Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 29

Monday, April 29, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 70 degrees mostly sunny this morning to partly sunny (clouding up later in the afternoon) 89 degrees.

This morning I shut off both electric sources for about fifteen minutes then turned on the Cat generator circuit, Buster took the power but there is voltage fluctuation but not a noticeable generator engine surging. The work over rig is going to be moved out today so the traffic here at the gate will be higher today.

Work over rig on the way out

The work over rig is gone that makes three wells work over and pump jacks installed. This last pad will have other work to finish the operation.

During the night the motorhome transfer switch dropped the incoming AC power and used down the "house batteries". I needed to use the engine battery to start onboard generator for AC power and recharge house batteries. After daylight both AC sources remover for fifteen minutes and the motorhome picked up the Cat AC power (shore power) and is holding for now running two air conditioners and the refrigerator, invertor is off and twelve volts, batteries charging from solar. The transfer switch started acting up after eleven hours of operation. Tonight I am going to run Buster’s generator to prevent any power interruptions and get a full nights sleep.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 69 degrees partly cloudy this morning. Thunderstorm last night lots of lightening and little rain, not enough rain to make mud.

I need time to look at the transfer switch, maybe something simple like a loose connection. Or Buster is going to need professional help for this problem of transferring AC power from "shore power" to on board generator. It seams the default position is on board generator. When "shore power" (or external to Buster) power is applied the switch energizes to allow the power into Buster’s electrical. The voltage reading when operating on Buster’s generator is solid but there is a slight fluctuation when on external power.


 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 27 & 28

Saturday, April 27, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 70 degrees cloudy this morning burning off to partly cloudy 89 degrees.

Slow and easy day and Saturday Night racing NASCAR at Richmond, VA. South Texas has thunder storms forecast for tonight maybe there will be rain. During the day there were three spits of rain and it was done just enough to show some wet spots on paper.

Sunday, April 28, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 64 degrees cloudy this morning burning off to partly sunny 82 degrees. We got the wind and some rain last night but not enough to make mud that is the best part.                     Happy Birthday Bonnie

Happy Birthday Bonnie

Carole, Jackie and Avery came to the gate and had lunch with us and a cookie cake for Bonnie’s birthday. It was a nice birthday visit and the weather cleared for the day. It was a slow gate traffic Sunday.

Well we have had issues with the front Televison going off and restarting, happening a few times. Then Saturday night I noticed the AC voltage was low coming into Buster from the Cat generator outside. This morning the Televison had another issue of cycling then late morning I noticed the "house batteries" were not charging, cloudy thus the solar panels were not putting out much. Then I noticed the AC in green light was not illuminated so the Cat power was not coming into Buster. I was able to start Buster's generator for AC power and voltage was normal. Then for a while I had both power sources off and then restarted the Cat generator and Buster was getting power so long story short is the electric transfer switch is malfunctioning.

When this power was reapplied the Cat generator was surging and voltage was fluctuating. This worked for about six or eight hours before failing again. During the night it failed again (the electric transfer switch) and the house batteries were worn down. I was able to start Buster’s generator using the engine battery and that generator ran the rest of the night.
 

Avery having lunch

Avery, Carole and Jackie

birthday flowers

Bonnie & Avery

 

HBD

Sunday April 28, 2013
To My wife Bonnie

George

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 25 & 26

Thursday, April 25, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 58 degrees cloudy this morning burning off to partly cloudy 69 degrees.

As it was forecasted yesterday with the load of pipe for one pad, the work over rig is coming in this morning, meaning the gate traffic will be much higher today.

The rig arrived mid morning and the support trucks moving in tanks and other equipment they use there at the well site started before the rig arrived. The pictures show the rig in place and the pump jack not completed, with equipment in place for working. In the right back round is the well "tank battery" and poison gas burner.  To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog.

Friday, April 26, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 71 degrees cloudy mist fog this morning, just enough to make everything wet burning off to partly sunny 80 degrees. Late in the day there was this red-orange glow in the western sky just above the scrub tree line I could not quite make out what I was seeing then it dawned on me it is the setting sun.

Now a work day means early traffic and then the regular in’s and out’s and the pumping rods were delivered today that the work over rig crew installs. One of these cows wondered over to the road the leads into the ranch to nibble on the weeds there. He posed nice for me to take a few pictures then promptly turned and walked away to the other cow that was off to the right of this picture.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 23 & 24

Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 71 degrees cloudy windy this morning to mostly cloudy 81 degrees. Slow today they keep coming but the low quantity leaves a lot of time on your hands. To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog.

This well pump jack has been put in while Buster has been here

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 50 degrees cloudy mist windy this morning burning off to partly cloudy 65 degrees.

One truck came in around noon to be unloaded and no one came, turns out the truck was scheduled in to the well site a day early. After Bonnie got up I went into Pleasanton for drinking water and shopping. In the two pictures you can notice the head is up with the counter weight down and the reverse in the second picture.

The down picture

"Rolling Thunder" that is what I call it. There is another ranch access here at the end of our road basically a two driveway choice at the end of the road, we are guarding this gate and the other ranch is unguarded and there is a cattle guard. So when the trucks come for that ranch the only reason to slow is the cattle guard "or not". The empty water and crude oil tankers that chouse not to slow make a lot of racket going over the cattle guard, and this is magnified when in bed sleeping of just getting up. Empty the tank rattles like a drum along with the running gear and the trucks engine exhaust. These trucks hauling water and crude oil out come at any time during the day or night. There are seven wells on the other ranch in addition to the six on our ranch.

I took a ride to the well close to Buster and it is just a pumping, the flame in the back is burning off poison gas.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 21 & 22

Sunday, April 21, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 54 degrees sunny this morning to sunny 89 degrees.
NASCAR Sunday - Kansas; slow gate traffic today more time to watch the race.


Monday, April 22, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 64 degrees cloudy this morning burning off slowly to partly sunny 89 degrees. Over night we had some wind gusts that were rocking Buster form time to time.

The crew working the pad close to Buster finished their work early this morning. Otherwise a slow morning. Bonnie went into Pleasanton today for water shopping and a haircut. On the return trip she stopped at another "gate" to talk with the guard, working for a different company and a much busier "gate" (high traffic) along Franklin Ranch Road.

This sign is on the right as you turn onto the road

Franklin Ranch Road marker - Ranch founder, Ralph S. "Rafe" Franklin, was born in Louisiana, April 4, 1848. He came to McMullen County in the early 1860's with his family. He started this ranch about 1870, building it up until he owned 40,000 acres, one of the largest holdings in this area. On Nov. 4, 1870, he married Minerva Holland; their children were: Murray; Buddy; R.S. Jr.; Green; Felix; Chapman; Amy; Claude; Tom; John; Margaret; Sam; Julius. The ranch headquartered on San Miguel Creek. In 1913, the present ranch home was built at the same location. It was a travelers' refuge; relatives and friends from near and far visited often to attend parties, dances, picnics and other social gatherings. For a short time Franklin ran sheep and goats but changed to cattle. In 1902, he purchased a herd of black Angus, the first in this part of the country. The old "San Antonio-Laredo Stage Road" traverses ranch, crossing San Miguel Creek below ranch home. During the Civil War much cotton passed over this road headed for the Mexican border. The Franklins were pioneers in truest sense--few were more dynamic than they in early McMullen County development. "Rafe" Franklin died March 14, 1913. 1967.

Coming south on SR 16 from Jourdanton we cross San Miguel Creek before turning onto Franklin Ranch Road, still a dirt road and going all the way to SR 97 in the west.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 18 - 20

Thursday, April 18, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 75 degrees cloudy mist and rain (nothing to measure just enough to make mud) this morning burning off to partly sunny 72 degrees. A cold front moved thru this morning winds change fron th east - southeast to being from the north and west.
 

Rain on Buster's windsheild

Friday, April 19, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 53 degrees clear morning to sunny 72 degrees with some unique wind gusts.
Just the now normal work of every day the same a dribble of in and out pickup and work type trucks coming and going. We also have crude oil and water tankers everyday.

Saturday, April 20, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 46 degrees sunny to sunny 78 degrees. We are still experiencing winds with gusts that will setoff our driveway alarms.

One gust of wind set off the incoming alarm then blowing on up the road going to the back pad sites setting off that alarm and there was nothing to see, not even a dust cloud.


 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 15 - 17

Monday, April 15, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 74 degrees cloudy mist this morning burning off to partly (hazy) sunny 89 degrees.

Yesterday and today three air conditioners are running trying to keep buster cool.
Bonnie went to town for relaxation (shopping) and four gallons of drinking water.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 72 degrees cloudy fog this morning burning off to partly cloudy barely 82 degrees and windy. The clouds today meant the third air conditioner was not needed.

I woke up with allergies to what I do not know but a runny nose anyway. I toughed it out blowing and wiping the nose all day. When Bonnie got up I cried sick and went to bed early with some medication.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 72 degrees cloudy this morning to partly sunny and windy 89 degrees. Wind is picking up this afternoon and the third air conditioner did not operate.

I feel much better this morning and the nose has stopped running. Started as a slow day but picked up a little at mid day (gate traffic). Bonnie was up earlier than usual and went into Pleasanton today more relaxation (shopping).

 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 13 & 14

Saturday, April 13, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 58 degrees mostly cloudy this morning to 80 degrees and partly sunny most of the afternoon.

Enough of a wind today to not want to sit outside. We did not get the weather as advertized on the televison the previous two weather telecasts. Light gate traffic day today as we finished the heavy work for the week yesterday.

We are in this gate guarding six weeks now and are planning another six and see how we feel then. But we are starting to experience the hitch itch to move down the road, or thinking where we will go from here. We need to see doctors for prescriptions and we need to have our eye glasses changed. From here we plan to get eye glasses and see our doctors in New Mexico probably in July.

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 68 degrees partly sunny this morning clouds burning off to 96 degrees and sunny most of the afternoon.

NASCAR was last night so it was tape delayed for me. There was minimum gate entrances recorded today. Bird action was the order of the morning, Cardinals two females and one male were about looking for bugs. The females would only show me their back side when the camera was in hand.

 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 11 & 12

Thursday, April 11, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 49 degrees cloudy this morning to 74 degrees and sunny most of the afternoon. There was rain overnight and cooler temperature this morning.

An easier day traffic wise as the rigs are gone and all their support equipment. The sun was nice but slow temperature warmup.

Friday, April 12, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 49 degrees sunny this morning to 89 degrees and partly sunny most of the afternoon.

Gate traffic was sporadic all day with incoming and outgoing all day. Late in the day I

went to town as Bonnie went Tuesday. That old cabin fever came over me I did not mind the late start as the sun goes down later now. I prefer to travel the dirt road in daylight after a couple of trips last month in the dark.


 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 10

Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 74 degrees cloudy mist this morning burning off to cloudy 58 degrees. A front has moved across Texas, I awoke to a warm morning after high temperature yesterday and temperature went down from there.

A nice slow day (traffic wise) with stragglers most of the day. After three o'clock a convoy came in parking some for the night in preparing for tomorrow’s work. This pad has been quite since Sunday and a new work crew starts in the morning. The work over rig will move out of the other pad in the morning as that work finished up today.

 

Work over Rig ready to leave the pad

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 8 - 9

Monday, April 8, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 71 degrees partly sunny this morning to 94 degrees and sunny and windy most of the afternoon. The wind really picked up this afternoon with some good gusts.

Work over rig on site

Another busy day at the gate and the crew at one pad stayed until after dark. The other two crews were out by five today.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 72 degrees partly sunny this morning to 102 degrees and sunny most of the afternoon. There is haze in the distance and wind gusts stirring up the road dust again today. I kept the big awning on a shorter leash today as the past two days I needed Bonnie’s help to roll the awning in safely. When I had it out Sunday and Monday it was tied down to limit the blowing around, I untied the awning and I held the end while Bonnie rolled it in with the electric switch.

This wind has made a day where the entry alarm has activated a number of times, we have the ghost alarms but an abnormal high number of ghost alarms today.

Today has started slow thankfully and slowed down today with only one pad active and the others a small number of visits. With the expected high temperature I attempted to stay inside Buster as much as possible.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Sat & Sun

Saturday, April 6, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 56 degrees partly sunny this morning to 86 degrees and mostly sunny most of the afternoon with a good breeze.

Another busy day with traffic going to three different sites. Prickly pear cactus are starting to bud and flowers will be here soon.

Prickly pear cactus Budding

Sunday, April 7, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 60 degrees partly cloudy this morning to 95 degrees and sunny most of the afternoon with a good breeze to not feel the temperature. This Prickly pear cactus is a Mickey Mouse want-a-be

NASCAR Sunday Martinsville, VA.

We had another busy day with work on three different sites.

Mickey Mouse want-a-be Prickly pear cactus



 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 5

Friday, April 5, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 45 degrees partly sunny this morning to 89 degrees and partly sunny most of the afternoon.

One of the work over rigs on site will switch pads today, this will keep the gate traffic up. Not only that then additional traffic as a fracking crew came in for the site the rig vacated. This resulted in the busiest day and the highest traffic at the gate.

Hats, one of the guy’s coming in gave me a cap and this is the third different cap I have gotten here at the gate.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 4

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 53 degrees partly sunny this morning to 74 degrees and mostly sunny this afternoon. The weather (and temperature) has been very flexible changing all the time from warm - dry to cold - wet and alternating between these the past few days. Heat on then air conditioning on and neither, spring season I guess.

That is not the Sun but a poison gas burn stack

A busy morning and last night was slow for Bonnie and she was up early. I made the trip to town as Bonnie wanted to clean in between checking people out and in while I went into Pleasanton. I picked up a Nook she had ordered from Walmart Site to Store along with other shopping.

That is mud I scraped from the bottom of my shoes even trying to not walk in the mud.
There was a road grader working on Franklin Ranch Road and there is improvement but there is a lot more to go for a good ride also changes from the rain.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 3

Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 60 degrees partly sunny this morning to 74 degrees and partly sunny part of the afternoon. There were some dark clouds west and north of us but dissipated before covering this area.

Sunrise at Fox Creek

Bonnie had "some" rain and a lightening show overnight. There are puddles and mud, I think that is enough said about that for now. Well the picture is a nice sunrise and the puddle is in the foreground. This mud sticks to your shoes and builds up and adds as you take additional steps. I got another picture of s Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher on the ground looking for bugs for breakfast this morning. The pole lights we have here attract the bugs over night and the mornings are Road Runners and other small birds having breakfast.

Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher

 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 2

Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 70 degrees cloudy this morning to 83 degrees and partly sunny this afternoon. It did get dark for a while but the sun came back to bring the temperature up to the high today.

Well traffic has picked up at a couple of our pads today and a two work rigs came in with their support trucks making a busy afternoon.

When Bonnie and I first moved into Buster our cat Merry could not deal with a closes bedroom door. Well to be truthful also in the house in Thonotosassa, a door pushed closed to the door jam would be "pawed" open and in Merry would come to see what was going on or to find a place to sleep. This continued in buster only these are pocket doors and Merry would cry to come into the bedroom or out of the bedroom. Merry’s policy was no closed doors. We now realize that Merry is accepting closed doors because we we need the quite and darkness for sleep.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Apr 1

Monday, April 1, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 67 degrees partly sunny this morning to 85 degrees and mostly sunny.

Went into Pleasanton earlier this afternoon as Silver Sally’s oil and filter were do for changing. Bonnie was up early to allow me to leave for town. Picked up a mail shipment from Lakewood, NM in Jourdanton on the way in to do the shopping and oil change. Traffic at the gate has picked up today. (To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog)

Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher

The bird is a Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher and interesting bird when on the ground the tail is about two and a half times the body length and in flight the tail feathers spread and the scissor look is present. Looking for bugs to eat.

bulls eating along Franklin Ranch Road

 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - Mar 30 - 31

Saturday, March 30, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 61 degrees partly sunny this morning to 86 degrees and mostly sunny.

I had a couple of oil tankers and three pickup trucks and a lot of computer and TV time.

Sunday, March 31, 2013
Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 68 degrees partly sunny this morning to 89 degrees and partly sunny most of the afternoon.

Then after six we had dark sky’s to the north and some real rain drops but only enough to wet things. Two of my regular pickup’s came in today earlier than normal and one oil tanker truck late in the just before dark.

(To enlarge pictures; Click on picture to enlarge, click on the < in the upper left to return to the blog)

The picture is one of the "locals" walking and feeding down the road leadinf to the gate. Thse guys came from the far end and are walking back.