Thursday, August 23, 2012

Finally! A Date!

Yes, I finally have come up with a date to leave the beautiful south Texas oilfields.  Yes I said beautiful and it is, if you look past the dust and sometimes mud.  The wildlife is interesting and sometimes hilarious, each beautiful in in it’s own way. The birds are many and I have seen many of them for the first time, although I haven’t identified them all.  The bunnies are fun to watch, just ask Angel,she knows.  Oh, the Roadrunners, they can be hilarious.  A quick story. A few days ago, I heard someone knocking on my door. I checked, but no one was there.  I got up to look a little further.  Surprise!  There was someone there, but he was a bit short.  It was Mr. Roadrunner pecking on the bottom of my door, no answer, so he jumped up on the hand support and tried to peck on the the window.   Maybe if I let him in, he and Angel could really get acquainted. lol  Right now she’s saying hello to Mrs. RR.   

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                              You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

There have also been brief sightings of a mountain lion, a couple of coyotes and a family of wild pigs and once in a while a ground squirrel, always on the look out for more.

Looking past the dust and 24/7, not being able to leave, the occasional mouse in the toilet or basement, no TV, no radio, the few illegal alien sightings  and iffy cell phone and internet service,  I will definitely do it again, maybe not in the middle of the HOT TX Summer, but yeah, when I need more money, sure I’ll do it again!

Okay, about the date of departure, I have decided to get an automatic awning with a ..motion sensor and the date depended on when I could have that done.  The original, tentative date was the end of the pay period, August 26th.  That would be this Sunday. so any time after that is just  extra money which I can certainly use.   When I finally got all the information to Camping World (CW) in New Braunfels, it would take 2 weeks to order the parts.  That would be Wednesday, September 5th.  When I agreed to be at my new job at Waco North RV Camp, it was for Labor Day give or take a day or two.  So I decided to leave here on Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 4th, the day after Labor Day and spend the night in the CW parking lot so that they can get it done in the morning of the 5th.  It is about a three hour job, so I can get to the campground in the afternoon and get set up before dark.  Maybe I can get someone to go with me to the River Walk on Tuesday.  I know that my daughter, Sandi, who lives near Ft. Worth, won’t be able to go with me, but I will have to do some checking.  Colleen, maybe?

I have called the CG to let them know, so that’s all set.  I called Roger  too, to set that up with him.  Now I have to work on getting a couple of new batteries for the truck.  With being here and not going anywhere, and not running the truck enough, they have died.  I was planning on just getting a jump and letting the truck run for an hour or so to build up the charge just before I leave, but I might as well replace them as all the terminals are corroded.

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Gate news………yesterday there were a couple of CATs (Caterpillars—heavy equipment kind) blading the road in front of “my spot”.  They are doing all the roads.  I thought it would be really dusty, but nope, they brought the water truck in first.  This morning, I asked them to redo the road, as I had a bit of an issue when I closed the gate last night.  No problem, they did it right away and checked to make sure the gate closed okay.  One thing that I have to say about all the drivers and men on the crews, they have been pleasant, courteous and helpful.  They work hard with sometimes long hours and mostly in the heat.  I take my hat off to them, I wouldn’t be able to work without the A/C.  I sure hope that they are paid well.

I also spoke with Jack, the ranch foreman.  He said that now that things are getting busier on the ranch, the gate needs to be closed by 7:00 pm.  That’s when the animals start to move around the ranch.  I guess it’s getting close to hunting season.  I have been leaving it open until everyone is gone, but will now change the routine.

Angel still gets excited when BBBs come around, however not so much lately.  She has been nursing a sore foot.  It seems that a couple of days ago, she ripped one of her nails off.  I don’t know how or when, but I noticed some blood on the floor by the door.  I called a vet to see what I needed to do.  I did use some styptic powder on it to stop the bleeding and tried to put on a bandage with some antiseptic cream, but I’m sure you all know how that went.  It stayed on for a little while, I think, enough time for the cream to help maybe a little.  I explained my situation here, so they told me there wasn’t anything more that I could do.  She will just favor that foot until the nail starts to grow back lick it to keep it clean.  So she is just being the Pillow Puppy Princess, and is cuddling a little bit more than usual.  She is such a BABY.

I hope that you all are having a great week.

Thanks for visiting

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Susan and Angel

8 comments:

  1. Nice to have a move date. I always like it when we're moving. I would think being around a few more people would be nice for a change. Might be an adjustment for you after all your solitude.

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  2. And here I thought you would be talking about a little romance after reading your title! :)

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  3. You experience at gate guarding sounds so positive. We're looking forward to finding a position doing just that this fall. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Sounds like hard, boring, sleep-depriving work, but gate guarding is something I'd be willing to do for a while, too. The financial gain is something that's hard to find while full-timing like this. I'm glad that in the end, it was a positive experience for you.

    Poor little Angel! I hope her nail/foot heals soon. Give her a snuggle from me and Katie.

    You know, I won the First Annual Roadrunner Photo Contest this year that Mello Mike had going. I think you need to submit your photo of the closeup of the RR on your door handle next year. I've never seen them come up close like that before, and it's definitely a good, clear picture of the whole Roadrunner. Great Shot!

    I'm glad you're all set for the coming months. Sounds like you have all your ducks in a row. Good to be thinking about moving again, isn't it?

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  5. I bet you'll be happy to move on. At least the scenery will change!

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  6. So proud of you for sticking out the experience of gate guarding; now if you want to do it again you'll definitely know what to expect and be a seasoned pro! Sounds like a fun Winter season lined up! I am so very happy for you and Angel!

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  7. The Roadrunner is begging for a little food. One of the guys at the campground in Arizona where I bought my truck camper, scattered food for them and he had visitors all the time.

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  8. Hi Susan! That is a great story and awesome pics of that roadrunner. Too funny! I wish I could take off from work and do the river walk with you. If I could, I'd be there in a heart beat!

    I'm so sorry to hear about Angel's poor paw! I'd be a baby too!

    My Nonni just came home from the hospital. She and Bentley got in to some poison or something (undetermined) - I have no idea how or where as they are with me 24/7, but they pulled through. Both are home, resting and improving.

    I'm so proud of you! And looking forward to meeting you in person soon. HugZ!

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