A rep from the local TYM dealer got back to me via email, so we communicated back and forth. They are going to work up quotes for various packages and get back to me, presumably tomorrow since it's almost 8 pm already.  

5 days off work and not having worked that much the week leading up to it isn't going to play out too well on my next paycheck.  I will be forced to take an owner's draw from the business account, unfortunately. I don't want to eat into the money my mom gave me.  I haven't taken much from that account this year, however and hope to keep it down quite a bit.  

I was speaking with the new people, the man is doing all kinds of work at the park.  He was contacted by a former employer asking him when he's coming back to work? He was working a golf course in Oklahoma somewhere, they lay him and others off during the winter season.  Not much of a job if you have to go find a new one every winter, but that's just my view of it. 

They are stuck here.  They have their trailer and receive a bit of money every month from a rental house they have somewhere, or so they say.  Real nice people, the man is far from lazy, I will give them free lot rent as long as they stay if the work keeps up.  I also gave them permission to take the refrigerator out of the motorcoach if they want it.  I warned them of rats and cockroaches in the unit, but I am pretty sure it still works and yes, the inside of the thing is disgusting, sorry.  I mean, this guy is the kind of person I have been looking for and I didn't even know they were interested in working around the park until after they moved in. 

I need the help, frankly.  

___________

Interlude.  Text message informing me the washing machine won't accept quarters. That thing filled up quick!  I ran over there and emptied the bins on both machines, quite the haul.  And, finally remembered to measure the blades on the riding mower, however, I took a pic of the model number of the machine so I would get the correct parts the first time.  

Those have been ordered and here between the 28th and May 2.  It was the fastest shipping I could find for the kit, everything else was going to take even longer.  Shrugs shoulders.  It will be repaired next week providing it arrives and it's all the correct stuff.  One of the things that hooks up to the pulley on the top to make the blade turn on the bottom was broken and wasn't working at all.  The blades were completely trashed. 

I knew the blades were trashed, I didn't know why the mower wasn't cutting. Taking off that deck wasn't the easiest thing in the world but it wasn't terribly difficult either.  It's that part about laying on your side, removing the pins to drop the thing off of there.  Once you get that accomplished, it just slides right out and you can put it up on it's side to inspect the bottom.  I thought about ordering a new deck - until I saw the price tag at almost $350 and said no thanks.  We'll just hope this will do it, if there are more parts needed, then so beit.  

And another 4 night stay just booked on the second lot I am using for overnighters, coming in tomorrow.  This would be great if I could get enough business on the 2 lots to keep them overnight/short stay lots.  My daily rate is the lowest in the area.  Not by too much, but enough to attract those that are staying here for local attractions or usually, something to do with one of the 3 colleges in town. Oh. Well the second overnight lot is temporary - but if it could fill up with enough reservations I would make it permanent or at least keep it open for a few months.  

I don't like charging less, but it's the only thing that has worked to get the business in there.  My reputation is slowly growing.  I still only have 10 google reviews that, that kind of sucks.  After all of these people coming and going and a number of them saying how much they like it, it would be great if they could express that to the world and let people know it's a good overnight stop or long term location. 

I'm trying to craft a path forward here.  In regards to expanding the park. It must be done and I don't want to wait forever.  I'm 60 years old, my energy is slowly dissipating and my stamina as well.  I can still work and get stuff done on the physical labor side, but it's not the same as it was 10 years ago even.  It would have been nice to have started this endeavor 10 years ago, I would be sitting pretty right now.  

I just know that I don't have until the second of never to move along with this.  30 spots total is the next goal, maybe 45 after that.  What do I need? Money of course.  But, specifically, I need septic system.  I get another one of those in the ground and I'm going to be pushing ahead to get the rest of it done.  

I can pay cash for the septic system - if I get a tractor.  If I don't get a tractor, then it's going to be difficult but  not impossible to go ahead and get this situation rolling without getting a loan. 

I have been giving this whole thing considerable thought.  Waiting for a few years to expand is not the greatest idea.  At the rate I'm going, however, that's how long it would take to save up enough money for a sizeable down payment for the loan I would need to get this all done by a contractor versus doing it myself.  

Doing it myself means I can just do 3, 4 or 5 lots at first and then just add as I can afford it.  

It's getting late and my brain is fried right now. Far too much thinking today, lots of things came at me and it was a lot to take in.  Plus the daily grind of people wanting this and that, the new people needing a refrigerator, my mother, tractor inquiries, etc.  

 Thursday mid-morning

No point leaving here until around 10:00 am.  The load time is 1 and I can show up maybe an hour early without them getting cranky about it.  I don't need to wash out the trailer, that's already been done.  Saves me quite a bit of time, actually.  I'm hoping tomorrow they will have my truck done and I can pick it up on the way back from Gurdon.  

So, out of all the replies to my inquiry about tractors and what does anyone use for their RV park, one of them stood out after I did a little research.  I've never heard of TYM tractors and I don't really know the quality of the brand, but the pricing is definitely good.  You get far more tractor for the same price as everything else that is much smaller and limited usability comparatively speaking.  So, I put in an inquiry to the nearest dealer, which is in Carthage, some 25-30 miles away.  

The only dealer in town is John Deere and frankly, I am not hearing the greatest news about them, especially when it comes to implements and the idea you can't use aftermarket stuff on them. The guy quoted 12k for a hoe attachment which is double everything else I'm seeing online.  Double. The only upside is that they are local and any issues would be much easier to deal with in taking the thing to a local store instead of driving out of town. 

One down side to a larger tractor is that I won't be able to pull it on a trailer with my SUV. Too much weight.  I can pull the smaller ones, I know that because I have done it already with renting a tractor, a bobcat and a mini-ex at the local rental store.  It's not that I want to take the tractor anywhere, but if it needs repairs, unless TYM has mobile repair truck, I'm going to face having someone to pay someone to haul it. 

Yes, I'm still about this tractor business, it's hard to get around it.  If I had one, I could just fix the driveway right now and then come back and fix it again if the next round of rain messes it up again.  I could start dirt work on the south side of the rv park getting it leveled and cleared out.  Just before a bunch of trees grow back...

And more people are lauding the virtues of the TYM brand.  I've got my request in, they are going to call some time today.  

The lady that moved out of lot 1 and just dumped all that trash around the dumpster wants to come back for her mail.  She never sent the money she said she would for the cleanup costs. My thoughts were to send her mail back to the sender, but, I dunno. I haven't replied to her yet.  I saw her buying tacos and drinks the other day at the festival - after her claims that she's completely broke.  If you're broke, you're not going to festivals spending the money it costs on food at festivals, it's not exactly low cost eating.  It's like ballpark style pricing and it sort of set me off.  

Anyway, work called a few minutes ago and informed me my load has cancelled as well as several other loads.  I figured this would happen, I didn't figure my manager would know nothing about it.  The plant had shut down, the cleanup they were doing was extensive, the tanks were almost full when I was offloading, so yes, it's not shocking they can't take product right now.  It's just that it sort of throws my entire day off.  I would be leaving here in about 15 minutes. Now? I may just do laundry all day long, there is plenty of stuff I'd like to get washed such as bedding and dog bed and stuff like that.

Meanwhile, I called my mother after finding out my load cancelled, she had some things she wanted to tell me.  Basically, her health is starting to decline.  She's almost 90 years old.  I won't go into specific details, she wouldn't want me saying such things on the internet so I won't go there.  She's got some issues, some of them sound rather serious to me, quite serious.  She is taking it with a grain of salt. 
She's at that age, she's ready to go whenever it's time.  I understand where she's coming from but it certainly isn't easy to hear such information about your own mother. 

What's next?  I dunno.  I'm sort of sitting here taking all of this in.  I'm also listening to arguments from Trump's lawyer to the Supreme Court.  They are broadcasting it on the news, interestingly enough. This is the situation with Presidential immunity and whether it applies to Trump. Actually, the SCOTUS will have to wade into unknown waters with this hearing.  It will be interesting to see how they rule on this.  But, I don't think I've ever listened to arguments being brought before the SCOTUS.  

Trump is in New York court, where the judge there said he couldn't attend the SCOTUS hearing under threat of arrest.  Would they actually arrest a former President?  I think these leftist/activist judges would, indeed, do that.  To the point I was reading in the news yesterday that Secret Service is preparing for a potential scenario where he actually is thrown in jail and how they would handle it.  I love these leftist politicians wanting to add a bill saying that any president found guilty of a felony - or whatever the wording of it is - will lose Secret Service protection.  In other words, they want this President killed. I find no other way to interpret it, they hate Trump and if you listen to some of these people, they'd rather he be dead.  It's a pathetic view of a political opponent you don't like, kill them!  Unbelievable.  

Anyway, not to get into politics too much, but what we are witnessing now is unprecedented.  

_______

I'm off work until next week. If it wasn't slated to rain 4 out of the next 5 days, I'd be getting the tractor rental and doing the driveway.  TYM tractor called back, some person that barely speaks English wanting information and then a recorded announcement: THIS CALL IS BEING RECORDED.  No thank you. I don't know if this person is actually with TYM and why do you need to record me?  They then texted me after I told them I'm not interested in being recorded (nor was I interested in "talking" with a person whose first language is clearly not English and sounds like they are IN that other country).  I'm pretty much solidified on my views of scams being so rampant, you really have to question anyone that calls or texts you when it comes to a business soliciting you for sales/work and whether they actually represent that business or if it's something a bit on the darker side of things. 

I will call the local TYM dealer and find out about financing directly.  

I decided to start laundry, at least for now. My manager just called back, the load I was going to take tomorrow is also cancelled, I wont be working until next week.