On The Road With John and Terry

Out Of The RV In Rockport

2012-02-28T06:50:00.000-06:00

I've learned something valuable recently. I'll share it momentarily.

We left Goose Island State Park Saturday morning and moved back to Bayview RV Resort. When we were there previously, we must have been right on the edge of AT&T's service as we got about two bars of signal, depending upon where you were within the RV. This time the phones and MIFI simply were not able to connect at all. There's a booster in our near future, I can tell you that.

We stayed at Bayview until Monday morning when we packed up early, and drove our Brave to a local RV repair garage to have the exhaust leak looked at. I also wanted a second opinion on the rear brakes and belts.

Mike's Mobile Mechanics in McKinney told us that they were good and did not need replacement. However, I still hear a belt squealing now and then. The mechanic had similar things to say yesterday. The rear brakes are no where near in need of replacement and the belts look good. I told him to turn on the A/C and give it a listen.

Last time I turned on the dash air, the belt squealed like a two year old without her cookie. I'm in high hopes that it isn't a fan clutch or something similar. I told the mechanic that if that was what was causing the squeal, just to leave it alone as we do not use the dash air anyway, preferring instead to fire up the generator and use the two roof air conditioners. They do a much better job and utilize far less fuel than running the dash air.

So why worry about it at all? I guess I'm a bit strange in that I want things working and operational. Knowing that something doesn't work correctly drives me a little bit nuts. But if it's something that we hardly ever use, there is a price point where it no longer becomes worthwhile to worry about.

The 454 engine is renowned for having issues with breaking exhaust manifold bolts. The engine runs quite warm and has a lot of torque. Those two issues serve to play havoc against the manifold bolts...or so I've been told. I am NO expert in the area. That's for certain.

Previously I have been quoted anywhere from $1200 to $2000 to repair the situation. Yesterday I was given a quote for $600 plus parts. Parts should come in just under $50, so we decided to get it done and out of the way. The only trouble is that they cannot do the work until Wednesday, so we had to find a hotel to stay in for a couple of days.

This is the lesson I spoke of earlier. Never again will I complain about the "high" cost of staying at a campground. The least expensive hotel we could find was $49 per night plus a $20 fee for the two mutts. So the cost of staying here two nights is about equal to staying at a nice RV resort for a week.

But here we are at Surfside Hotel in Rockport watching TV and trying to pass the time until the work is completed.

It's not a bad little Inn, it even has a private pier across the street.

Too bad I left my fishing gear in the Brave.

Oh well, the work needs to be done, and I suppose this is the time to do it while we are between assignments.

Speaking of which, I spoke with our supervisor for Sitewatch, and we're still looking good to start our temp gate on March 4th in Pearsall. This gate is even outfitted with a remote, so all we'll have to do is push a button to open it. How cush is that?

See y'all down the road...

Whoa! Hold Yer Horses There Son...Change O' Plans

2012-02-25T07:31:00.000-06:00

One thing is an absolute in the gate guarding business. Heck! From what I hear it holds very true in the entire oil and gas drilling business...no plans are ever set in stone. Embrace that one, relatively simple idea and you're well on your way to embracing the life of a gate guard in the oil and gas drilling scene.

It used to drive me completely nuts! I thought I needed to know what was going on all the time and needed to be up to date on the situation well in advance so I could plan accordingly. Yea...ain't gonna happen in this line of work.

We thought we would be going to our temp assignment any time now that it's the end of the week. One call from our supervisor let us know that plans had changed. We won't be heading up to the Pearsall area until next week to start a temp gate next Sunday. We're totally good with it!

I have not only embraced the idea of changing plans...I actually like it now. Not to mention, I know our supervisor is doing everything within his power to get us some temp work as we wait for the permanent gate to start up. Remember, that permanent gate assignment should last 4-5 years. It's definitely worth waiting for.

So we have altered our plans again. It seems we have out-stayed our welcome here at Goose Island State Park. Actually, they just ran out of room for us, as they have a large group of 20 RVers coming in from Canada today complete with reservations.

So it's back across the little bay to Bayview for us for the weekend. We have an appointment Monday to get the rear brakes done and have that annoying exhaust leak looked at. Then we'll be off to Choke Canyon State Park to wait for our temp assignment in Pearsall.

Who knows if our plans will change again? Heck! Who cares?!? It's all part of the fun!

The Predators Of Goose Island State Park

2012-02-23T23:05:00.001-06:00

Typically I write this little blog in the morning when I am fresh, with my handy-dandy cup o' joe next to me. I am breaking the cycle tonight, however. As you will see later, I have no trouble needing the stimulation of a cup of coffee right now. I'm WIDE awake! In fact I'm still kind of shaking a bit. Can you say OVER stimulated??

This morning my folks pulled out and headed back home to Brownwood. As luck would have it, they should have stuck around for one more night. They missed out! BIG time!! You'll see why in a few moments.

After bidding my folks a safe journey, Terry and I started the day lazing around the RV waiting for the morning fog to lift and waiting for things to dry up from said fog.

After a bit, we decided to head into town to visit Camper Clinic. Camper Clinic is an RV sales and parts company. I was in hopes they would have a new lift handle for our A&E awning, as one of ours broke just prior to us visiting Brownwood during my Grandmother's recent funeral.

My hopes were not very high that they would, indeed carry the part. But I also needed a new gray water valve as ours has developed a leaky seal, and the handle is getting quite difficult to push and pull.

Sure as shootin' Camper Clinic had both parts, so we now have a working awning again. As soon as we are able to dump the tanks, we will no longer have a leaky gray water valve either.

After all that was done I grilled up some burgers for us, and we ate watching the bay. Then I decided to run down to the pier for a bit of fishing to use up the last of my live shrimp. I carried that dad-gum bucket all the way down there full of water, just to find the lid had worked it's way open and all my shrimp had absconded! So much for that!!

I goofed around a while throwing a Gulp shrimp under a popping cork, but I may as well have been fishing in a bathtub until predator number one showed up. It was a Sheepshead. I was watching him (or her) eat stuff off the side of the pier but having no real shrimp...I pretty much knew it wouldn't be interested in my offering.
Sure enough, I had to try though. I was right...the bugger didn't even give it a sideways glance. He was fun to watch though.

I went back to the Brave and helped Terry eat some of the double chocolate cake Mom left us, messed around a bit, then about dark I slipped back down to the boat ramp to try my luck with some cut squid.

I cast the squid out, and as soon as it hit the bottom, the hardheads attacked it. I despise hardheads!! So I gave up on that, and started tossing a soft plastic on a jig head that one of our neighbors gave us to try.

After about three or four casts, predator number two came along.

Sorry for the horrible picture, it's a Redfish. My very first to actually land. It was just a half a hair under the legal length, so back in she went to fight another day.

Now, when I was landing the red, a small red pickup was driving by. I had enough mental acuity to see that he slowed down and was peering at me as I landed the red. Then he drove on. This is where predator number three comes in.

A few minutes later, he shows back up with FIVE trucks full of people and they start stomping all over the dock, being all loud, then they started throwing everything in their tackle box into the water RIGHT WHERE I WAS FISHING!!

I could hear a couple of them talking among themselves. They were trying to figure out what I was using for bait, but they just couldn't quite see it. Had they had the common decency to at least be halfway quiet and actually ASK me, I'd have happily showed it to them. As it was, I reeled it up to the dock, left in sitting in the water, put my rod down, and patiently waited for them to leave.

Now for predator number four...

After a while, most of the noisy dock bargers left leaving myself and one rather obvious "winter Texan" husband and wife team. I recognized their accents from my days living in Wisconsin. This is where things get REALLY cool!

I was sitting, minding my business as Mr and Mrs Midwest talked about me to themselves thinking I couldn't hear them. Suddenly, my attention was grabbed by a glowing set of eyes on top of a log. My first thought was that there wasn't much current through the area as the tide was pretty slack. Then I saw the faint outline of it's destination.

A large crane type bird was barely visible in the dim glow from the dock lights. Then it hit me. THIS AIN'T NO STINKIN' LOG!! IT'S AN ALLIGATOR!! Just then, it sounded like someone pushed a Buick into the water, I heard a "squawk squawk," the gator did a quick death roll, and disappeared under the surface of the water with the bird.

The "winter Texan" team let fly with a few brash obscenities and headed for home! I really like that alligator!

Now, I would have thought it still too chilly for gators to be out and about, but I guess this one must have forgotten to read the rule book! I sat shaking like a leaf for a few minutes, then resumed trying to grab another red...shaking hands and all.

Oh...but it's not over yet dear readers!! The plot thickens with regard to our predators of Goose Island. After a while longer, another couple came from the pier. This bunch was much more friendly and informed me that the dolphins were feeding at the pier, so the fishing was non-existent.

A few minutes more, and I saw a dorsal fin cutting the top of the water just at the edge of the light. Then it sounded like another Buick fell into the water, as the dolphins started thrashing about like mad in the shallowest water you could imagine. Yep! Predator number five!

The dolphins were darting from the deeper water of the channel into the very shallow water surrounding the dock I was sitting on. They were easily within 40-50 yards of me, and I can only assume they were chasing some kind of fish.

If only I had a camera that could take decent pictures in dark light! What an incredible evening at Goose Island State Park!! Now...how am I going to sleep after this show?

See y'all down the road...

On The Trout On Goose Island

2012-02-22T07:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we leashed up our diggities and joined my folks and their furry kid Benji for a nice stroll around the park. Down by the boat dock we came upon this guy trying desperately to get some snooze time.

The closer I got, the more agitated he got. Finally he flew off into the water. Later we noticed him perched high on a street light.

After our stroll we sat and watched a pod of dolphins out in the bay with our binoculars. Unfortunately, we couldn't get our small camera to get any pictures as they were too far away. The water was like glass, so they were easy to see. There were at least two baby dolphins with the pod, and at one point, one of the adults jumped high into the air. It was quite the show. Mom said it made the entire trip worth while.

When the dolphin show was over, we headed into town to a local seafood joint called Charlotte Plummer's.

We all enjoyed the seafood fare they served, then retreated back to camp for a nice nap, as Dad and I planned to hit the pier again last night.

And hit the pier we did. Just about dusk we took our newly acquired bait bucket full of live shrimp and rigged them in a free line configuration under popping corks...no sinkers or weights, just free to dart about as they would naturally.

Apparently it's just what the speckled trout were looking for. I'll say, conservatively, we caught 40-50 fish...all less than 15 inches except two keepers. They absolutely wore us out, but sure were a lot of fun.

See y'all down the road...

Birthday Wishes

2012-02-21T07:29:00.001-06:00

We invited my folks to come down to Rockport with us for a few days as a birthday present for each of them. Mom's birthday is toward the end of March and Dad's birthday was around the middle of February. We figured we'll likely be busy at our next assignment by March, so why not celebrate both now?

They made the long journey down from Rockport yesterday in their Chinook Class B motor home. We have big plans with them for the next few days unless we're interrupted by Sitewatch for our next temp job. It wouldn't be altogether a bad thing though as we could certainly use the funds.

But while we're here...might as well show Mom and Dad a good time. Dad and I slipped off to the pier last night to try our luck with some trout. We caught a few undersized specimens and a flounder that was born with his head too close to his tail...undersized if the joke gets missed.

Just after dark, the wind laid down to almost nothing, and the trout were very active chasing shrimp, just not our offerings. This morning, the bay looks like glass. With the fog, it's a gorgeous site for sure.

Almost can't tell where the sky starts and the water ends...

So today, Dad and I plan to go into town and pick up some live shrimp for bait. I'm sure we'll find lots of things to keep us busy.

See y'all down the road...

The Big Move

2012-02-20T06:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we left our site at Bayview (where you can't even think about seeing the bay) RV park and moved out to Goose Island State Park. We discovered this jewel of a park when we were still tent campers.

The back story is...we were looking for a place to spend our vacation and wanted to try out some place on the coast. We found this little park on the Texas Parks and Wildlife site and decided to give it a shot. We've loved it, and the Rockport area ever since.

There are two main halves to the park. One is inland, and includes LOTS of trees for shade in the summer. It's still but a short drive to the long pier. The other are bay view sites that are situated mere feet from the bay.

As far as water goes, it's quite shallow...it qualifies as flats, so redfish is the prey of choice in these parts. There is one small deeper channel that runs through the area. It is the place to go for black drum, flounder, and my personal fave...speckled trout.

Settled In On The Bay

View Out The Bedroom Window

View Out The Front Window

Venus Doing What She Does Best

I bought some frozen shrimp at Wal Mart last evening and sat outside on our nice little patio fishing. What a way to fish. Unfortunately, the only thing biting was little fish that tore my bait apart and were far too small to be hooked.

We got a call from our Sitewatch Rep a couple of days ago. Apparently our permanent job is still a go, but is not going to start when expected. Do they ever in this business? Knowing we could use the cash, Cole has some more 2-3 week temp stuff lined up for us starting the end of the week, so it looks like our vacay in Rockport is coming to a close...good thing too...our wallets are looking a bit thin at this point. But it's so nice to work for folks that truly care about the well being of their people!

See y'all down the road...

Saying Goodbye Brings Out The Best In Our Family

2012-02-19T07:17:00.000-06:00

If funerals have an up side, it would have to be that they seem to bring family together. For sure it's what Grandma would have wanted. My sister Dianna, her husband Tom, and her daughter Molli came down from Wisconsin so the family was complete again. It doesn't happen that often so we really enjoyed spending time together even if the reason for the get together was somber at best.

Snow In Lampasas

The trip up to Brownwood is a lengthy one from Rockport. We made it just fine, even though our travels took us through sleet and snow. The roads started to ice up just north of Lampasas, but cleared shortly afterward.

While in Brownwood, we took full opportunity to reflect upon the life that Grandma lived. I'll always remember her as my definition of a classy lady. Her Christian beliefs pervaded every facet of her existence. I'm thankful that we do not have to mourn as those who have no hope in salvation.

I also took full advantage of getting to spend time with my daughter, nieces, grand-baby, step-grandson, and my sister.

My Nieces...Christina On The Left and Molli On The Right

Molli Trying To Look Like Her New Friend

Step-Grandson Corban - Quite The Character

Midnight Dressed Up For The Funeral

Holding Down Molli

My Grandson Noah All Dressed Up

All in all, we did a LOT of laughing and a lot of crying. But by far more laughing than anything. It truly felt like a celebration of Grandma's life. I don't think she would have had it any other way.

See y'all down the road...

Passing Of A Relative

2012-02-12T07:27:00.002-06:00

I got some bad news this morning. My wonderful, dear Grandmother passed away this morning. She lived a very full, wonderful life but missed my Grandfather badly...so do I.

Her passing is bittersweet because I know she's with him again in heaven. She was a wonderful Christian lady. She always looked out for the best interest of others and lived a life of Christ-likeness that can only be equaled by very, very few.

I'll be leaving the blog for a few days as we mourn her passing. Please keep my family in your prayers and thoughts.

Thanks so much, and as usual, see y'all down the road.

John

Fishing The Bay In Rockport

2012-02-11T06:26:00.000-06:00

It has seriously been FAR too long since I've done any fishing. I always talked about going when we were staying in McKinney. I even scouted a nice place to go fish. I just never went. Somehow I seemed to have forgotten how much I love the sport. I also love to put some fish on the table.

I was raised hunting and fishing. The fondest memories I have are of my dad and grandfather taking me fishing and hunting. I think everyone should take their kids fishing. It provides lessons and memories that will last a lifetime.

I've been wanting to get out to the bay and wet a line since we arrived here, but the weather has not been cooperating. Seems like the first few days we were here were nice, but then the rain came, then this cold front. Most serious anglers know what a cold front does to fishing...it pushes the fish deep. Since I have no boat and no access to a boat, I pretty much figured I was out of luck.

Yesterday I just couldn't stand it any more. About 3:00 PM, I loaded the gear and my heavy coat, then had Terry deliver me out to Goose Island State Park with the promise to come get me when I called her. I spent a few hours on the pier and working the rocks along the shoreline. But there were people everywhere trying the same with no luck.

Fishing reports for the area state that speckled trout are on oyster beds with close proximity to deep water and mud. The only place in the park that I could figure out with that configuration was around the boat ramp. So I hiked over, set up and started fishing that area just prior to dark.

Just at dusk, I was tossing a DOA shrimp under a popping cork when something took it right at the dock. It was a decent sized redfish, in the lower end of the keeper "slot" but a keeper none the less. Unfortunately he threw my hook just as I was about to raise him up.

Another few dozen tosses yielded no results so I switched to a speck rig for speckled trout. They were my primary target on this mission anyway. Just a couple of throws yielded fish...small...but fish. Even the small ones are lots of fun on light line.

Where there are small fish, there are usually some bigger fish, so I kept tossing that speck rig. By the time the night was over, I had landed several under sized speckled trout, lost two keepers at the dock (again) and landed another keeper. I think my technique must be a bit rusty...either that or my hooks need sharpening. Sheesh! That's OK, though...I've got more time to go out and try again.

On the way out to Goose Island, I saw this rig.

I wonder if they need a gate guard? HAHA!

See y'all down the road...

Visiting Port Aransas

2012-02-09T09:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we sat around drinking coffee 'till about 11AM, then decided to go have a visit to Port Aransas to see what's there. On the way, you have to board a ferry to traverse part of the bay system.

Boarding The Ferry...Deckhand Checking Everything Out.

Ferry Traffic

Almost Across

Return Trip

The trip across the bay on the ferry felt a bit strange...sitting in your car bobbing up and down and all...fun though.

Our visit to Port Aransas felt a bit similar to our visit to South Padre a couple of years back. It's a nice place to visit, but a bit too "touristy" for any extended length of time. Things are WAY overpriced and it just feels a bit like visiting Disneyland or something.

While driving through, we saw a small fishing supply type store that advertised "Cheap Tackle." I'm in need of some popping corks and some speck rigs so I can fill our tiny freezer with speckled trout and redfish should the weather ever turn warm enough.

Anyway, the "cheap tackle" signage was a little...let's just say INFLATED. Maybe it was cheap for a tourist trap...who knows.

I'm sure Terry will get a laugh at the notion of me actually catching fish. She doesn't think I'm much of a fisherman because I don't usually keep most of what I catch. If she only knew my fish catching prowess...yea.

We also visited the Mustang Island State Park. We considered moving our rig there for the next week as the prices are very reasonable and just a tad higher than what we're paying here in Rockport, but the water access is beachfront only with no fishing pier within a reasonable distance, so we nixed the idea.

I think being in such a tourist trap for more than a day or two would likely drive us berzerk anyway.

See y'all down the road...

A Visit To Lexi...Part Three and Finale.

2012-02-09T06:30:00.001-06:00

OK...as promised, I will conclude the virtual tour of the USS Lexington today. There is much more that I could have included, but two issues persist.

First, the 160 total pictures I took effectively drained the battery on my iPhone, so the remaining 2/3 of the tour did not get photographed.

Secondly, I don't imagine this is nearly as interesting to most readers as it is to me. Boats, aircraft and the sea...what could be better? To me...not much.

OK here we go...we'll start out with the 50 cal anti-aircraft guns and the 40 mm twins.

Foreground - 40mm twins, background - 50 cal AA guns

3 Inch 50 cal

Click To Read

Twin 40's

Taking In The "Sights" With The Twins

Training Cutaway Model Of The Twin 40s.

40mm Barrel Cutaway

Click To Read

Next is a display of what would have been found in a life boat survival kit. I thought it was pretty interesting, so here ya' go. Click the pictures for a better view.

Now...up to the bridge.

On The Way To The Bridge

Looking up at the tower

Signal Lights

Navigation Area

The Bridge

Navigation Equipment Of Some Sort

View Of The Flight Deck From The Bridge

View From The Bridge

Full Speed Ahead

Navigation Equipment

At this point my iPhone died, so that's it for pictures from The USS Lexington. One of the primary things I noticed, however, is that these carriers are no place for a man over 6 feet tall.

At least 80 percent of the tour I spent hunched over. I cannot tell you how many times I whacked my head on the stuff hanging from the roof of whatever room we were in at the time.

Another thing is the stairs. They're extremely steep and you cannot turn around without having to navigate them. Combine that with what the crew called "shin busters." Every room had a smallish door and you have to bend down while stepping over the "shin busters" to get into the room.

I left there with a new appreciation for our sailors and military men and women who work on these incredible vessels. I simply cannot imagine being a new sailor and trying to find my way anywhere on this boat. How incredibly daunting that task must be all by itself.

After our tour of the carrier, we were both tired, sore and hungry! We found our way to a nearby restaurant called Blackbeard's where we had some gator tail with something they called "swamp sauce", fish tacos and fried shrimp.

Fried Gator and Swamp Sauce...YUM!!

Fried Shrimp and Fish Tacos

Click To Read

Having never been one to be accused of learning lessons the easy way, I back-talked Terry again.

But it's all good...she still loves me somehow through all my faults. Not to mention, I made up for it the next day with a nice picnic by the bay with some grilled burgers.

View From Our Picnic Table

See y'all down the road...

A Visit To Lexi...Part Two. Picture Heavy

2012-02-08T06:32:00.000-06:00

Today it's pictures of the flight deck. My absolute favorite part of the experience.

Click To Read

The Tower

Top Half Of The Tower

Looking Down Off The Flight Deck

38 Caliber 5 Inch Guns

Load 'Em Up

Ammo

Pointer's Station

Click To Read

Skywarrior

Click To Read

F-4 Phantom

Click To Read

A-4 Skyhawk

Click To Read

F-2 Banshee

Click To Read

F-9F Cougar

Click To Read

A-7 Corsair

Click To Read

Cobra

I'd Hate To Be On The Receiving End Of This

'Nuff Said

Guns

Pretty Sure Terry Wants One

Click To Read

A-6 Intruder

Click To Read

F-18 Hornet. What A Work of Art!

F-18 Hornet

Click To Read

F-14 Tomcat

Top Gun!

OK, that's enough for today. Tomorrow I'll put up a few more shots of some more of the carrier's guns and the bridge.

On another note, this is what happens to me when I backtalk Terry too much.

Oh well...beats the doghouse I suppose.

See y'all down the road...

Part One. A Visit To Lexi...

2012-02-07T06:49:00.000-06:00

...The USS Lexington that is.

USS Lexington

We woke up yesterday to one of the few rain-less days we've seen since landing in Rockport last week. So we figured it would be a perfect chance to get over to Corpus Christi and see this great decommissioned carrier.

Quite An Anchor

Torpedo

Big Gun

A-4 Skyhawk

Huge Prop

The Fantail

Yep...It's A Mine

View Down The Side

All the pictures thus far are outside...before you even get to the carrier itself. All told, I took 160 photos for your enjoyment. I'll split the most interesting of them up into three parts so you don't have to try to digest them all at once.

We entered the carrier on the hangar deck.

N3N Yellow Peril

TBF/TBM-3 Avenger. Note the pilot's name under the cockpit. Click To Enlarge...

Phoenix Missile

1952 Jeep

Old Flight Simulator Used For Carrier Landing Training

Night Carrier Landing Simulator

Inside The Simulator

Too Many Switches And Knobs

Terry Trying On An F-4 Cockpit

A Look Inside The F-4

Swimmer Delivery Vehicle

Interesting Info About The SDV-13. Click To Read...

A-4 Skyhawk Cockpit

Stay tuned tomorrow for the flight deck.

See y'all down the road...

Cheap Fun in Rockport (Picture Heavy)

2012-02-04T07:34:00.000-06:00

If you recall, we were planning on sitting around doing nothing yesterday. Then I looked at the weather forecast and we changed our minds.

A cold front is due in here any time now, along with an 80% chance of rain today and a 50% chance tomorrow. So we figured we'd lounge around during the rain instead of wasting a perfectly beautiful day.

First we decided to grab the diggities (dogs) and investigate the ~~lake~~ pond here at the RV resort.

The ~~lake~~ pond.

We have yet to see an alligator.

Our site.

Then we decided to go down to the Copano fishing Pier. It's the old bridge that used to span the bay here. It runs parallel with the new bridge as you can see in the photos.

I can't imagine driving a car down that old thing, it's far too narrow for two lanes of traffic, but it makes an awesome fishing pier. The very middle has been removed for large boat passage and continues on the other side of the bay.

Copano fishing pier.

View from Copano fishing pier.

The new bridge.

Copano fishing pier.

Click to read the warning.

The new bridge.

Copano fishing pier continues on the other side of the bay.

The way we came.

View from Copano fishing pier.

Pelicans.

The area we are staying is just outside of Rockport in a little community called Fulton Point. We headed into Rockport after our walk along the pier to take care of renewing the registration sticker (which had been lost in the mail) for the Brave.

After our registration issues were resolved, we saw this little coffee shop and decided to grab us a couple of butterscotch lattes.

The Daily Grind coffee shop.

As good as butterscotch lattes sound, they really skimped on the flavoring. What we ended up with was pretty much a plain-jane latte...couldn't really taste the butterscotch too much at all.

We decided to drive a few hundred yards over to a sitting area on a sea wall type thing to enjoy our lattes by the bay. These areas have concrete picnic tables and bar-b-que grills next to them. We're thinking a nice cookout by the bay is in order sometime soon.

View from the picnic area.

After we finished our wannabe butterscotch lattes, we headed over to the Rockport aquarium. It's completely free and has many interesting sea creatures to view.

Glad I'm not this bucket. Click to read.

After our visit to the aquarium, we drove around looking at the boats moored in the harbor.

Then drove down the waterfront streets looking at the stilt homes and waterfront properties. I cannot imagine living right on the bay like that...I can't imagine what upkeep costs would be to a place like that either.

All told, we spent less than ten dollars and had a lot of fun. The time was drawing close to 4:00 when we returned to the Brave for some dinner and an evening relaxing outside.

See y'all down the road...

Beach Time...

2012-02-03T08:42:00.000-06:00

We bid Frank and Linda adieu yesterday and headed southeast to Rockport. If everything goes as planned, our next assignment isn't supposed to start for at least a few weeks, so we decided to take our annual vacation early this year.

On our way through Corpus Christi, we snapped a few pics of the USS Lexington for ya.' We're thinking a tour of this awesome vessel is in order.

Yep! That's red Cotulla dirt on the windows. Sorry!

We landed at the Bayview RV Resort...funny thing is, the bay is about a mile away and you can't even think about seeing it from here...oh well, at least we're within walking distance.

When we checked in, we were given an "activities schedule" for the park. Today is supposed to be water aerobics in the pool. We glanced over at the pool and noticed it was empty. Curious. Then we noticed the freshwater ~~lake~~ pond inside the park and saw the alligator warning signs on the pamphlet and it all became clear...apparently the freshwater aerobics class is "SWIM FOR YOUR LIFE" in the ~~lake~~ pond. EEK!

Seriously, there are two pools on site...the other is full. Makes for a funny thought though. I can just see all those poor senior citizens out there swimming as fast as possible trying to get away from the alligators in the ~~lake~~ pond. Yep! That'll firm up that flab!

We arrived yesterday on just a couple of hours of sleep each. We had water trucks in and out all night long so we split the night shift hoping we could each at least sleep a little bit.

We were so exhausted by the time we arrived, but we went to one of our absolute all-time fave Chinese places for an early dinner last night...it's called "China A Buffet." They have the general Chinese fare, along with crab legs, jalapeno cream cheese poppers, all sorts of seafood, and just about anything else you could ever desire to fill your plate with. I was in serious need of the "alligator aerobics class" after that.

Then we headed over to Wal-Mart for some groceries and a new sewer hose for the Brave. Ours had developed a leak, which had to be cut out and spliced together, so it's not long enough to reach as far as it needs to sometimes.

We stood and looked at their offerings for what seemed like thirty minutes, but we were both so tired we couldn't decide, so we figured we'd look at them after we got some sleep.

We were in bed by 8:30 last night and slept soundly until 7:30 this morning. Now we're all stiff, but refreshed. Terry says her biggest decision today will be whether to lounge around in PJs all day or get dressed. I'm for the PJs option.

See y'all down the road...

So Long Cotulla...For Now

2012-02-02T03:58:00.000-06:00

The time has come for us to depart Cotulla and our first Sitewatch assignment as Frank and Linda returned yesterday from their much needed 10 day vacation.

Frank and Linda

As stated previously, our next assignment is due to be in the Tilden area, but isn't likely to start for a couple of weeks yet so we're off to Rockport unless something drastically changes in the next few hours. Our next job is supposed to last for a few years, so we're going to really have to pack in our fun while we can.

Terry stayed up with the gate last night as I will be driving today. I relieved her at 3AM so she could get some snooze time before we pull out later this morning. I am watching the gate until 6AM, when Linda will resume her duties.

A couple of days ago the pump jack across the way from us mysteriously stopped pumping. I hear that's pretty normal, but for one reason or another it didn't resume as it's supposed to. Yesterday a pony rig came in to repair whatever is wrong with it. I snapped a couple of pics for you to see.

The second pic has a guy in the top basket. Too far up for me...I'm seriously not a fan of heights...and this is just a pony rig...nothing compared to the real thing.

The adventure continues, so stay tuned...we'll be sure to take you along for the ride.

See y'all down the road...

Temp Gate Ending...

2012-01-29T11:43:00.000-06:00

Well, this temp job is about to come to a close. We have a couple more days until the "gig is up," so to speak...and the folks that have been here for over nine months will return from vacation.

Our supervisor has a long term assignment set up for us around the Tilden area but it doesn't look to be starting until the middle to the end of February. We had planned on possibly taking our annual vacation around the end of summer, so it looks like we'll be doing that a bit early this year.

We plan on having everything packed up and ready to roll Wednesday night so all we have to do is wake up Thursday morning, release the jacks and roll on toward the coast.

There are hoses to be rolled up, tanks to be dumped, sensors to be put away, the Cube needs to be loaded on her dolly, fluids need to be checked, tires and air springs checked for adequate air, our outside fridge needs to be emptied, dried and loaded, and our netted shade contraption needs to be rolled up and packed away.

One of our absolute favorite areas is Rockport. We'll probably spend a about two weeks down there enjoying the ocean and then return to Choke Canyon State Park to wait for our new assignment to begin.

We'll be sure to bring you along and include lots of pictures during our adventure. Of course, we wouldn't turn down any work Sitewatch can throw our way in between either.

See y'all later...

Be the Gate...Sage Words for New Gate Guards

2012-01-28T09:02:00.000-06:00

I was given some really good advice when we started gate guarding just a bit over a year ago. A lot of that advice has come into play and made our gate guarding experience positive in many ways. Things like purchasing a digital hand-held recorder to get those plate numbers and driver names, etc, purchasing your own alarm system to alert you to traffic, and such.

But the absolute best advice I've been given is how to do the job. It is easy to become nothing more than a people greeter at Wal-Mart when doing this line of work. We do need to be pleasant, respectful and polite. Yes, the folks we deal with put in more work in a day then we will in a year.

The truth of the matter is, we are NOT hired to be people greeters or as an on-site hospitality crew to make life enjoyable for the people at the well site. Cooking for the crew, handing out treats, etc is all well and good. It's also a great idea.

But we are hired to be gate GUARDS! I'm sure exceptions exist, but every gate guard setup I've ever seen is located INSIDE the gate. When a vehicle drives up, they are already inside the gate. I have also seen situations where there is no gate at all...just a road or a cattle guard. The gate is now of no use whatsoever. This is when YOU have to be the gate.

Does that mean you jump out if front of someone you want to dis-allow entry to the location? By no means. But remember you're not just in place to write down plate numbers and record incoming/outgoing traffic while greeting people and wishing them a good day.

It is pertinent that a good gate guard will be vigilant. Using all your senses to determine whether someone should, or should not gain entry to the location. If in doubt, call!

For instance, yesterday I observed a truck with a couple of guys driving up the road cutting the property fence here and there. I was 90 percent positive this was a crew to replace the aging fence on the property. But that remaining 10 percent of doubt was worth a 30 second call to the landowner.

He confirmed that it was his crew, but thanked me heartily for calling him to be sure. If in doubt, make the call and get it confirmed. The one time you have that nagging 10 percent suspicion, and you assume it's nothing...could bite you in the hind parts.

One thing we were taught in the correctional "ad seg" unit I worked at, was to never ignore that "gut feeling" that something is amiss. Usually asking a few apparently harmless questions can confirm that the person or persons in question are or are not genuine.

"What y'all headed in to do today?" When asked in a fairly nonchalant manner can provide volumes of information. If the driver has no idea or appears overly nervous about their answer, a quick call to the company man may be in order.

Keep things in perspective. While it is good to maintain the healthy respect of crew members, you cannot forsake doing your job to accomplish it. Just as the rig guys are out here to do a job...so are we!

OK, enough advice about gate guarding. Yesterday was apparently visitation day around here. Luke, from MAKING MEMORIES and Doris from DORIS AND DAVE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE stopped by within 5 minutes of each other. We gate guards have impeccable timing.

Luke McKnight

Doris Arnold

We talked all things RV related, then parted company. These are great folks! If you haven't been to their blog sites, you owe it to yourself to give 'em a visit!

See y'all tomorrow...

Back and Forth

2012-01-27T08:45:00.001-06:00

The daytime traffic here continues as construction crews are in and out. Now we've added tankers to the traffic. As is the norm for this kind of work, we really don't have much of a clue as to what's going on back on the sites. We kinda like it that way.

We learned during our first bout of gate guarding that you are best to just take what the traffic throws your way. The more you try to second guess what's going to happen...the further you'll be from reality.

So the traffic is back and forth somewhat at the gate here, but it's sure not what I would deem a "busy" gate by any stretch of the imagination. This post's title is not descriptive of the traffic around here. It's more of a description of our decision for our next RV.

Our Brave is getting a bit cramped for us and we'd sure like to get into something a bit longer, wider and having at least a slide out or two. We have been back and forth between fifth wheels and an older, say 95-2000 diesel pusher.

There are pros and cons for each. The diesel pusher would allow us to keep our Nissan and not have the added expenditure of adding a truck to the equation. We could just throw our tow dolly on the back, and that big ol' diesel engine wouldn't even know it's there.

Whatever decision we make, the Nissan will have to stay with us as well, as it's still fairly new and we're firmly upside down in it. That being the case, it's the primary reason we're seriously leaning toward trading our brave for a diesel pusher.

The fifth wheel would be nice because they tend to be a bit roomier. The added benefit would be not having to worry about starting it every now and then. Things with engines need to be run.

So, at this point, we're just not sure what we're going to do about replacing our Brave. Part of me thinks the best decision is to just run it into the ground, but I don't cherish the day that happens. It would be pure chaos.

So, what say you? What sage advice would you give us in our situation? All comments are appreciated.

The Beauty In Doing Nothing

2012-01-25T04:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday began a little cooler than the previous days with the sun hiding it's face most of the day. Not to say it was cold, it was just really, really nice!! Kind of like if you could turn on a big air conditioner outside. It made for a wonderful day of gate guarding.

The wind was mild, so we weren't afraid to pop open the awning when it began showering on us about mid-morning. It rained just enough to settle the dust, then stopped.

While sitting outside, I began pondering why it is that we get bored. I really think it's an honest fear of having nothing to do.

We humans can be a difficult bunch to please. When we're busy, we want the hectic-ness (yes, I just made up that word) to stop so we can just relax. When we're not busy, we look for something to do. Strange creatures, we are.

As I pondered that very thing, I began to see an inherent beauty in just doing nothing. To be able to just sit and look at our surroundings. To look closely at a little scrub mesquite tree or a rabbit darting about and realize that, had we not come here, we'd never have been given the opportunity to behold it. Sounds overly simplistic I suppose, but I guess I just missed the opportunity to appreciate the little things God gives us.

As stated previously, the drilling, fracing, etc is all done here. The construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the sour gas plant so, other than a quick burst of traffic in the morning and evening, we really don't see very many vehicles.

New rig across the "street" from our site.

Coming from the buzz of the big city metromess that is the Dallas area, I suppose I'm just getting re-acclimated to living out in the sticks. It's a wonderful thing! Honestly, I'd rather be out here in the dust and mud any day than dealing with the snooty big shots in the big city.

From the moment we pulled into this pad and settled in, I just felt like I was at home again. Don't get me wrong, our experience in storage facility management was priceless and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. I guess it just made me really appreciate being blessed enough to be able to do this kind of work.

As evening came and the sun began to hide behind the horizon, I got to watch a herd of deer up the road grazing on some green, freshly planted grass that the pipe-liners had planted in a ditch to avoid erosion. They cautiously watched the road and would disappear like phantoms...then a vehicle would appear heading toward our gate. When the vehicle passed, they'd re-appear and get back to the business of grazing.

I challenge you, whomever you are, and wherever you may be...do yourself a favor...take a few minutes and just sit down and appreciate something in nature that you see every day. Look at it, ponder it, and appreciate it. You'll be richer for the time you've invested.

See y'all tomorrow...

Ravenous Drilling

2012-01-24T07:31:00.001-06:00

Work continues on the sour gas plant here outside of Cotulla, TX. This is an absolute joy of a gate to work. Construction traffic starts at about 6:30AM and continues for a couple of hours, then dies tremendously during the day. Then, right at dusk, they all depart at once...leaving the Chesapeake company man on the site, and our day is pretty much done. Simple...simple...simple.

Our Gate

We have a pump jack about 125 yards away from us that has just come on line. It's so new, the temporary housing is still around it. If you look closely, you can see them.

In fact, when darkness falls, we can scan the horizon and count four rigs, one frac job, and several gas plumes in operation. They're drilling like mad around here!

A short drive down Johnson Ranch Road will reveal more drilling pads than you can count on two hands. But that's only going one way down the road. I'm sure you could easily double or triple that number if you turned left out of our gate as Johnson Ranch Road extends quite a ways.

I have heard from several gate guarding friends in the area. Particularly Luke and Inez, and Phil and Rudy.
It amazes me how we have kept up with each other's blogs over time and yet we end up, for the most part, right next to each other.

If Cole doesn't have something set up for us immediately following this temp gig, we'll likely head on over to Crystal City to one of our favorite RV resorts to wait on the next one. During that time, we'll probably pay a visit to some of our gate guarding friends in this area...if not sooner.

See y'all tomorrow...

Heading To Cotulla

2012-01-22T06:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a veritable whirlwind around our space here at Highway 71 RV Park in Bastrop, TX. We were making sure everything is in tip top condition for our trip down Cotulla way this morning. Our first assignment starts today around noon.

There was laundry to be done, tires to be gauged, oil to be checked, jacks to be lubed, stuff loaded back into the Cube, etc. All the normal RV prep stuff that needs to be done prior to any trip.

I started reading the manual for the air springs on our Brave. The Winnebago manual specifically states that they should have 20-40 psi in each. Funny thing is, the manual from the manufacturer of the air springs states 40-90 psi.

I have noticed some wallow when we take turns or whatnot. I think I'll follow the specs from the manufacturer. I put 60 psi in the front springs and 80 psi in the rear. Hopefully this will cure some of that wallowing when we take turns.

After saying our goodbyes to the family in Bastrop, Terry and I retreated to one of our favorite burger joints.

We were in bed by 9PM, so we could get a good night's rest before our first day as employees of Sitewatch today.

We were up at 5:30 this morning so we could get our coffee drank, breakfast eaten, internet sites visited, Cube loaded up onto the dolly, and do our final unplugging. Our adventures continue...

See y'all tomorrow...

Upgrades and Addons

2012-01-21T09:00:00.001-06:00

One of the fun things about RV life is making improvements to your RV home. Last year we had a dual power adapter added to our 30 amp Brave to give us 50 amp capability. This required us to add a second shore cord that runs to a dual leg 30 amp to 50 amp splitter, which in turn runs to a Progressive Dynamics power conditioner, which is plugged into 50 amp service. Here's a picture for clarification.

The second shore cord comes from a basement storage area on the driver's side of the coach.

As you can see, this left us unable to close or lock that storage door. It looks goofy and it's an entry point for dust and mice. (Read yesterday's post regarding snakes.)

I wanted to run the cord out the bottom of the storage bay area rather than out the door. I also like to follow the KISS theory when possible. You've heard it before undoubtedly...Keep It Simple Stupid.

So the simplest thing to do is cut a hole in the floor of the bay and run the cord out that hole. The problem with that idea is that it provides a nice hole for mud, dirt, water and such to enter the bay when driving down the road. And nobody wants a bare hole in the bottom of their storage bay for things to fall out of.

Enter PVC! The idea I had was to cut the hole in the floor, then insert some kind of PVC fitting into the hole that would allow a cap to be placed onto it. A trip to the big orange toolbox was in order. After which I grabbed my handy dandy Dremel, some cut-off discs, and went to work. Here's what we came up with.

Hole cut in the floor.

Inserted PVC coupler...not sure what it's called.

Add the cap for driving.

About the only thing remaining to do on this little project is add some silicone around the base of the PVC coupler thing. You plumber types out there might be able to remind me what this thing is called.

Now, when we're headed down the road, the inside of the storage bay will remain nice and clean. When we park, we'll just open the door, unscrew the cap, drop the shore cord through the hole and close the door. We'll need to pick up a nice ball of steel wool to close up the hole when parked though.

As you can see below, things look nice and neat with the shore cord now, and we can close and lock the bay door.

See y'all tomorrow...

Rattlesnake Shake...

2012-01-20T07:42:00.007-06:00

We're still sitting here in Bastrop , Texas waiting for our first assignment that begins Sunday. Cole says we will be just a bit west of the Cotulla area and need to be there around noon. We got a package in the mail from Sitewatch yesterday as well with our new uniform shirts and the usual employment documents enclosed.

I was reading a story on an internet news site from my hometown this morning. Apparently a local citizen was dumb enough to keep a 12 inch sunset monocle cobra in their home. To make a long story short...the cobra absconded. You can read the story HERE!

I cannot fathom anyone being brainless enough to keep such a critter as a pet! The owner is incarcerated now, as he should be, and the search is on for the missing cobra. But the locals are (from what I'm gathering from friends on social media sites) in a surefire frenzy about it.

All this snake talk has me thinking about my gate guarding friends out there. I have read tons of well intended advice about dealing with snakes while gate guarding. The trouble is, some of that advice is incorrect.

To state a little bit of my history on the subject, I have had plenty of experience dealing with venomous and non-venomous snakes. I previously collected rattlesnakes and milked them, selling the venom to a pharmaceutical company in California.

I had ample opportunity to watch them in their roomy enclosures, and found out quickly what they liked and did not like. I am not a herpetologist! But when you live with these creatures, you tend to get a really good idea what their behavior is REALLY like and what makes them tick.

You would be absolutely amazed to know just how delicate these creatures really are. They need a fairly precise environment to thrive. When any part of that environment is missing, they'll start looking for it.

Snakes need three basic things to thrive. Water, food, and temperature. Being cold blooded reptiles, they need to maintain their core body temps. Thus you may see them "sunning" themselves on a rock. They aren't out lazing around in the sun soakin' up some rays though. They're maintaining their core body temperatures.

When the weather gets cold...you'll notice Mr. Snake gets hard to find. Pay attention to warm weather breaks in the winter though. You are more likely to find them on those warm days than a cold, sunless day. However, finding them under your RV is NOT likely going to happen.

They have no reason to be under your RV on a warm day in the winter. They'll likely be on a rock or some other material that absorbs heat...likely near their den. That means you'll most likely never see them unless you go out looking for them.

When the days get longer and start warming up, the snakes will start venturing out farther in search of food and water. Here's the caveat though...these are reptiles. They don't always read the rule books. What we're talking about here is normal activity. There are always possibilities outside the norm.

Water is next on the list for the snake. Snakes drink...just like any other animal. Like us, the snake needs water to digest it's food. It needs water more often than it needs food. Snakes also need water to assist in molting or "shedding" their skin.

Further down the snake's hierarchy of needs is food. Typically a snake only eats once every week or two, depending upon the size of the snake and it's last meal. If a snake has eaten a large rat, rabbit or such, they'll likely not have need of another meal for about a month.

What does all this mean to the gate guard in the middle of no-where in the winter? It means you are likely not going to see a snake on your outings. However, I'll state it again. Nothing is unheard of when it comes to these creatures.

The idea gate guards (or anyone really) need to keep in mind is NOT to make your area profitable for the snake to ingress upon. These three suggestions are for all weather...summer included.

1. Keep all water bowls for pets inside or keep them outdoors only while the pets are outside. DO NOT keep a bucket under your A/C condensation drip thinking it will keep the snake from reaching it. I read that one on a gate guard blog recently...and I had a good laugh!

A 5 gallon bucket is nothing to a grown snake. All you're accomplishing by this practice is effectively giving the snake a watering bowl to drink from or soak in. It is also likely mice and rats will be able to reach it for their much needed water supply. This provides the snake with two needs met in one place. It is NOT a good idea.

Anyone who has spent time in south Texas knows just how long water lasts on the ground...not very long. Let it drip and evaporate.

2. Run that service generator!! The vibration from the generator will likely repel any snake in the area quite rapidly. They are also affected by the vibration from passing trucks. If you do see them in the area, they're likely just passing through as it is not an inviting climate for a snake of any kind.

3. Plug those holes!! Get some of the least expensive steel wool you can find, and use it to plug holes in your RV. The idea here is to make your RV rat/mouse free.

While you're plugging those holes, pay attention to outside clutter or trash. Keep this kind of stuff to an absolute minimum. Cluttered, trashy areas provide a great place for rodents and insects. Keep in mind, a lot of snakes feed on insects as well as rodents.

These three tips will help ensure you keep a snake free area around your RV. It has the side benefit of keeping your RV rodent free as well. Keep in mind, however, that these tips are generalities. Nobody has figured out a way to explain this stuff to the snake yet and make him understand. However, I'd go as far as to say that if you do see a crawly critter in or around your RV while gate guarding, something is drawing it there.

The smell of people and pets and the vibration from the generator and passing trucks are likely to make your gate area a no-go for the slithering kind. To breach those things and trespass into that sort of territory, a snake needs some great reward or temptation.

Remove those temptations as much as possible, and you'll go a long way to keeping him off your territory. Just be sure to remember that while walking or hiking around the area...you're in HIS territory. That's a different set of problems all the way around.

A good set of leather boots is the go-to recommendation for walking or treading anywhere that you cannot clearly see the ground, such as weed infested areas or woodsy type environments. The more of your leg they cover, the better.

Typically folks have no idea there was a snake in the area just prior to their entering it. Most times, snakes will feel you coming long before you get there, and will vacate the area. Again...not always!

Winter time is the primary exception to that rule. Snakes tend to be more sluggish when they do come out to sun in the winter on warm, sunny days. Imagine waking up in the morning before that first cup of coffee. You're still a bit sluggish and not fully awake. Your reaction times are slower and you just don't feel as active as normal. Similar to what we're talking about here with the snake.

When you encroach upon the snake in this condition, your chances of being bitten may be better...or worse...than usual. It all depends upon the snake's core temperature at the time. If it's sufficiently warm enough to keep him active, you'll likely get bitten before he has the inclination to flee the scene.

Alternatively, I used to go snake hunting for my collection on cooler, sunny days. The snakes would be out trying to raise their core temps, but still very sluggish. To the point that I could walk up, grab them, and stick them into the catch bag such as you would pick up a stiff piece of rope lying on a rock.

Hope this helps all my gate guarding brothers and sisters out there in the oil patch. And as always...pay attention to your surroundings!!

See y'all tomorrow...

The Devil Is In The Waiting

2012-01-18T08:01:00.001-06:00

I am the sort of person that likes to have all my "ducks in a row." I like to have a fairly clear idea about what's going to happen in the future so I can do what needs to be done to prepare for it.

I've written previously about this job and what it does to future plans...as they are pretty much a joke. It seems that everyone tries to make those plans, but they change at a moment's notice. I'm finding myself getting a bit worried from time to time as to why it's taking so long to find us work. Then I recall what Cole told me. That it takes a bit longer for them to get you to a gate, but when they do it typically lasts quite a bit longer than what we're used to.

I have a mental list of things that need to be in tip-top condition when we arrive at our gate. I keep playing that list over and over in my mind. Yesterday Terry's step-dad asked me if I had written it down and checked it off. He suggested that it might help. But I know how I am. At that point, I'll start wondering what I forgot to put on the list...and the cycle continues.

When we did this previously, the in between times like this were something I pretty much learned to deal with. Now I'm re-applying those lessons. Perhaps this company is a little better at their planning? Maybe our first gate really will start Sunday...who knows?

Don't worry folks. The wheels aren't coming off our bus. It's not really as bad as what it appears here. I am trying to make a point for those that may be wondering about getting into this line of work. You are going to have these times where you are basically unemployed, and you sit...waiting.

The best thing to do is live! Yep! Live! The worst thing you can do is stop doing anything and hover over the phone waiting for that call. Relax, and enjoy the respite. That's exactly what we're doing.

See y'all tomorrow...