This year, I decided to volunteer at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center (OVC) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you were looking forward to pretty pictures of elk, you'll be disappointed. Hopefully the experience and stories will be just as good.

To volunteer to work behind the desk, Florie, the ranger in charge of volunteers, required two to three days of training. So I showed up today in my brown pants, expecting to get a regulation beige short-sleeve shirt. Instead I was given a long-sleeve shirt. I looked around and sure enough, all the rangers had on long-sleeve shirts - their winter uniform. No hats, inside.

This is a more formal volunteer job than last year's starting with lots of forms to fill out. Then a discussion on how volunteers in the park are treated as unpaid staff. That may sound harsh as you read it but I interpreted it as I can work up to any responsibility I can handle.

I have to be at the desk from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. So I learned how to behave at the desk. First, you stand - no sitting, no leaning, no hands in pockets ... ready to greet visitors as they come in the door. And even with rain and the construction, there were visitors.

The joke is that the most asked question is "Where's the bathroom?" but not today.

Two Japanese couples were upset to learn that they couldn't buy a meal in the park. There isn't even a covered picnic shelter. They would have to eat in Cherokee or Gatlinburg. Of course, we, at the desk, couldn't recommend a restaurant. I would have loved to tell them about Tribal Grounds,  a fantastic coffee shop in Cherokee. I got a cup of coffee on the way in and they are going to be a regular stop on the way to OVC.

A British couple wanted to hike on the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap. I discouraged that since there's still ice and snow up there and they didn't have hiking boots. Instead I suggested the Smokemont Loop and they seemed happy with that.

But mostly visitors wanted to know the weather in great detail. 70% chance of rain just wasn't enough.

While I talked to visitors, other staff and Great Smoky Mountains Association folks, we were being fenced in. When I arrived at OVC, I was able to go in the front entrance. But the construction for the new visitor center has started. They fenced in a much larger area than just the footprint of the new building because they were going to change the pattern of the walkways. Now the main entrance will be on the side of the building.

While all this construction is going on, visitors will still be able to go to the Mountain Farm Museum; they're just going to have to walk through the field and come around. The same to go on the Oconaluftee River Trail. I'm glad because my goal is to take visitors hiking and show them that it's OK to get off the pavement.

And I left with homework - a book to read and a whole folder of maps and pamphlets to go through. This volunteer work is serious business.