Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - Tan - Jan

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 77 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

Bonnie and I drove Silver Sally into San Antonio purchasing two house batteries, 6 volt deep cycle type.
Friday, June 28, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 76 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

This morning I removed Busters four 6 volt batteries, cleaned and painted the floor and installed the two new batteries. After getting myself cleaned up another trip into San Antonio bringing the four old batteries and purchasing two more that I will install in the morning. There is morning shade where the batteries are in Buster making this only a morning job.

After purchasing two more batteries we drove to Lens Crafters and received our new glasses that were ordered last Saturday. Then we toured some auto dealers looking for a SUV to replace Silver Sally (HHR). We were disappoint by what was available in the make and model we are interested in purchasing, Chevrolet Traverse. We had done some looking on line but did not have much success in finding what we want.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 75egrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 105 degrees. Happy Birthday Cindy.

I installed the second set of batteries and completed that job. I got cleaned up and off we went looking for SUV’s. I tried again this morning on line and found a dealer that had a different make and model SUV, Buick Enclave, same platform vehicle from General Motors. When Bonnie saw this one that stopped the looking there and we were able to make a deal. So Silver Sally is Retired and we now have "Tan Jan" or "TJ" for short. That consumed our day also transferring all the ""stuff we are carting around in Silver Sally. I now need to thin that out. We were looking for more cargo space in our vehicle to haul our "stuff", our large chairs and outside table along with the ice cooler.

 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 78 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 96 degrees.

Catch our breath day here at Atascosa RV Park, doing some cleaning and laying low today. Today’s picture is Buster at Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park coming in the main gate.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 77 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 97 degrees.

I went to Three Rivers to interview a tax preparer in association with receiving money for working the gate job as that is an independent contractor type of job. This tax preparer has other gate guard clients and we will also. Bonnie stayed at Buster doing windows and other cleaning with me out of her way.  

Monday, June 24, 2013


Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 76 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

I went into Pleasanton Chevrolet to B checked because it has not been working for a few months. Well I needed a new one and they need to program that with Bonnie’s and I was prepared for that since I brought her keys with me to Chevrolet. Then I cleaned Silver Sally from our trip yesterday, wash the bugs and dust off.

After that Bonnie and I went to check out Texas RV Supply seeing if they can do the work I need done on Buster and scheduling that work. That will be July 9, so we are staying here at Atascosa RV Park until the eighth to arrive at Texas RV Supply the afternoon before and they will start to work first thing in the morning.

For lunch we found a Fuddruckers hamburger place. Then we drove to New Braunfels Camping World I want spring fold windshield shade covers (Busters size) but there was none in stock. On the way back into San Antonio we stopped at Buc-ees just an oversized gas station with and oversize convenience store, no picture as my mind was not in the moment.

Then we found Barns & Nobel book store to get Bonnie’s nook straightened out and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in North Star Mall, this is where we found a pair of good boots.

 

Fox creek gate Tilden, Texas - June 22 - 23

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas Atascosa RV Park - 75 degrees mostly cloudy this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

Silver sally got a good bath today as it took a while to get most of the caliche dust from the outside and all the door frames. May even take a few good washes to get it all.

Buster at Atascosa RV Park

 Bonnie and I went to Lenscrafters in southwest San Antonio for new sun glasses and bifocals at south park mall. While we waited for our new sunglasses there was lunch. Then Bonnie's sunglasses needed to be remade so we went west to a dicks sporting goods for under Armour sox as bonnie had on a pair of sox the shoes kept pulling down as she was walking. I started buying this brand last year and I am very happy with them. All this is keeping us out of trouble and getting us back to Buster late.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Pleasanton, Texas - Atascosa RV Park - 76 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 102 degrees.

We went to visit with our friends Lanie and Loyce, gate guards in Big Wells, Texas and brought a BBQ lunch with us and a nice cold watermelon. Their location is thirty three miles west of Cotulla, TX and I 35. The location is right next to the paved road and the gate is closed all of the time and opened for each vehicle entering or exiting. A nice time visiting with friends but I had left the camera with Buster. 

Atascosa RV Park Pleasanton, TX June 21

Friday, June 21, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 76 degrees partly sunny this morning.

At nine o’clock our gate coordinator came to close the gate, Buster stand down your are relieved of your duty, move on down the road. Now it is readying Buster’s inside to close the slide out's and make ready to move. This will be a slow drive to the hard road.

The coordinator and I readied the generator trailer and got it hitched to his pickup truck. After he pulled that away I moved Buster off his spot and made ready to roll down the road. Bonnie drove Silver Sally so as not getting the car dusted on the dirt road going to SR 16. I remembered this from our first trip into the gate.

Buster's step is sagging

Once in Jourdanton I stopped Buster at a welder I had spoken to earlier this week about the step that is giving way with weight applied to it. He recommended a RV repair place in San Antonio. Monday I will drive silver sally there and talk with them about some of the repairs I

The first and last snake I saw at the Gate

We moved on to Atascosa RV Park total drive for Buster forty eight miles today, tit is thirty three miles into the Pleasanton Wal-Mart alone. Buster is about half way between San Antonio and Pleasanton and near the I 35 interstate highway (no noise). This is a new twenty site RV park with all paved roads and fifty amp electric power and good city water. No generator running outside Buster, newly paved roads, newly is not so good as there is tar sticking to our shoes.

Buster's moving down the road

Silver Sally Ready to go

It is still closer to Pleasanton but the draw of the big city sucked me in and we went into San Antonio for dinner at Carino’s Italian Grill. To complete the night we stopped into big Wal-Mart and a big H-E-B. These are big compared to Pleasanton’s and we both made it to bed early.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 19 & 20

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 78 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 98 degrees.

The prescriptions I ordered on Sunday arrived at the UPS store in Pleasanton today for pickup so that makes three day’s in a row I went into town. Bonnie has been able to get some naps in over night so that she can be awake while I go into town. Because of the slow travel time on the caliche (dirt road) it takes close to an hour each way so just the in and out is almost two hours away from the gate then shopping time so a trip into town is a minimum of two and a half hours.

 
A group of cattle came up the pipeline to night looking for a drink of water at the white tank so I filled silver bowl for them.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 76 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

I talked with one of the maintenance guy’s about the water pump fitting that’s cracked. His word is the gate is closing tomorrow that means he will not come out today to replace the fitting.

I ordered the replacement electric transfer switch today ship tomorrow and should be here Tuesday at the UPS store in Pleasanton. I will then find someone to replace the switch, me thinks having the part in hand then find the willing worker.

This has been the slowest day and late this afternoon I got the word our gate will close in the morning. I had been doing some things to prepare for the closing. But now I have a close time I well remove the tire covers and fill Busters water tank then pick up the water hose.

There were a number of cattle that come up the road from the well near Buster then went to the pipe line never stopping at the white tank looking for water. There was one more run to the trash trailer to night.

  

I found these today that I forgot to post last week, so here you go:


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 73 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees. Rain and wind storm this afternoon and the puddle has just dried up.

Starting off slow again today. There is a surveyor set up just outside our gate today. This surveyor came setting off our in alarm just as a water truck was departing. After the water truck left I was waiting for the incoming and there was nothing. The investigation revealed the surveyor setting up in the area behind Buster. Here is an explanation of a wayward driver with directions he cannot handle. First the directions are from SR 16 and he arrives from SR 97, yes Franklin Ranch road goes thru from those state highways. When you come in from SR 97 and come to Fox Creek Gate and pass by the target of your directions site by four miles puzzles me.

Well the water part of the storm was small so the puddle is small and I was able to get the awnings retracted in before any damage from the wind.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 78 degrees partly sunny this morning to partly sunny 95 degrees. Well there may not have been enough rain for puddles yesterday but the ground is so wet it is sticking to my shoes. A hot muggy day.

I went into Pleasanton today after Bonnie was up from her nights sleep. The usual wash the Silver Sally, dump the garbage, shopping drinking water and bring something home to Buster for dinner. On the way in I drove into a rain shower but I still needed to wash the mud and dirt off Silver Sally. There was no rain at the gate only there in town and east of Pleasanton.

These horses and cattle were grazing along Franklin Ranch Road today.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 17 & 18

Monday, June 17, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 77 degrees mostly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

Bonnie was not up to going shopping after her sleep so I went into Pleasanton for shopping and drinking water. That was the biggest activity today. We did get a visit from the company (oil) and the gate job will close this week maybe Wednesday.

The cattle were out along the road feeding and I have come to the realization that the big thing foe me noticing then is they do not move when a vehicle comes by them. The wild life here as anywhere will run when the vehicle comes. Not the cattle they continue whatever they are doing at that time. Eating, walking, standinf or laying down just stay right there, go around I’m busy doing.

Bonnie had a large group of the cattle come around last night about midnight. She did not go outside or wake me during the night but the were setting the inside alarm off wandering around and feeding in that area for a while.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 75 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 100 degrees.

This morning I am working towards our departing the gate packing a way and cleaning the windshield and other. Then the water did not work it was a corroded electrical connector on the pump. But trouble shooting I broke an inlet elbow fitting while check to see if there was a blockage to the pump inlet. I thought the clamp for the hose to the fitting was not re-tightening properly. Bonnie was still up as she had a nap during the night, so I went into town for a new clamp that clamp worked well but that is when I found the fitting is cracked. There is three quarters of a tank in Buster so we have water.
Today going in and out on Franklin Ranch Road there were no cattle seen at first then there they were standing or laying down next to tree trunks getting all the shade they can.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 16

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 77 degrees mostly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

Yesterday evening after Bonnie was up from her sleep I went into Tilden dumping our garbage. We are drying out more today with the mostly sunny morning the puddles are drying up. No pictures as the camera was located safely on the computer table but there were plenty of cattle seen out there feeding along Franklin Ranch Road and SR 16 during my trip into Tilden.

NASCAR Brooklyn Michigan that’s today’s race plan along with a slow gate.

Saturday, June 15, 2013


Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 77 degrees mostly cloudy trying to clear this morning to mostly sunny 97 degrees. We are drying out today.

A fire started by a lightning strike at a salt water disposal plant in Atascosa County has closed SR 16 last night for a while. This is water removed from oil wells and has some hydrocarbons in it and is disposed at treatment locations. Buster's gate is located five miles south of the Atascosa county line.

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

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 13

Flag Day

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 80 degrees mostly cloudy this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees. We have the thunder storms today, with water and yes the mud puddle is back and the ground will stick the our shoes when we go out. The storm does drop the ambient temperature but it does go right beck up and with humidity.

The thunder storm coming from the Gulf of Mexico are here this afternoon again today as yesterday was dry at Busters gate I only experienced the rain in Jourdanton and Pleasanton. Today the gate is slow and waiting for our diesel fuel and fresh water delivery. Turned away another pickup looking for a rig with directions on how to get there from here. He turned into our road instead of continuing another three and a half miles east on Franklin Ranch Road.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 9 & 10

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 78 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 90 degrees. The tricky triangle Pocono, PA racetrack NASCAR Sunday .

The gate is quite today with only oil tankers hauling out oil and me watching racing.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 75 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees. Enough clouds so there is no sunrise.

It has been a slow couple of days here at the gate, not very much going on. We are making departure plans with some maintenance work needed for Buster that I will try and schedule in New Braunfels, Texas then we may head to Austin to see Carole and Avery before heading to the Ranch in New Mexico.

These are pictures of sunset Bonnie too the other night. They do look better live as something is lost in the picture.

 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 8

Saturday, June 8, 2013


Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 68 degrees mostly cloudy this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees. No sunrise today, too many clouds. The clouds are slowly clearing.

It is interesting that when the cattle come and feed wandering around for the right spot to munch and all of a sudden one of the cows decides to start walking back to the pipeline the line forms and they are all walking in that direction with out a noise from any one cow. The pipeline also seems to be their preferred route not walking on the side of the road.

Late today I went into Pleasanton typical shopping dump garbage put gasoline in Silver Sally. On the way in it started to raining am headed east on Franklin Ranch Road and the sky to the south is black clouds and I am on the gray line where it is raining. A muddy road, but there is no dust cloud following Silver Sally. Heading north on SR 16 I drive out of the rain and the first thing I do in Jourdanton is power wash Silver Sally. It is nice in Jourdanton and Pleasanton no rain but on the return to Franklin Ranch Road I am in the rain again. At the Fox Creek Gate the heavy rain missed and was south of Franklin Ranch Road. These pictures are of the gate puddle and that did not grow with the late afternoon rain.


I caught the rainbow picture going south on SR 16 before turning onto Franklin Ranch Road.

 

 

Rainbow along SR 16

 

 

 

Grazing along Franklin Ranch Road

Sunset along a wet muddy Franklin Ranch Road

 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 7

Friday, June 7, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 74 degrees partly cloudy this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees. Breezy this morning, a warm breeze from the east. Mid morning there are some spits of rain in the air. Our water and diesel fuel came on the scheduled day Thursday this week amazing.

The cattle enjoyed them self’s last night and a larger group came by this morning after sunrise to feed and drink again. I refilled the steel bowls half full with water and they drank the bowls dry. This is what I am concerned about, draining our water tank for them. The sad eyes are looking for water and I can not refuse them.

Sunrise

That depression in the center of the white tank, collects water and black dirt.

 

Well we had rain all afternoon and yes we have puddles. And this was a most of the afternoon event. Then a tanker came in to load oil, thus the tire tracks here to the left as the heavy loaded truck making the turn digs into the wet roadbed.

You can see the shadow from Buster in these pictures and the edge of the left side window awning.

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 5 & 6

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 68 degrees mostly cloudy this morning clearing to mostly sunny 95 degrees. The wind sox’s in the area are limp this morning very still type of morning.

Gate traffic is slow here today, very little happened.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 72 degrees mostly cloudy this morning clearing slowly to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

Most of our traffic was in the cool morning then quit for the mid day and a tanker coming to load oil in late in the afternoon. Near dusk the cattle came around checking for food and water. In the evening tankers came to haul out water pumped up with the oil.

Just before dusk the cattle came by for feed and a drink of water. These pictures show them munching the grass (weeds) and looking for puddled water in this white tank, there is a depression in the center collecting rain water. We put water in the stainless steel bowls for them to drink, maybe the wrong thing to do. This white tank was here when Buster arrived here at the gate in March. 

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - June 3 & 4

Monday, June 3, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 80 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 96 degrees.

Plan for today was Bonnie to drive into Pleasanton but that did not happen so I went into Tilden to dump the garbage. No cattle came around the gate today thus no wild life encounters. Just a typical day of in and outs for our gate traffic.

Sunrise

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 74 degrees partly sunny this morning to sunny 96 degrees. Hot one today there was a breeze or it would have been hard to deal with the temperature and sun.

Bonnie went into Pleasanton after sleeping and got back at dark. Nothing happening here, just a few ins and outs here at the gate. These cattle are on the adjacent ranch grazing.

The End

 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 78 degrees and a thunder and lightening storm this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees. And we have puddles. That was a quick and wet storm. This caliche road base gets muddy and slick sticking to your shoes.

Buster’s water and generator fuel delivery came after the rain, what a mess walking around and the tire tracks from the delivery rig. Overnight (Saturday to Sunday) there are these bugs they were all over everything out side. They were even grouped on the large rocks we have here.

Mud puddle

It is Sunday and NASCAR racing from Dover, DL’s Monster Mile.

Cattle coming to look for food and water
on the right is the pipeline area

Cattle came around at dusk looking for things to eat and water to drink. They were poking around the white plastic tank in the center of the top there is a depression that rain water had collected and the cows were after that. Then they were in the area cross the road from Buster wandering around after dark this was setting off our vehicle alarm that lets us know a vehicle is coming out. It kept Bonnie on alert as the cattle wandered around setting off the alarm.

Tire tracks and mud puddle

The white plastic tank is on the left side

The pipeline area is upper left of the picture

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - May 31 & Jun 1

Friday, May 31, 2013

Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 76 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 95 degrees.

Another slow day for gate traffic and maybe slower over the weekend. One of the contractors storing equipment on the ranch loaded up and moved out mid day today so that will reduce my daily gate traffic.

After bonnie got up I went into Pleasanton today as I had package of medicine sent to the UPS store there. I also did some shopping and looking for a muddy shoe brush but it seems they are out of season as I was not able to locate one. It seems they get this stock in the fall and just sell it out.
Saturday, June 1, 2013


Fox Creek Gate Tilden, Texas - 80 degrees partly sunny this morning to mostly sunny 96 degrees.

Starting our fourth month today.

Cattle came up the left side of Buster checking the fence. After dark I was in bed about to fall asleep when a large group of cattle came "chatting" I could hear them making sounds then they were gone and I was off to sleep. For the day the big traffic was five trucks coming in to repair one well that had not been working all week.

 

After dinner with Bonnie in taking her shower I sitting at the computer three cattle came up Buster’s left side. A bull a young bull and a female and she was looking for someplace to go thru the fencing. I was able to get a few pictures there. When the female could not go any further came back around Buster checking the fence to continue but there was not openings.

 

 

As they came around the right side of Buster I went out for some more pictures. When the female started to come closer to the cattle guard I started to close the gates. At about this point the young bull took off up the road into the ranch. The female came at the gate that I had closed a couple of times then turned and walked off going down the pipeline with the bull following.

"Let's go around to the other side and check that opening"

 

 



"O  well we can not get out here"