Week one started at a campground in southwestern Ohio called Stonelick State Park.
Stonelick is a campground that Whitney and I have been going to for over a year. A couple things that we love about this campground is that it is small for a state park, and it is very quiet and relaxing. There are acres of Hiking trains and public hunting open to Squirrel and Whitetail deer. There is also a lake that is open to fishing and kayaking.
Because of my love for this park I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back, so I decided to perform my volunteer work at the park while I stayed. State parks really struggle this time of year because their summer help returns to school and leaves them shorthanded. There is a lot on the to-do list before the winter months. I started out working with a gentleman named James. Some of our duties consisted of preparing the bathhouses and shower houses for the winter months as well as cleaning them. We also picked up garbage on the hiking trails and around the campground, and ground down tree stumps with a stump grinder.
The next couple of days I worked with a gentleman named Mike. Mike was not a state employee but a Camper Host. Mike is a retired Machinist from Goshen, Ohio. His job is to complete task around the campground for a total of at least 20 hrs. a week. In return his camping is free for the entire season. This will be my retirement job one-day 😊. Mike and I spent most of our time cleaning up all the grindings from the stumps James and I had ground out the other days. It is amazing how many loads of wood chips come from one stump. Through our efforts there are still over 100 stumps left to grind thanks to emerald ash borer.
My time at stone lick was not all work. In the evenings I was able to spend time with Whitney, after she returned from work. I was also able to enjoy one of my hobbies, cooking over a fire.
This was a wonderful experience and I am very thankful to have been able to start my sabbatical at one of my favorite state parks.
This last picture was of our first trip to Stonelick in 2016.