Marathon........ man

We arrived at the Gate Guard yard on Saturday and on Tuesday we were assigned a gate. The oil company is Marathon Oil Company and the drillers are Big E and we have rig number 4. The crew works 7 days on (12 hour shifts) and goes home for 7 days.... so there are 2 crews that alternate..... while one's working, one is home. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
As gate guards we are usually the first to arrive at the site after the pad (place where the drilling takes place) has been built. Here we are on the day of arrival.

 

It is an old farm where cattle were raised. The current owners lease the pasture land for grazing... so our neighbors are 4 footed. AND the place comes with yard ornaments already in place.... here is a panoramic view as well as a close-up.

 

For you city folks.... cow patties !!  We step gingerly.

The large equipment started arriving the next day. Trailers for offices and housing..cranes, generators, rigging, lifts, water and sewer, lights....in other words a miniature town. The only things missing is a restaurant, grocery store and a gas station. Here is the pad before

Here is a picture of the rig assembled and ready to hoist.

 

 

And finally, ready to go to work.

 

 

We have been here for almost 7 weeks now and have settled into our routine... and so has Sydney. He likes sitting on the couch and looking out the window. From his position he can keep an eye on both the rig and the cattle.

 

We have had 5 of our dinners catered. Marathon brings in a caterer to feed everyone as a treat. We have had Texas fried steak, Cajun catfish, shrimp, chicken and a full Thanksgiving dinner. I have had 2 "cookie days"( I make cookies) on November 6th for anyone who voted, and Thanksgiving week.  I have also done 2 password days..... Halloween and Pearl Harbor Day. These little things break up the monotony for both me and the crew. As a matter of fact I have people coming to the gate asking when the next cookie day is going to be. The crew changes on Fridays, so I warned the crew that would be coming back in on Dec 7th that it would be a password day based on an event that occurred on that date in the past. One of them actually googled the date before he returned so that he would have the answer.

The longer we've been here the friendlier the cattle have become. They now come right up to the RV to graze. Here are pictures of the bulls. There are 2. We are careful around them. The females are afraid of us but the boys try to bully us.

 

 

I have recently decorated for Christmas since they are on well number 2 and they are drilling 4 on this site. The guys say they appreciate seeing holiday cheer.... but I wonder if it makes it harder to be here away from their families. They are going to deep fry a turkey for Christmas dinner and have told us they are planning on us joining them. They told me to make desert.... since they like my cookies. I am going to make 3 peanut butter pies.

Here is our Christmas tree.

 

We haven't been without incident however. We lost electricity one day only to discover that our inverter is going. We have replaced our batteries and tires..... now we need an inverter (about $2,000.00). After we leave here we will have one installed when we have our oil changed and then it's off to see the Pacific coast line.

 

 

 

 

 

Westward HO the Wagons

We left Pa Monday morning the 15th of October. Our plans are to go to Texas and work as Gate Guards for the winter and then set off sometime in the spring on a Pacific Coast tour. We have been up and down the east coast, back and forth across the Gulf Coast but haven't been near the Pacific coast yet. So 2013 is the year of California, Oregon and Washington. We may go through to the bad lands of the Dakota's (depends on how much money we have left). The plan is the suggestion of our Quartzsite companions..... more commonly known as Ray's Strays. We will be traveling with Mike and Sherry Phelps and Ray and Millie Surrett. But for now it is work time so we have the gas money to play. All 3 couples are here in Texas to work for the winter....... but I digress...... the trip down.

It was difficult saying good-by to our grandson Lukas. He is such a happy kid and a joy to John and me. Here he is with his mom Chelsea.

 

This is the first time traveling with the motorcycle on the back of the jeep, so my eyes were glued to the mirrors for the first two days till I got comfortable that it wasn't going to fall off. Here's what we look like tooling on down the road.. 

 

John's sister Bonnie was not able to make it to make it to Gina's wedding and John wanted to make a stop to see her outside of Cincinnati Ohio, so we planned our route that way. The trees in Ohio were magnificent.

When we got to Bonnie's we were surprised and delighted to also see Bonnie's youngest son Kevin who recently retired from the service and is back in school..... interested in Human Resources.

 

Our trip took us from Ohio through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and into Texas. It was pretty much uneventful and took 6 days including the 1 day stop over in Ohio. We stayed at Wal Mart each night. When we arrived at the Whistsett yard, it was full so we traveled west to the Karnes City yard to wait for an assignment.

 

Ray and Millie, upon learning of our arrival invited us to their work site for dinner. They are guarding a gate at an 8,000 acre ranch that has many wells. What a pretty place it was. We saw lots of wildlife in the short period of time we visited (about 3 hours). There was turkey, deer, road runners and cattle. Millie has seen wild pigs and also a bobcat.

They look good and are having fun.....  as usual.

 

That's about it for now. I'll update when we are settled at a work site.

 

 

 

 

And Now..... The Rest of the Story

Isn't that what Paul Harvey use to say on the radio? Well, here is the story about the rest of summer 2012. As I started in the previous blog, it was very busy so I will post pictures and only a little narrative.
Trip to Maine....wouldn't be complete without a downeast lobster boil...thanks to Millie.

 

Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park

 

Bar Harbour Harbor

 

Wine Tour of Seneca Lake New York with friends

 

New roof on the house thanks to John and Wendy Dreese, Paul Hardy, Josh and Tiff Saiers and John and me.

 

The annual Lip Rippers Chicken BBQ

 

Wine tour of Seneca Lake New York with friends

 

                    John's niece's wedding..Bride Gina and Proud Father Paul (John's younger brother)

 

Mostoller Boys.... Paul, Chris (John's son) John and Jimmy

 

 

Mr and Mrs James Vaughn

 

Our friends John and Wendy Dreese bought their first motor home and are preparing to sell their house and "hit the road".

Here is Sydney teaching his friend Sophie some of the perks of the RV lifestyle.

 

With the leaves turning gold and red, the nights getting chillier and the wandering lust creeping over me, it's time to turn tail and GO !!

 

 

Summer of 2012...... So BUSY!!

I haven't written in months..we have been busy since we arrived back home. First of all as we were within 90 miles of home, John decided to have our driveway pad widened. That meant we had to park somewhere else until our friend Darren Smith brought his equipment and some fill in for us. We stayed at a campground 7 miles away for about 5 days before arriving at the house. From there it was go, go, go.
I am going to list some of our activities with a few photos. If I narrated, as I usually do, this blog entry would be several pages long. This list is in no particular order and not everything is included...
1. Babysitting Lukas.... what a joy he is. Just started walking.

2. Dinners out with Chris, Jeremy & Chelsea & Lukas, John and Wendy.

3. New glasses for both John and myself.

4. July 4th picnic with John & Wendy, Paul Hardy and Wendy's parents

5. High school graduation party for my nephew Alex Sullivan. He's off to Penn State in the fall.

6. John & I power washed, scrapped and repainted the front porch and window moldings. 

7. Partied Hardy at Paul Hardy's western party. I made pulled pork.

8. Had both the Jeep and Yaris in to the mechanic for their yearly inspections.

9. Attended a Jeep Rally and ride in Williamsport to benefit the Wounded Warrior Program.

10. Went to the farmer's market in the near-by town of Lewisburg several times.

11. Had another yard sale weekend with John & Wendy Dreese. John was surprised at how much "stuff" we still had after last year's sale. (Actually it was mostly his things that he couldn't seem to part with last year)

12. We spent several weeks cleaning up last fall's leaves and this springs weeds from areas around the house. We were hoping we wouldn't have to do any of that with tenants in the house, but.... it seems everyone has their own definition of "upkeep".

13. My son Jeremy and his family (Chelsea & Lukas) have purchased a fixer-upper mobile home, so John and I have been spending long days rebuilding walls, kitchen cabinets and painting all six rooms. I was inside painting away... took a break and looked out the window to find the guys lounging instead of working. Isn't it just like a man !!

 

14. John worked with the "3 Old Men Construction Co" to replace the deck and front porch on John & Wendy's rental property. For those new to the blog the 3 old men are John, Paul and John. One can't see well, one can't hear well and one has a bum knee. So they figure the 3 together make one really good worker.

15. Went to the shooting range with John and Wendy to learn how to shoot the pistol we carry. Also got to shoot the AK 47......  fun!!!! Here's pistol packin Wendy...

16. I have convinced John to sell the Yaris. I can't see paying a monthly payment and insurance on a car that sits in the garage for 9 months out of the year when we travel. We have a buyer and will be completing that transaction next week. Meanwhile, John has put a down payment on a motorcycle...... remember that carrier we bought in Florida last fall..... ?
Well it seems that the cycle is a bit heavy for the Jeep so tomorrow it goes to the mechanic to have some sort of lifting mechanism applied. It never ends.
17. Replaced the floor of the coal shed. A small hole appeared during the winter and the tennants covered it with a sheet of tin.....  so we repaired it properly by placing a new floor on top of the old for extra added strength.
18. John made my bucket light and it is now hanging on the patio. In this picture you can also see our new gas grill we purchased from the proceeds of our yard sale.

Things yet to do this summer.....
1. Pick up the cycle.....  oh yeah
2. Replace the roof on the house. Before picture

 

3. Go to Bar Harbor Maine after Labor Day to visit with Millie and Ray and eat Lobster!!
4. Visit New York State wine country on a day trip with friends.
5. Attend John's niece Gina's wedding in Williamsport the middle of October
6. Have the "Rose" inspected and tuned up for our travels.
7. Have more fun !!!

 

GO......

We are on the GO.... If you are an American History buff, or are into Civil War history or follow American Indian lore, or just enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature, you must make a trip on the Natches Trace. The Trace is an early interstate highway prior to automobiles. The earlier settlers used to take their goods down the waterways from the north to the southern ports then hike back up the trace. The preserved road/path runs through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee for over 400 miles. The original was over 500 miles long and has a curious story to tell that includes robbers, Indians, mud holes, Meriweather Lewis (Head of the Lewis and Clark expedition) and many more. Here is a snapshot through the front window while driving on the Trace.

In some areas you can walk the actual path that was the Trace. We did that in several locations. Of course, John followed Sydney's example and left his mark.

The story of the Trace is told along the way at stations or should I say stands. Thats what the inns along the trail were called by the pioneers. These stands offered meals and a bed for weary travelers. Only one stand remains.... at French Camp in Mississippi.

We stayed at several campgrounds along the way. There are 3 free camping areas as well as state parks, a Corp of Engineer park and even a Thousand Trail park. We stayed at 1 free one, the Corp park and the TT. The corp park called Piney Grove had the best sites we've ever had... really large and all situated with a lake view. While wandering around I kept seeing these white buckets hanging in the trees or on hooks.

 At first I thought maybe it had to do with fishing since every third site had a boat..... but eventually I had to ask someone and learned that they were lights. The campers in this area attach a light to the inside of the bucket lid. They say it gives a nice light and doesn't attract the bugs. I'm having John make me one..... they work great!

I think we also found the friendliest campground. We stopped for a few days at the TT in Tennessee - Natches Trace. We pulled in and were setting up when Roger and Betty, our neighbors brought us dinner (cornbread salad and hot wings). There is a high number of annual campers at this facility and everyone is one big happy family. Very friendly place. Then John discovered this homemade still....

I suspect this may be the source of the "happy" attitude!!

We are still on the GO.... back to Pa. We should be there in a few days. Time to see Lucas, check the house, touch base with family and friends and so much more.

SET.......

We spent 3 days in San Antonio at Iron Horse RV. These guys were great to work with. They are not a dealership....  all they do is work on RVs. We had an oil and filter change, new air filter, belts replaced, grease job as well as have our slide problem fixed. It appears that we had a hydraulic celinoide go bad. We had to wait 3 days for the extended warranty company to approve the repair. We stayed right in the lot with full hookup while we waited.
The following morning we headed north on I 35 towards Dallas. In past years, we traveled east on Route 10, last year was route Route 80 (because we were in Yellowstone), so this year we decided to do Route 20 and hit the Natches Trace Parkway. More about that when we get there.
We stopped for a few days, at a Thousand Trails preserve that we haven't visited yet. It's called Lake Tawakoni and it is about 55 miles east of Dallas. Just like Medina Lake outside San Antonio, it is a man-made recreational area. Unlike Lake Medina it has water in it. And....Water Lilies..... thousands of water lilies.....just beautiful. Sydney and I walked the nature trails and then Syd went swimming in the lake. He hasn't had an opportunity to swim for months so he has been going every day.... and loving it.

It is a large and beautiful area and as we have found with most TT parks it has been neglected recently. There are boat slips, 2 pools, 2 recreation buildings (one designated "family" and one designated "adult only") and all the usual recreational games. Golf carts are almost a necessity here because the place is so large. We ran across this one that John immediately coveted....

They do like their Jeeps in Texas.... even golf cart size.

One of the reasons we stayed here for a few days is because 20 some miles from here is the largest Flea Market in Texas and supposedly the world. It encompasses over 200 acres on a daily basis. But in May and October it is even bigger. We spent most of Saturday walking around it in 95 degree heat. I was exhausted by the end of the day. And, yes Ray, there were plenty of idiots who brought their dogs to walk around in that heat among all those people.

 We carry 3 propane tanks in the RV, so John bought a charcoal grill. So after John goes to the store to buy a bag of charcoal, we are going to grill steaks for dinner tonight. Tomorrow morning we are set to head out for Mississippi and the Natches Trace.

.

Ready....

Yes, we are still alive and kicking. It has been so long since I've written a post, I'm sure someone was wondering. Well, our first rig gig is now history. On Wednesday May 23rd we were told by PXP (Plains Exploration & Production) that our services were no longer needed. So here we are in the Gate Guard Services yard in Karnes City.

We will be staying here until Tuesday after Memorial Day, when we will travel north to San Antonio to have regular maintenance (Oil change, new filters and fix a small leak in our hydraulic slide) done on the RV prior to our trip east and north to Pa. This company (Gate Guard Services) is really nice to work for. Everyone is friendly and helpful.

Now a recap of our experience.

We learned about the process and stages of bringing an oil well into production. We watched a production pad go from a blank slate...

to a completed entity.

We watched 20 to 25 oil tankers per day fill up. Each tanker holds 185 barrels of oil. SO....185 barrels X 20 tankers = 3700 barrels per day X 7days a week = 25,900 barrels per week X $95.00 per barrel = $2,460,500.00 per week. And that's a low estimate.

I think the hardest part of the job was boredom. Because you do the same thing day in and day out the boredom can get to you unless......

You build a rock garden to tend......

or watch John sleep as the oil tankers pass him by....

or count the number of bugs that are attracted to the lights.

Also you can make games to play with the drivers such as...
          Password - On Mothers Day the pass word to leave the gate was "Mother". I reminded them all to thank a mother in their life.
          Toll - One day I told them that the following day there would be a toll because I was out of Klondike Bars.....  I actually got 3 Klondike bars and half a pizza the next day.

Probably what we will remember most are the people themselves. The guys who were gracious enough to play along with my many games, the neighbors who brought us baked goodies to eat (Cheryl), Rosco the dog who kept running away from home to visit us and the landowners Art and Albert Garcia who told us a little bit about the history of the land and the community...... thank you!