...My folks survived their first week of 10 hour days at Amazon! Unfortunately, there were many hours spent standing around since Amazon currently has more workers than work stations/assignments. This is status quo for this time of year, when training is ongoing and more new hires arrive every week. But they are enjoying reconnecting with work-campers from last year like Angie/Ray, Linda/George, Sue/Rodger, and Sandy/Bill as well as meeting new folks. They were pleasantly surprised to be greeted so warmly by some of the the "Blue Badges" (i.e., full time Amazonians) with whom they worked last year. And we shared more info and laughs when we attended another get together among work-campers residing in our RV park.
...I finally had the opportunity to see a real live copperhead snake slithering in the woods as we hiked within the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge! Cool stuff!
Owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth, this place is huge, with more than 3,500 acres of land! There are a variety of ecosystems, including forests, prairies, and wetlands, and more than 20 miles of hiking trails. And a pretty good value for just 5 bucks/adult ("geezers" and kids get in cheaper).
Some of the trails are closed for ongoing repairs from flooding that occurred last year, but there are still plenty to explore with different terrains and elevations.
In addition to Mr. Copperhead, We saw deer, blue herons, cranes, frogs, lizards, bison, and prairie dogs.
The Refuge also has an educational center. Despite its small size, we spent a half hour there. We were just mesmerized by a snapping turtle trying to use the red lure on his tongue to capture a fish. Unfortunately for the little fish, Mr. Turtle was successful. Here he is right after he enjoyed his afternoon snack. The food chain and cycle of life just amazes me. One species must die so another may live.
I was disappointed that I did not see any armadillos along the trails, even though they supposedly live in the area. Ironically, they have no known predators, yet all the armadillos I have ever seen were dead. Apparently they had experienced close encounters with chrome bumpers!
Mom has started researching jobs for the Spring of 2017. We determine what state we wish to visit and then she seeks out jobs in that area. The winning state for 2017 is Wyoming. My parents like to firm up their work assignments in the Fall, although we have found many employers wait until January to advertise/hire. We shall see how things gel out.
Well, I'm off to enjoy my bedtime snack of cheese and crackers. Talk to you soon!
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