Preparing for Summer

     This is the time of year where I seem to make lists upon lists of things to do before the season.  I never really want the snow to go but I really want the open water again.  I love our winter privacy yet long to see past guests and meet new ones too.  Whether we’re ready or not, summer will be here before we know it.

     I have lots of things to do before the summer starts.  One of which is to figure out who will be a part of the Voyageur Crew this summer.  It usually involves numerous phone interviews and reference checks but this year has been different.  I have four of my female crew members from past seasons wanting to return and last year we only had three total females on our staff.  I have three guys wanting to return plus a guy who worked for our neighbor last summer and another guy friend of one of our crew is looking for a job.  Last year we only had three guys too.  Will I over staff for this summer and plan to get lots of extra work in?  I’m not quite sure yet, we’ll have to see. 

    I suppose how many people we hire for the summer will depend upon the housing situation.  Last May all four of our staff cabins burned down during the Ham Lake Fire and we have yet to rebuild.  That’s another project for this spring, building staff housing before they arrive in May.

     Then there are the items for the store that need to be ordered.  I’ve ordered most of the t-shirts and sweatshirts that I need but I still have many souvenir items left to order.  Stuffed animals, candles, Big Sky Carver and numerous other items are needed for our guests who want to bring something home after their trip.

     That’s just a few of the things I need to think about before preparing for this summer.  I know there are more, my 5 page list says so, but I don’t want to make my computer crash by entering them all into the blog.  If you want to help us prepare for summer then let us know, we can always use the extra hands for building, yard work, cleaning and many other things.  Just let us know and if we have a lodge unit for you to stay in and you have some time on your hands then you can help us get ready for the summer.