Monday most of the gang here got together and went to a place called Bar D Chuckwagon. It is a different kind of restaurant where they prepare the food ahead of time based on the reservations. Then they run everyone threw the serving line at one time. They can serve 700 people in about 30 minutes. You get a choice of Steak, Chicken, or Bar-B-Que beef along with potato, beans, biscuit, apple sauce and cake. It was almost too much to eat but the young guys with us were more than willing to help anyone who couldn't clean their plates. They even let you go back for seconds if there's anything left after everyone has gotten their food . After everyone eats and takes their dishes to the galley, they put on a show. They have a band called the Bar D Wranglers. They were really great and everyone had a great time. They played mostly old Country Western with some of their own stuff thrown in. They've been together for a long time and in the off season when the restaurant is closed, they tour the country. They've even performed at the Grand Old Opre. The place is pretty expensive but management at Durango Riverside Resort worked some deal with them for free stays at the campgrounds, so we all got in free.
Things here at the campgrounds have been about the same. We're pretty busy but haven't been totally full since the 4th of July but close. As we mentioned, for some reason Dharma has not been her quiet self, content with laying outside on her pad watching the activities. She's started barking when she can't see us. Don't know if it's the meds she's on causing some separation anxiety or what so we're trying something new. She's going with us. She usually likes to go for rides in the truck but the golf cart is something different. We really have to coax her to get her to get in and then we usually have to lift her back end onto the seat. she rides OK after we get her on. Then we take her pad and put it down where we're cleaning and she lays and waits for us. She's OK as long as she's with us. Maybe it's just that she's getting old and gets afraid easier. Who knows.
Today was a big day here. The first of two new cabins arrived from Northern Colorado where it was built. It was supposed to be here Wednesday but didn't make it for some reason. The guy that owns this campgrounds also owns the company that built the cabin. I think it's size took management here by surprise. It is a lot larger than anything currently here. To save money, the plan was to park it where it was going and then jack it up and drive the truck out from under it instead of lifting it off with a crane. That didn't exactly work. The thing was so big they couldn't just drive the truck where it was going. Since the roads are pretty narrow and there are lots of trees, they had a real problem. This tree is in the middle
of the road in front of the cabins at the south end of the park right across from where this cabin was going. After screwing around trimming off branches to get around it, they finally had to cut down the whole tree. When they did, they didn't cut it close enough to the ground and the truck got stuck on it while trying to maneuver into position to back up. Then it started our daily rain, only today it wasn't just the usual light 15 minute sprinkle but about 30-45 minute downpour. So in the middle of the rain, they're trying to trim the stump to ground level. By now half the campgrounds along with Todd the owner was watching all the fun. They finally got the cabin parked and jacked up and the trailer out from under it. But it is about 10 feet to the side of the foundation so they'll have to come back Monday to slide it over. The truck driver told Todd he better get a crane for the next one. I'm glad we're off Monday because I wouldn't want to miss that fun. The trailer they brought it on had 12 tires, 3 set of tandems on each side. When they got it out, one tire on the inside left axle was totally destroyed because both the front and rear spring shackles had broken destroying the rim and tire. Oh what fun. Stay tuned for the next episode.