Pictures of the Refuge and Dealing with the extreme heat

September 3-4, 2010 Bill Williams River NWR

We’ve been enjoying our time off the last couple of days. However, it’s been hotter than Hades! 114 yesterday and 111 today! When it’s over 110 the deference of a few degrees is indistinguishable. With both A/Cs running we are able to keep the main area of the RV at a comfortable 77-78 during the hottest time of the day. Actually the bedroom we can keep much cooler and typically it is 72 degrees.

Yesterday I took some pictures around the facility. However, our Verizon internet coverage is very poor here. Apparently, Verizon piggybacks with other service providers and does not have their own towers in this area so it's often impossible to get on the internet with our MiFI. When we are able to get on, it often runs very slow. So, I'll come back and post the pictures when I have a speedy connection.

The Peninsula Trail leading to the two ..

fishing piers.

In the afternoon, we drove into Parker, Az about 17 miles south of us. We crossed the Colorado River and for a few moments we were in California before turning around and heading back. We did some minor shopping and then checked out the Blue Water Casino in Parker. It’s a very basic looking smaller casino with a couple of restaurants. No where near the size and majesty of some of the other tribal nation casinos we have seen or as opulent as those in Biloxi, MS.

We Left Parker and drove in to Lake Havasu to catch the movie Piranha 3D. The movie was filmed on Lake Havasu. In the movie they call it Lake Victoria. The movie was a bit of a sci-fi gory film coupled with a Girls Gone Wild atmosphere. The scenery and shots of the lake are spot on.

Today we watched as much of the UF vs. Miami (Ohio) game as we could stomach before heading into Lake Havasu City. The Gators were playing awful..we hope it’s just opening season jitters. We killed some time in Lake Havasu City visiting Walmart and driving around the city. We weren’t in a hurry to return home where we would need to sit inside due to the extreme heat and the official “extreme heat warning” from the National Weather Service. Tomorrow is expected to be much of the same with a cooling trend by mid week.

While driving around we could see that lots of people were enjoying themselves on their boats out on Lake Havasu. There are some beautiful speed boats around here. Back at the refuge we’ve seen a couple of vehicles drive in and drive out. Not exactly busy!

Survived Our First Week of Volunteering at Bill Williams River NWR

September 1- 2, 2010. Bill Williams NWR 

On our second day of volunteering, we woke early having learned that we need to get going at the break of dawn to beat the heat. So we were out the door by 6:00. I started trimming the trees around the visitor center and then moved on to the peninsula. Joyce met with the volunteer coordinator Leslie Denney inside and went over the visitor center responsibilities. Joyce eventually joined me and together we finished trimming the trees along the paths. I also repaired some areas that had eroded from the rain water run-off.

We talked to Ranger Stan who had purchased some new clippers and other items. He gave us a couple more chores, re-arranging the tool shed (when we get a chance) and putting Slime tire sealant in the tires of the two Gators. The newest Gator was down due to a flat front tire from a thorn.

After finishing the tree trimming it was time for lunch. We both took showers and cooled off. It was over 100 degrees outside!  After lunch I worked with Stan on the water pump for the water tank on one of the Gators. The water tank and pump is used as the only source of water for some of the cleaning and maintenance tasks. The pump has been inoperable since before our arrival. We weren’t able to get it working and so a new one is on order.

Later in the evening we took Maggie and Rico for a walk around the refuge area checking for inoperable solar lights. We’ve seen coyotes, beavers and  jack rabbits throughout the refuge. Also we’ve seen fish jumping and lots of birds in the lake.

Today,

We again were out by 6:00 and I jacked up the newer gator to rotate the flat tire as I put the Slime tire sealant inside of it. I put Slime in all four tires which required jacking the Gator, deflating the tires, removing the valve stems, and filling each tire with a 24 oz. bottle of Slime before re-inflating. I then installed three new water hoses around the refuge. 

Joyce and I then cleaned the pit toilets. Stan and I got the new back-pack blower going and by the end of the day I had blown off the peninsula trail. The backpack blower is much heavier than a hand-held blower and I’m sure Joyce won’t be able to use it.

Stan also showed me how to operate the solar powered water pump and which valves to turn to create enough head pressure to operate a pressure washer at the floating docks. Subsequently Joyce and I worked till afternoon pressure washing the two floating aluminum fishing docks. By then Joyce was feeling the effects of the heat and developed a headache. It took us at least 4 hrs. just to pressure clean the docks. They hadn’t been cleaned since before July 4th and according to Stan they hadn’t been cleaned properly. Stan wants the docks pressure washed on the last day of our 3 day rotations!

We called it a day put away the equipment, showered up and Joyce took a nap till the evening when her headache finally subsided. Thankfully we are off the next few days so we can beat the heat. It’s suppose to be 114 degrees tomorrow!

The other volunteer couple camped next to us are suppose to work the next three days. However, they have kind of a strange arrangement. Apparently the male half has been out of town on business for the past week and won’t be back till next week and the young woman doesn’t seem to be very engaged with doing chores as she works part time somewhere else. They will only be here for a few more weeks. Anyway, we will enjoy our time off.

We did receive some good news from Stan. Originally each volunteer was to work 32 hrs.  Apparently in response to complaints from former volunteers, they recently got clarification from their headquarters that volunteer couples only need to provide 30 hrs. combined per week (after all we are just volunteers!) The new rule works out to less than 4 hours each work day for each of us (3 days on 3 days off). So if we start at 6:00 we should be done at 10:00!  This seems more reasonable given the nature of the work. I certainly feel we’ve worked too hard this first week and we’ve put in more hours than required trying to get caught up on the neglect over the summer. I’m afraid if we don’t slow down and only work the 4 hours a day that Joyce will get burnt out as she doesn’t handle the heat well. For that matter, I also feel the affects of the heat. 

Once the other volunteer couple arrives in October, we will be alternating with them on our 3 day on 3 day off schedule to include manning the visitor center over the weekend for 4 hrs. each day. But until then the visitor center is closed on the weekends. So far we’ve only seen two fisherman come and go from the docks and have yet to see any visitors in the visitor center.

The views around here are spectacular and I’ll need to focus on taking some pictures. I think we will enjoy our stay here once the cooler weather sets in and we learn to pace ourselves!

First day of work at Bill Williams River NWR

August 31, 2010, Bill Williams River NWR
We slept good the night before with both A/Cs running all night. We got up early...at least early to us and walked over to the visitor center at 8:00. The staff had arrived at 6:30 a.m. even though the visitor center doesn't open till 8:00. We met some more staff to include the refuge Director, Dick Gilbert and one of our "handlers", Stan (I'm ashamed to say I don't know his last name).
Stan sat with us and briefly described our duties and advising we would be working a 3 day on and 3 day off schedule. He then gave us a tour of the facilities on foot.
Some or our duties include:

• Maintaining and cleaning the peninsula trail and its 3 fishing docks every work day.
• Trimming foliage
• Repairing the landscape damage caused by water run-off
• Power-washing the fishing docks once a week
• Cleaning and stocking the pit style restrooms
• Keeping a pond of endangered fish full
• Feeding and maintaining an enclosure for a tortoise
• Watering portions of the compound
• Cleaning the visitor center and offices.
• Cleaning and checking fluid levels on the vehicle fleet and taking them to town for scheduled maintenance
• Maintaining the solar powered batterie banks throughout the complex and cleaning the solar panels
• A big part of our responsibility is to be at the refuge after hours and on weekends and holidays as a security presence and to assist the public. The staff are only here Monday-Friday. The refuge, particularly the fishing docks are open 24 hrs. a day every day. 

Our heads were swimming with all that we were shown and told today. Joyce will be meeting with the volunteer coordinator, Leslie Denney tomorrow to learn about working in the visitor center. We were promised packets with contact information and more details regarding our responsibilities. After lunch Joyce and I worked on topping off the 10 solar battery boxes around the complex with distilled water.

We use an electric Gator to work around the refuge.

We finished up around 2:30 but we over did it. We both felt a bit dehydrated even though we were drinking water throughout the day. We are both task oriented and when given something to do we like to get it done! With temperatures over a hundred degrees and working in the sun..it doesn't take much to get dehydrated, develop heat stroke or heat exhaustion. In fact the staff told us later not to push it past 10:00 a.m. in the heat. We will remember that tomorrow and get an earlier start.
That evening we drove into Lake Havasu City for dinner and to do some grocery shopping. We had a very good dinner at a Mexican restaurant, Casa Serrano. Then went to Bashas' grocery store.
You know it's hot when they provide covered parking for a grocery!