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Borrego Springs, CA

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Volunteer Appreciation Week

Apparently this is National Volunteer Appreciation Week.  It was decided that today the volunteers on this refuge would be appreciated by having a Crawfish Boil in our honor.  (perhaps you can guess this northern girl’s reaction to that)

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Into the huge pots went potatoes, mushrooms, sausage, onions, jalapeno peppers, and 70+ pounds of live crawfish.

_MG_7417Lots of seafood boil spices were added as well.  There were two pots.  One was labeled spicy, and the other mild for those of us with less tolerant palates.  That was thoughtful.

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While everything is boiling around in there, a special paddle is used to stir things up.  Crawfish season has just begun, and these were some of the first ‘mud bugs’ of the year.  This was my second crawfish boil that I have been to.

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Since Diana and I were working the VC today, we helped get things ready.  We both helped set up the tables and chairs, and Diana went with Doug to get all of the ingredients.  Fellow volunteer Don cleaned the pots and got the water boiling.  Diana also prepped all the ingredients for the boil while I manned the front desk.  We had quite a few visitors today.  By the time Doug came to relieve us so we could partake, there were no seats left at the tables.  They were filled by staff members, interns, and three volunteers.

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So, we went outside and dug out our eats from coolers.  Diana really likes crawfish, so she was pretty pleased.  I picked out one piece of sausage, a potato, and a piece of corn.  We ate outside near the VC back doors. 

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This was Diana’s plate.  I did manage to eat one crawfish tail, but that was it for me.  The potato and corn about burnt my lips and tongue off!   Steaming mad My favorite part of the meal was the root beer float for dessert.  I must say that I was the only person that wasn’t enthusiastic about this culinary experience.  As some others have remarked, it’s just not in my DNA.

My overall reaction to this celebration is that I could have lived without it.  Aside from the fact that I wasn’t crazy about the menu, the volunteers did almost all the work in the preparation of this meal.  (Doug, the volunteer coordinator did do the cooking)  Two of the fire crew also sought Diana and I out to say thanks for volunteering, but in general I just felt it was a ‘feed’ for staff.  Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky, but to my way of thinking if you are going to honor people you don’t have them do the work and you make a place for them to sit and be appreciated.  Enough said.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

30 comments:

  1. A Texas native here who plans to live and die without ever having eaten a crawfish! Yuck! Agree with you about those who are being "honored" having to do the work, and not even having a place to sit!! Do love your blog. Look forward to it every day! Rose

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  2. I agree with you 100%. I wanted to ask what crawfish tastes like, as compared to other kinds of seafood, but I guess you are not the person to ask. I don't like lobster at all (too sweet) but shrimp is heavenly! I might have thought crawfish taste like shrimp?

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  3. Well, it was a nice thought, but I agree with you about the execution. Looking at Diana's plate, I think I would rather just move straight to the root beer floats. Not in my DNA either!!

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  4. I'm with you 100% Judy - on all accounts. I did enjoy our shrimp boil that the volunteers had for themselves last year.

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  5. I can see where being a volunteer can be fun on many levels:)

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  6. They want to show their appreciation for all your hard volunteer work so they feed you bugs??? Do they think you're frogs or something???

    If they really want to show appreciation, they should double your salary.!

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  7. Ah, yes.... we Northerners do not "get" some of that Southern delicacy. Now BBQ or Po'boys and i am there :)

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  8. George Stoltz said

    I'd call it disingenuous. How can they equate thanks by offering you food you don't care for and not even a place to sit down. You are not cranky. But you are a Yankee.

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  9. We like crawfish but only the lazy way, just the bodies, like in etouffue or pasta.

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  10. I agree with you on all accounts.
    Sorry they could have had other food and not cooked so hot not everyone could enjoy eating. Just my 2 cents

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  11. The meal wouldn't have been to my taste either....even a good pizza would have hit the spot better.

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  12. dinner looks interesting?..not too sure about the craw-fish, either?

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  13. I would have had to bring my own salad to that party. I agree that they should have made a place at the table for you and Diana. You are the volunteers. Sheesh.

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  14. May I have two floats, please ... one as my dinner and one as my dessert. I don't get how this becomes an "appreciation for volunteers" if so much of the prep work was done by them. Sorta like some of the potlucks I've been to.

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  15. Your thinking is right on. If it was meant to be for volunteers, you should have been the guests of honor. Instead of calling it a Volunteer Appreciation, perhaps they should have named the festivities an All Staff Crab Boil. I wouldn't eat the darn things either. Give me a hot dog!!

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  16. No you are not just getting cranky. 1st off not all people can handle spicy food, my stomach would revolt. And as far as crawfish..no way. when we were kids we would catch 'crawdads' in the ditches, couldnt even phathom eating them, yuck. Its comparable when I've had to cook dinner for my family on mothers day....I'd rather have a mcdonalds hamburger somebody went out and bought that cooking my own mothers day meal....Dont think anyone was being malicious about the appreciation dinner, they just didnt think.

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  17. I don't eat anything with the legs still attached..not even a whole lobster...Yes, the word appreciation is a meaningful one...If you have to set up and man your own "appreciation" party, what's the point?? Taking y'all out for po'boys where NO ONE has to cook might have been a better option...Is there a suggestion box?

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  18. I agree Judy! If it's Volunteer Appreciation Day the staff should be doing the cooking! And yes enough tables and chairs to go around! Oregon State Parks does it that way! The Rangers made a
    wonderful Rib BBQ luncheon for us last September up at Bullard's Beach State Park. Maybe that's why we're headed their next! They treated us very well as volunteers!
    Oh I could have gone for Diana's plate! I became addicted to crawfish 2 years ago while in the south!

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  19. I love crawfish...but wish they had a bit more meat on them. Takes so many to fill me up. We had a shrimp boil with shrimp and chicken and all the fixin's. It was delicious. Crawfish isn't for everyone so maybe the BBQ would be a much better choice. Sorry you didn't like the meal but Thank You for being an awesome Volunteer! I truly enjoy reading about your adventures. Enjoy your week. ~wheresweaver

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  20. You're not old and cranky...you are right.

    That didn't look the least bit appetizing to me either. Good thing for the root beer float.

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  21. I used to go seining(sp?) with my Dad for Kansas crawdads for him to use for bait to catch some awesome catfish! That was close enough for me to those things! And the spices...N.O. thank you!!!

    I very much appreciate you and the others that spend their time volunteering to educate the visitors to our beautiful areas along so many roadsides!!! Well... mostly YOU!!! And, I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment about how an appreciated person should be shown appreciation! I also bet most if not all of those sittin down were younger than you, right? Manners, people, manners!!!!! Teach your children well!!!!!

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  22. Agree with you on all counts Judy. Anything labeled "mud bugs" doesn't need to be on my plate either and not even offering the volunteers a seat is tacky in the extreme.

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  23. And you serve something each of them will appreciate! No crawdads for me, either, thank you vey much! Not the spice either. I wouldn't even have had the sausage. In fact, I probably wouldn't have shown up until the root beer floats came out and maybe not even then since this event as you describe it would certainly not have made me feel appreciated. :(

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  24. Few things I appreciate more than a woman who speaks her mind. This is one of the things I love about your blog. And like the others, I don't think you are cranky, I think you are right. Some appreciation if volunteers do all the work for the "appreciation" and then there is no room at the table for them to sit and eat food they didn't have a say in choosing. Hope the staff also reads your blog!

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  25. Don't blame you for your feelings about how the volunteers were treated (or not treated). If they appreciate you, they should do the work, not you.
    We are in our 14th season of volunteering and realize some places just don't get it. They say they can't do without volunteers while treating you like a bother or excess baggage. I guess the reward has to be in what we get out of what we do and in what we do for others, expecially the public.

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  26. I don't think you are old and cranky, I think your right! I've never had crawfish, they don't look that appetizing but I will have to try them someday.

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  27. None of that seafood stuff for this guy. Just give me a good old bowl of Cheerios & send me on my way...

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  28. Being a Cajun from south Louisiana, I love crawfish. That said, I also realize many people do not enjoy them. Volunteers in the south are usually not from the south and a crawfish boil may be interesting yet not appetizing. There should have been something else offered along with the crawfish. The volunteers should not have been asked to do preparation or clean up for the meal. If this was “volunteer appreciation” then show appreciation and honor the volunteers! I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it each day.

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  29. Oh yecch. That's it, Judy, I'm posting composting toilet pictures!

    That's bogus, making the volunteers cook their own "appreciation" dinner. I believe I'd do with less appreciation.

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  30. I can't shuck & suck. No way. Yuck. I love hot & spicy foods, but crawfish is off my list of edibles. And I'm with you, where's the honor of the honored having to do the work???

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