ChemOut that is supposed to drop the chlorine levels, but the container said I needed to add more scoops of the product then I had, as only 7 ÂÃ?½ scoops were left.... So I added that as well as the ph upper (as that was still low) and started cleaning the pool.  Once I was done I checked the levels again.  Ph was back up (woohoo) and the chlorine had dropped, but it was still above 5.0.  What do I do?  I know what I have to do... I have to head into town and get more products and drop the chlorine.  There are also severe storms headed this way so maybe by the time I get back the weather will be here and I won't need to worry about treating the pool until after the storm and the rain might help drop the numbers as well. So I started checking out cabin guests where one guest came up here to check out and it took me by surprise as she wasn't supposed to leave until Saturday.  Oh well.  Once I checked everyone out I headed into town to the pool store. Surprisingly all of the levels were within range so there was nothing else I had to do to the pool!  Awesome!  I did pick up some more ChemOut for Stan though because I pictured a scenario happening like this if I didn't: 'Stan checks the pool and the levels are low.  He decides to shock the pool that night. The next morning he goes down to the pool and the levels are very high so he reaches for the ChemOut and, oh no, it's all gone.  Stan grumbles, takes a water sample, and heads up the hill where he tells Deb, "I am going into town.  Lori didn't leave any ChemOut for me so I have to get some.  The pool is closed until I can treat it and get the levels down."' See, that is why I bought more chemicals.  I'm thinking ahead and looking out for Stan.
 Once I got back the Van Geyssel family from Belgium came to visit me.  They wanted to go to the Motebello Fish Hatchery but they saw it closed at 3:30 (its 1:45 at this point).  I called to make sure and sure enough, they close at 3:30.  They asked what else there was to do around here but I told them that most things are outside and there is a storm coming our way.  I then suggested Monticello, but they informed me that their kids didn't like DC so they don't want to do anything else like that.  I suggested a movie, but didn't think about the fact that the kids don't understand English.  So, they decided to go swimming until it started raining and who knows what they did for the rest of the night.  Cabin guests then started checking in.  One of the families that checked in told me that they were going to bring their three cats, but decided not too.  I am sure whoever is going to clean that cabin will be thrilled to hear that.  However, they did bring their daughters two guinea pigs.  Yes, guinea pigs.  I don't know if they constitute a "pet fee" so I charged them anyway and told them to talk to Stan when they get back.  (You are very welcome Stan).  My last family checked in around 7:30pm.  After that, I had peace and quiet.  I guess since the Latin family left my late night visits are over.  It's kinda sad.  It was becoming quite humorous to have someone here until at least 10:30pm each night.  I decided to watch a little TV and go to bed early (aka 11pm).

Saturday, July 09, 2011
Dear Diary,
 Ahh, another morning, similar routine.  I got up and went to the pool where before I even got down there I heard, "ehh ehh ehh", the pool pump alarm going off.  "Great!" It said system error 17.  Like I know what that means!  I turned off the pool and then turned it back on and it was working. Who knows.  I then checked the filters and the levels and what do you know - the levels were low again but at least there were no dead animals.  Woohoo!!  I am really starting to think the pool hates me.  Actually, I know it does.  There is a big sign in it that says, "I hate you Lori.  We miss Stan.  Bring him home soon."  Well Mr. Pool.  It's your lucky day.  Deb and Stan are on their way back.  I cleaned out the pool and got the levels up.  When I tried to turn the pool back on it wouldn't start up.  For once, this was my fault.  I forgot to put the valve back in place from cleaning the pool.  My bad.  It's working now.  I then headed back up to the office when Deb called to check in and tell me they were heading back.  After I got off the phone, Debb, who was cleaning Rockwood, hollered to me that there is a dead bird outside.  GREAT.  I put my exterminator hat on, well, I guess animal disposal hat, and went down there.  Not only was there a dead bird but there was also a dead beetle that was HUGE, for a beetle that is.  I am counting the beetle as a dead animal as well, bringing the dead animal count to 6.  I put them in a bag and onto the back of my car.  I then headed to Edgewood to bring back linens and had the "funeral" for the two animals.  However, the bird and beetle decided to take one last adventure - the bag flew off my car.  I guess the bird decided to have one last flight, but was rather unsuccessful.  I backed up my car, picked up the animals and headed to their "grave".  RIP Mr. Bird and Mr. Beetle.  I then put all of the clean linens back in Mary Jane and Pastor Stan's place and headed back to the office.  Now it was time for laundry, more laundry, and even more laundry.  Today was filled with just laundry and packing up.  All of the cabin guests checked out.  I then realized that the group that was coming in today was a group of 18 and I knew they would need things that were not in the cabin, but I had told them they would be there, such as the twin mats and a folding table.  So, I headed up to Stan and Mary Jane's place, got the mats, and brought them to Edgewood.  I then went back to get the table from the shed when I realized that there was no way it was going to fit in my car.  That left me with two options, 1. Carry it all the way to Edgewood and up that big hill or 2. Wait for Alta to come back and ask her to bring it down there for me in her SUV.  Thankfully Alta was willing to drive me and the table down there, but once there I also had the job of replacing 3 light bulbs.  That's an easy job so I didn't mind it at all.  I then walked back to the office, getting yet another mini-workout, and continued with laundry.  Most of the group of 18 showed up at 3 to check in.  I gave them the run-down and off to the cabins they went.  However, I forgot to tell them about the table in Edgewood and that they couldn't make the turn from the driveway into Edgewood and that they would have to go to the dumpster, turn around, and come back. Or maybe I did.  All I know is that when I drove past there later they were in the driveway, and not over the bank, so I know they figured it out.  I then packed up my car and headed to town where I dropped stuff off at my house, mainly food that I wanted to put away tonight, and then Dave and I went to dinner.  After dinner I came back up the mountain where I had the opportunity to talk to the owners of Dogwood.  They are very kind people and I learned that the woman who owns it use to be a behavioral therapist for a girl with Autism.  How cool is that?  Anyway, after that I checked the pool and what do you know, the chlorine was down again.  You would think I would anticipate that by now, but I guess I keep hoping that it would actually maintain for a day.  I am going to give up that hope for tomorrow morning.  I added more chlorine tonight and headed back up to the office where I continued to do laundry.  Next thing I know a car pulls into the driveway.  The license plate looked rather familiar - CRKWOOD.  Who could it be?  I then saw Donna's car.  It was Pastor Dave and Donna coming for a visit.  How nice of them.  We talked for a few until Pastor Dave, being as sweet as he is, started to be eaten alive by the mosquitoes so they left.  I then went back to... you guessed it... laundry! Once I finished my 822 load for the week (that number might be a little exaggerated), I was able to relax and call it a night.  No visitors came by tonight.  It's rather lonely without the Latin's....

Sunday, July 10, 2011
Dear Diary,
 Today was my last morning at Cabin Creekwood.... So off to the pool I went.  Like I said yesterday, I gave up hope for the chlorine number to be high.  Instead I decided to guess what it would be reading.  I guessed either .5 or 1, especially since I did put chlorine in last night.  However, when I was walking to the pool I got an "ehh ehh ehh" again.  I restarted the pool and it shut down, not even moving an ounce of water.  It said, System Error 17, ____.  What does that mean?  So I started it again and it worked. I then checked the pool levels and what do you know, the chlorine was up, but it was up too high.  UGH.  How can it do that?  It wasn't that high last night when I put the chemicals in.  I am really glad Mr. Pool Boy himself is coming back today.  The ph was down again too.... So I added a little more ChemOut (good thing I bought some or it would have been me in that scenario I gave a few days ago) and I added a little ph upper too and started cleaning the pool.  The levels then returned back within normal limits.  After I cleaned the pool I went to restart it in normal mode, and what do you know... it wouldn't start.  I waited the three cycles to hear the "ehh ehh ehh" again and then tried it for a second time and a third time with the same outcome.  So, "ring ring, good morning Stan (actually Deb answered)".  I got some advice from Stan and tried what he suggested and then restarted the pool but in maintenance mode this time.  I let it run for 5 minutes where you can tell the pump was running but it wasn't pumping anything.  Darn pool.  So, I called Stan back, again, and ended up having to close the pool.  What a way to go out on my last day - with a broken pool.  I guess its better the last day than the first.  I then loaded my car and off to church..... hoping the entire time that Mr. Pool Boy Stan can fix the pool.

Well, that ends my adventure at Cabin Creekwood.  It was a great ride while it lasted. I would do it again.... I would just hope that the pool would cooperate with me better the next time.

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