We're having a fairly quiet period presently. The oil well on our site is between operations, and much of the production in the area is somewhat limited because of hunting season. We've had a few hunters but have yet to see any game taken. Still, no matter how busy (or not), we're stuck at the gate and have to rely on TV and Internet to know what's going on in the world. Got to say I'm glad the political campaign is over. Not that the results are what we were hoping for, but, oh well. We got to vote - and even got out ballots back to WA in time for election day.

 

 

No matter where we are we always do a little gardening. Our tomatoes are in 5 gallon buckets, and as of late November have already produced some ripe fruit. The sorghum (milo) is meant for the birds, but as you can see this beefer decided that it might be a decent snack. Took him about two minutes to clean out this patch.

Our links to the outside world. On left, Direct TV dish antenna; closeer, our Hughesnet dish for internet. Both work quite well. I've got to work out the issue of how to transport the Hughes dish, but I think I have it figured out and will post the solution at a later date. Don't have to move for a while, so it won't happen any time soon.

Almost every day we have a flock of wild turkeys pass by. This group numbered 36 but they weren't all packed together at one time. They were spread out over a couple hundred yards. It seemed like the end of the parade would never come, but it did and they moved on. Since we can't go very far to see things it's nice that things come to us for our entertainment.

 

 

It will soon be December - Pat has all the Christmas decorations up so our house has a Christmas atmosphere. The weather remains very mild and pleasant, there has been almost no rain, and the work is easy and quite pleasant. Kind of like wilderness camping. And the best part is that we're getting paid to do it. 

Back in Texas - for a while

As you all know, we took the month of September off and went to Illinois and Minnesota to see kids and grandkids. Now we're back in Texas for a longer haul. At least five months living off the grid at a southern Texas oil well.

We're near Tilden, Texas if you're inclined to check it on a map. Tilden is south of San Antonio. Our Direct TV dish is tuned to the SA stations as our local stations, and that works pretty well. For phone and internet we rely on Verizon. Even with our cell booster 20 feet in the air we can only occasionally "hear you now". Reception is terrible, and for that reason our updates to this blog will become even more infrequent. Right now I'm in Pleasanton TX, 35 miles north of Tilden, where we can get a decent enough signal to do some internet work. So, bear with us.

Went out yesterday morning to shut off the lights and found racoon tracks, muddy, on our outside electric oven as well as on the back door. They couldn't reach the door handle, otherwise we might have had night visitors. And, if it isn't the racoons at the door it's the coyotes. We keep a close eye on the dog girls any time they are outside, even during the day.

So, check back with us often and you might get lucky with a new posting. And, especially, let us hear from you. Thanks for looking.

One of the many deer that live where we are. Usually, they come by in groups of 3 or 4 - any time of the day, and all through the night.

Likewise with the coyotes, this is one of a pack of 4 that comes by frequently.

As you can see, the deer have no fear of our home or TV dish.

Taking September Off

We've been working as gate guards in the Texas oilfields for nearly four months and have decided we need a break, so we're taking the month of September off.

We started with five days at Port Aransas on Mustang Island where we got reacquainted with the town, walked on the beach, and just relaxed. From there we took our RV to a repair shop in Channelview, near Houston, for some warranty repairs, then headed to Fort Worth to visit Joan and Jerry Martin and pick up some stuff we had in storage. That took all of a day, and then we were off to Illinois for a few days with son Steve and daughter Angel. Steve lives in Mascoutah IL which is right next door to Scott Air Force Base, a place we frequent at least once a year. The timing was right for us to take in the air show at Scott. The Air Force Thunderbirds were the main attraction this year. We also made a visit to Grant's Farm (home of the Busch Clydesdale horses).

After a week with Steve we headed northward. We had planned to spend two nights with Angel but Pat was getting more ill by the mile so we only stopped in Roscoe long enough to have dinner and then plodded on to Saint Paul. It was a long day on the road - well over 15 hours. Got to Melanie's around 2 am and crashed. Up in the morning to take Pat to a doctor. Diagnosis: pneumonia! She got some cough medicine with codeine that made her very drowsy and a nuclear-strenght antibiotic. Between the two meds Pat got some relief and now, five days later, she is (almost) back to normal. It's a good thing, because we will be leaving Minnesota on Monday, which is only one day away.

Headed back to Texas to try to fit in a quick visit to our dentist in Fort Worth; then back to Houston to pick up our home, and then back to southern Texas to resume the gate guard job. We have liked the gate guard job a lot. Yes, it's remote, somewhat primitive, very repetetive, but easy work. And it pays very well. We have stocked up on yarn, material, wood for carving, and books to read. We'll be able to keep ourselves very busy this winter.

"Blue Moon" at Port Aransas on the Gulf of Mexico

Camel at Grant's Farm in St. Louis. Is she wearing lipstick?

 

Air Force Thunderbirds performing at Scott AFB air show.

Dave with Army trainer found at Scott AFB. It just like the trainer I used for my primary flight training (over 50 years ago). The plane was a lot newer then, but so was I. It's based on the Aeronca tandem seat tail dragger. Has a whole 65 hp engine. And for you readers who fly, or have flown, this model has NO flaps and that makes for some interesting landing during hot weather.

Texas, Summer 2012

We're spending this summer working as gate guards in the southern Texas oil country. Our site is about 70 miles south of San Antonio. The road from the nearest highway is called a "bionic" road. I guess that means no maintenance  'cause it is just about the worst road on the planet I have so far encountered. Fourteen miles of dust and bumps.
The property we are at is owned by Steve Austin - the Steve Austin of wrestling fame, formerly, and now a movie and TV actor. We've met him, and his wife, and they are pleasant people.
In order to get cell phone service and internet we had to buy a Wilson Signal Booster and set it up on a pole on top of the house. It's blowing in the wind, but we can at least use the phone and computer again. Beats driving 50 miles to find a signal.
Weather has been pretty dry and hot. Temps up to 110, with many days running 100+.

Horned toad that hangs around our house. Is this what Texas sun does to you?

Driving down the "bionic" road. The sign says, "do not grade, the road will destroy your blade".

These guys, and more, visit our house day and night. Their slimy noses make prints on the house.

One of the well heads on the ranch. The wells here produce mostly natural gas, but there is some oil. Two additional wells are scheduled to be drilled here this summer. In talking with the oil workers we find that all the leases currently in production and development were granted during the Bush presidency. There have been NO new leases under Obama. In fact, Obama's administration through agencies and regulations have been trying to delay and/or shut down production that is currently under way. This blog is not political but I find it interesting that the workers we talk with, mostly Hispanic (Tex-Mex) have no time for Obama.

So, if you have an RV and want to work a bit there are jobs here begging for workers. Truck drivers, well workers, welders, and of course, Gate Guards. Come on down. As a gate guard all your utilities are provided, except propane. Plus, you can make about $4500 a month.

After we left California and headed for Texas we had some "issues" with our new Cedar Creek RV. Won't bore you with the details, but it took a little longer to get to Fort Worth than we expected. Then we left the RV at a dealer for fixin' while we went to Illinois and Minnesota. Our home was good as new when we got back to pick it up. THEN we went immediately to our job site near Tilden TX, about 70 miles south of San Antonio, but completely OFF the grid. No cell phone, no internet, no power, etc. We rely on a diesel generator for power and a 300 gallon water tank for water. The job is a breeze, but the living conditions are, well, remote. 50 miles to the nearest shopping, which is where I am at the moment because the internet is here.

Easy work, good pay. If any of our RV friends would like a similar job just let us know and we'll put you in touch with the company.

We're surrounded by wildlife so take extra precauctions when we take the dogs out, especially at night.

We no longer have to pick up the doggy-do because we have an abundance of Dung Beetles. You can't believe how efficient they are. How cool is that?

This is "home". Don't know how long we'll be here, but we have to be someplace. Everything is provided for us, plus GOOD pay.

We thought we had A resident road runner, but as it turns out we have no less than SIX of them. They hunt around and under our RV all the time. No fear of us - they almost seem friendly.

This little guy crawled across my compass when I was setting up the satellite dish. Got close enough to see he is missing a leg. Still moved pretty well in spit of only having seven.

OK, that's all for now have to get the shopping done and get back to the oil well.

Can't believe it was February when we last posted a new entry. Been busy, but that's all over now as our job has ended at Glamis North KOA and we will be on the road heading east tomorrow, Tuesday, May 1.

Here are some photos from the recent months in California.

The desert is a remote and hostile landscape. This is what's left of a military jet fighter that crashed near our campground more than a few years ago.

You can't see his face, but trust me this is Allen Solstad, our down-the-street neighbor. When this pic was taken we were cruising along a ridgeline with nothing but space all around us. No cell service here.

The entire campground got paved this spring. We had trucks hauling blacktop for three weeks. BIG JOB, but well worth it.

This jail cell is at the Historical Museum at El Centro, Imperial County, CA. Pat let me out.

Pat with some of our friends and neighbors in one of the hot mineral therapy pools. Pre-set temperature is "about" 104 degrees.

End of season gathering for a chili feed at the desert oasis. This is an annual event.

Railroad Trestle with "someone" hanging out over the Bradshaw Trail. Who says ATV types don't have a sense of humor?

Tractor dance during the paving project. Terry's tractor is missing a wheel and Cal is trying to move him to a clear area so a new tire can be put on. You would have had to be there to really appreciate this.

A piece of yet another airplane wreck. This one happened about 25 years ago.

This old hippy house in the desert is known locally as "Hotel California". With a little fixing, it could still be used as a home, as crude and remote as it is.

Molly, shortly after surgery. She swallowed a rock that, we think, blocked her gi tract causing her to bloat. Thought for sure we were going to lose her, but the vet pulled her through and she is on the road to recovery.

Sue Rasmussen and Pat checking out a mud pot near the Salton Sea. The pots bubble and shoot mud into the air, and as it flows down the side it resembles lava - but it's not that hot. Sue and Wayne stopped to stay with us for a couple of days enroute to their summer workamper job in Idaho.

And with these events we bid farewell to our winter neighbors and friends. Pat and I will be in Texas for a few days, then on to Illinois and Minnesota for a couple of weeks and then back to Texas for our summer job. Stay tuned. I'll try to do better in coming months.

Fresh Veggies

We try to find something of interest to do each week. This week we attended a University of California Extension program called FARM SMART. As you may know, we are in the Imperial Valley of California which is sometimes called the salad bowl of the nation. Agriculture is big business here. It's amazing how well things grow in the desert - if they have water. And they do have water, brought here from the Colorado River by a canal system.

The UC Center is located about 7 miles east of El Centro CA on 255 acres of level desert.

Workamper volunteers live on-site and help with the program activities. They have three wagons pulled by tractors to take the participants from the Center to the fields. Straw bales on the wagon are the seats.

Dave with a daikon radish. We got to pick a variety of vegetable crops to take home. Each of us got a sack (like the orange one on the right) to fill and take home. We brought home cabbage, lettuce, daikon radish, beet greens, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Pat picking cabbage. The guy with the trim knife is one of the Workamper volunteers. He also drove the tractor for our wagon.

Dave doing the siphon tube thing. It's not as easy as they make it look, but Dave was successful in getting a tube to flow. In some types of irrigation the siphon tubes are used to transfer water from the canals to the fields.

Provided lunch was a large plate of chef-type salad that we munched in the shade of a large pine tree while some of the staff provided lunch hour entertainment. The lady with the guitar is Nancy Robertson, Extension director of the FARM SMART program.

Dave holding his "Siphon Hose" award and gift cup with ice cream at the conclusion of the day's event. There were about 200 people, mostly senior citizens, in our tour group.

The next morning was taken up, in large part, by the processing of some of the veggies for freezing. For sure, this week we're having a lot more salad and fresh veggies than we usually do. And since our micro garden is now producing red, ripe tomatoes at the rate of about 2 per day along with zucchini our salads have definitely improved.

We'll let you know what happens next week.

Winter is almost over

Today is February 17, and we're feeling like "winter" is nearly over. I put " around winter because we have a hard time realizing that we really are in the winter months. The California low desert is perhaps the finest climate zone we have ever lived in, at least the winter part of it.

Last week we took a tour of a new, almost completed, solar energy farm near Niland. The farm has been under construction for about a year. Some of the workers, and the supervisor, live in our RV park and they provided some of our senior citizen residents with the tour. Within sight of where we are for the season we can see geothermal power plants, natural gas power plants, and solar power systems. To the north of us is the largest assemblage of wind turbines we have ever seen. Lot of alternative energy here.

This was the first time we've ever been so up close and personal with a solar energy farm. Very impressive, and if it performs like the owners are hoping it will be a showcase of how to make electricity where the sun shines. And it does shine here! We've been getting some return from our garden since January, but the tomatoes are now turning red.

Here is part of our group waiting to be escorted through the solar panel array. This farm is about 140 acres and contains about 100,000 panel assemblies.

A view of some of the solar panels, all of which, they apologized, were made in China

Guard shack at the gate to Five Star Electric.

Pat with some of our garden produce on Feb 17.

Our garden is not covered in any way (it almost never freezes here), but we do have drip irrigation installed throughout. 80+ is typical daytime temp for Jan/Feb.

This is Presidents' Day weekend, one of the busiest for our campground. I think we are pretty much filled to capacity for the next three days. Pat is working in the office and restaurant. I have the day off, but am on-call. So far, just enjoying the day and getting some personal chores done.  Stay tuned. More next week.

More of summer 2011

After the Grand Canyon and Pat's trip to Minnesota it was on to California and Yosemite. From there, we continued westward to San Francisco for a visit to daughter Lyn and her family in Novato. Then we continued up the California and Oregon coast to Washington, seeing things we had never before encountered. Talk about scenic overload! Regrettably, one of the reasons we're so late with our blog updates is because of a photo problem. Actually, it's a computer problem. My laptop "crashed" and I don't have all of the pix from the last six months recovered yet. Doing the best I can with what there is to work with.

One of the incredible mountain lake/waterfall scenes in Yosemite National Park.

Lyn's family in Novato CA. Noah, Lyn, Hayden, and husband, Joe.

 Beach scene along the Oregon Coast. Pat and Annie fairly well being blown away.

Just a delightful little cafe along the Oregon Coast highway, The Greasy Spoon.

Home cooking, for sure! We try to take the road less traveled as often as we can.

While in McMinnville OR we visited the Evergreen Aviation Museum, home of Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose. There I found a Grumman Mohawk on display, one of the aircraft I flew while in US Army Aviation back in my youth.

Here we are at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

This is the Spruce Goose. Made mostly of plywood, with 8 engines. It never flew successfully.

After leaving Oregon, our first scenic stop was at Mount St Helens WA.

We joined up with Pat's sister, Fran, and her husband, Jerry near Poulsbo WA. There was a Civil War re-enactment nearby so we spent a day there soaking up some American history. That's Jerry on the right, you might recognize the guy he's shaking hands with.

There was a lot of shooting, but nobody was killed permanently.

The participants really get into the life as it was in 1865.

Sisters, do I need to say more?

After we escaped the Seattle area we headed across WA to the eastside, Newport to be exact, where we lived since 1999. This is Dave with Carol Mack, left, and Janet Lambarth, right. Worked with these ladies in the county extension office until retirement. It was great to visit them after more than three years since retirement.

Upcoming: Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota.