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Thursday, October 17, 2013

Gatehouse Cleanouts

At every campground at J.Strom Thurmond Lake is a gatehouse where campers check in and pay for their sites. 

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Because there is low demand for campsites this late in the season, most of the campgrounds are closed, leaving just one open all year.

Most of the closed campgrounds are in outlying areas, quite a way from towns.  To prevent vandalism and theft of the electronic equipment in each gatehouse, it must be inventoried and removed to safe storage.

We drove way out to a couple of campgrounds with a COE ranger to inventory the equipment.  The ranger called out the numbers to Marti to check off on an inventory sheet.

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After all the equipment was accounted for, we wrapped up all the cords,

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packed up the small equipment,

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and loaded it in the truck.

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Now the gatehouse is almost ready to be closed for the winter.

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One final item had to be removed, the pass return box.

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Even these have been known to disappear over the winter.  :cO

Once we removed all the equipment, we drove over to the Strom Thurmond Dam.

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Inside the dam, the COE has a climate controlled storage room where we unloaded all the equipment.  It was amazing to be inside the dam, it is huge.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures, so here is one I found on the Internet of the turbine room with one turbine being overhauled.  All the turbines were in working condition today.

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We ended our work day and work week with actually accomplishing something.  Next week, it might be back to pin hunting, so we’ll have to be happy with today’s results.  ;c)

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

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11 comments:

  1. Isn't it amazing that whenever you aren't allowed to take pictures you can always find them on the internet?

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  2. Another fun productive day you had, gotta love the variety of chores.

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  3. Just think of all the experience you are gaining...that resume is growing;o)) Had no idea what it looked like inside the dam as we walked over it last July!!!

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  4. What a variety of jobs you are getting to do. Kind of hard to call it work when it's so interesting. Carry on!!

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  5. Your job sounds interesting. Cool to be inside the dam, too!

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  6. Hmm. I wonder what people would use a Pass Return box for? There are a lot of repurposing/crafting people out there but I would like to think they're honest and buy their own box :)
    I must agree with some of the others. Your "job" sounds like fun!

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  7. At least you're having fun doing the work you wanted to do. I wonder now what they'll do without you when your time is up.

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  8. I can't wait to see you go back and re-install all those computers, cables, wires and printers etc. That's going to be a great blog!!

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    1. I'm hoping that we won't be here in the spring to do that. I'd have to leave things like that up to experts like you. Remember, my favorite tool to fix things is a hammer! :cD

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  9. I've never been able to grasp that, "Can't take pictures" thing. I was once chastised (only briefly, 'cause I was considerably more intimidating than our tour guide) for taking a picture inside Prague Castle. You had to have a "license". Please. Sounded to me like a means of taking money for people for no particular reason. And then...there's always the internet.
    Fun to take stuff apart. I think the putting back together thing might be a different story.
    Just a hunch.

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