Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 29 - 30

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Sunday, March 29, 2015
Morning 57 Degrees, Wind SSE 6 Mph, Humidity 88%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 88 Degrees, Wind SE 8 & gusting to 18 Mph, Humidity 45%, sunny.    

When our welders and pipeline workers left the gate Friday night they were saying "see you Monday" well that was true as there was almost no traffic here at the gate. "Almost" two came all day Saturday and no one today.

Basketball and NASCAR weekend, NASCAR short track racing from Martinsville, Virginia

Single hole where the dirt just stuck to a tire

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Monday, March 30, 2015

Morning 64 Degrees, Wind E 6 Mph, Humidity 94%, mostly cloudy clearing late morning. Afternoon 88 Degrees, Wind ESE 7 Mph, Humidity 38%, partly sunny.     

I was noticing the dirt driveway today and remembering the day we had rain and big trucks coming in and making these holes just rolling thru. The truck would stop to be checked in and start rolling again, dirt and rocks would stick to the tires making the holes. When the tires stopped the sloppy mud would stick to the tires and the under layer was dry for a short time (no picture) then it would fill with water and mud.

Today I got that dreaded call my debit card has been hacked, again. There were charges made in North Carolina today. Yesterday I did shopping in Carrizo Springs and the caller had some charges for today in North Carolina, and I have not left the gate.

I have made an appointment for the doctor on Thursday and have setup a fill in gate guard for the day. Bonnie and I will go to the doctor, pickup meds in south San Antonio have a chance for some large store shopping, getting items that are not available here in the small stores. Tea, Bonnie likes a couple of flavored tea's that are not available in the small stores (H E B or Walmart) just do not have the selection. A chance to dine out together, although with the slower gate we are having some meals together now. We really can not do that when the gate is busy with a frak going on. 

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar27 - 28

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Friday, March 27, 2015
Morning 46 Degrees, Wind WSW 4 Mph, Humidity 87%, cloudy morning.
Afternoon 81 Degrees, Wind S 6 Mph, Humidity 35%, mostly sunny.  

Sunrise

We have been looking for these sunrises after the rainy cloudy weather we have had, because it means no mud. Welders and pipeline worker trucks today, oil pad and pipeline work we were busy during the day but there is no night work going on. Bonnie has only to be "available" if someone comes to the gate. There was one last night only one all week, and early, before nap time. In the morning the trucks start coming after six o'clock, still dark here.

Generator ready to travel

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Saturday, March 28, 2015
Morning 50 Degrees, Wind SSE 7 Mph, Humidity 71%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 83 Degrees, Wind S 6 Mph, Humidity 45%, mostly sunny.

Our site generator went off last night about eight-thirty, the generator just shut off. I had fueled it earlier so that was ok the twelve volt gauge on the control panel was zero, that was not good. Called for support and they were here in forty minutes. Even before going outside I started Buster"s generator for power. Troubleshooting found the engine alternator failed, that was replaced. But there was wiring issue that did not give us a warm feeling.

That fix lasted all night and about eight-thirty this morning again the generator went off. Again I started Buster's generator and called support. He said "will be here about eleven with another unit". I went outside and made the trailer unit ready to travel by disconnecting our electric cables and water hose. I lowered the light tower. Later when he came and parked the "new" to the site unit and pulled out the onsite unit. Now latter in the day the "new unit is working good.

 

Generator moved out

With all this going on I worked on something I wanted to try, Buster's windshield sunshades. Buster's windshields are facing west and get the days longest sun exposure here at this gate. We have two different types and I wanted to try using both at the same rime. I have been reading another blog where they are trying magnets to hold the shades in place to the outside of the windshield. These shades were purchased for inside use with suction cups to hold the shades in place. There are shades that can be purchased for outside use at three times the price using magnets.

these were trimmed to fit inside

It is getting more difficult for me to place these inside (reaching over the steering wheel) when setting up in a new location. After a while the suction cups loose suction  requiring me to wipe the glass and suction cup and reapply to the glass. Because of that and when arriving at a new location it will depend on how long we are going to be there if I will install these sun screens. For the shorter stays to me it has not been worth the effort to put the shades in place and using the foil bubbles is easier and quicker.

Using double side tape inside the glass to hold magnets on the glass inside windshield and gluing magnets to the shade then placing the shade magnetized to the windshield is what I have been reading. This type supposedly will not require the use of a ladder to install the shades. What i did yesterday required me up on the ladder to make the installation.

Well I am trying the suction cups on the outside, so far so good. Still not the best for setting up at a new location. We are also using the bubble foil inside the windshield as Buster is looking into the west setting sun. The sun is the longest time on the windshield each day, "we have sun". As the sun screens are laying directly on the glass, the wind does not seem to be a problem, today we only has wind of moderate speed.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 25 - 26

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Morning 64 Degrees, Wind SE 10 Mph, Humidity 94%, cloudy.
Afternoon 59 Degrees, Wind SE 10 & gusting to 16 Mph, Humidity 69%, partly cloudy for a while the sun found some holes to poke thru. A cold front is moving south, colder with rain and mud for Thursday morning.

Last night Bonnie and I visited with our departing gate guards for a while, a departing visit. Going shopping this morning (rain and mud for Thursday) I only met the new gae guard at our street entrance as his wife was sleeping. Today was not as nice of a day than expected, cloudy and overcast most of the day.

The four well on our pad

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Thursday, March 26, 2015

Morning 64 Degrees, Wind S 6 Mph, Humidity 100%, cloudy morning rain in th eight o'clock hour then the wind changed. Winds changed to N 23 & gusting to 34 mph and sunshine rying to come out.

Afternoon 68 Degrees, Wind NNW 15 & gusting to 20 Mph, Humidity 43%, partly sunny.     

Well we had some rain showers then the gusty wind came with the cold front resulting in our temperatures not reaching yesterdays highs. The best part it was not enough rain to produce MUD. Our workers are coming and going with work on the pad and putting in an underground pipeline to the tank battery across the street. 

from the well to these four processing assemblies 

Water removed from the oil

Tank battery across the street

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 23 - 24

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Monday, March 23, 2015
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind SE 5 Mph, Humidity 100%, partly cloudy.

Afternoon 84 Degrees, Wind SSE 9 & gusting to 17 Mph, Humidity 40%, mostly sunny.
Took a while the clouds to burn off becoming a nice day with good Mud drying conditions. The gate guard couple at our street entrance is leaving on Wednesday, returning north to Illinois for the summer and their replacements have been here to see the location. I expect them early on Wednesday morning, "new neighbors" on our block.

The responsibility at that location is opening and closing the gate and recording plate numbers only and time coming and going. Our responsibility is that and adding name and company they represent. They are excited and preparing the move their rig off the "spot" being ready for their replacement gated to assume the "spot".

Work over rig on the way out at Fox Creek Gate

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Morning 63 Degrees, Wind SE 7 Mph, Humidity 100%, partly cloudy and took a while to burn of the early morning cloud cover. Afternoon 88 Degrees, Wind SSE 9 & gusting to 21 Mph, Humidity 33%, sunny.  

The work over rig moved out this morning so there were extra flatbed trucks in to get the other support equipment up and moved out also. Another backhoe came in plus a bulldozer and a large bush-hog. Welders are still working so this tragic is really only a day job with Bonnie getting some naps in the chair up front.

Work over rig

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 22 -

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Sunday, March 22, 2015
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind W 4 Mph, Humidity 100%, cloudy morning rain showers.
Afternoon 82 Degrees, Wind N 6 Mph, Humidity 57%, sunny.

Two and three-quarters inches of rain for yesterday, and slowly clearing with late afternoon full sun.

Regular day workers came to work today with a larger group expected tomorrow with welders and other on ground workers. My day was checking in some then going to town for the Sunday paper. Last week I did not go into Carrizo Springs for it and we did without. Also with the lower quantity of vehicles coming to the gate we have the time to read and enjoy the Sunday paper. Actually other things made for a busy day with the paper, road to the final four basketball and NASCAR from Fontana, California.

First sunset in a while for us

A new gate opened across the street from out gate (street entrance) with temporary people yesterday and last night and a fifth wheel camper this morning. Our lakes are drying to mud and maybe solid hard ground soon. Tan Jan leaving the parking spot was spinning wheels and sliding sideways, I stopped and moved back forward and got a run started sooner and was able to power thru the built up slippery muddy area.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 20 - 21

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Friday, March 20, 2015
Morning 68 Degrees, Wind ESE 6 Mph, Humidity 94%, overcast.
Afternoon 69 Degrees, Wind N 1 Mph, Humidity 100%, cloudy light rain.

Bonnie has had it easy the past couple of nights with no overnight work going on. She is on duty for the early arrivals in the morning, while I am having my breakfast.

Comings and goings started lower this morning and without any Mud or big trucks coming to the gate just pickup trucks and a large ten wheeler, a wire line truck. Late morning the rain drops started and by two o'clock I can see water puddling on the road and as soon as the wheels roll over that there will be mud.


Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Saturday, March 21, 2015
Morning 61 Degrees, Wind N 6 Mph, Humidity 100%, cloudy morning rain showers.
Afternoon 68 Degrees, Wind NE 10 & gusting to 16 Mph, Humidity 83%, overcast and trying to clear.

Puddles getting to Tan Jan

Last night a quarter of an inch of rain and that makes a lot of mud and water puddles.
"The Lakes at Buster's Gate" that's today's pictures. Just minimum work going on today, no welders or other top side work only down the hole workers coming in today. I am keeping Tan Jan parked today, I did want to check on some my sister Alice has forwarded to me this week but there was too much rain and plenty of mud on our roadway. We are only nine hundred feet off the paved road, but I do not want to even walk to the driver door.

Puddles across from Buster

NASCAR is in Fontana, California this weekend.

Puddles behind Buster

I can even scrape the water off my shoes

Puddles on the other side of Buster

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 18 - 19

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Morning 63 Degrees, Wind SE 2 Mph, Humidity 97%, cloudy overcast morning rain showers forecast.  Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind ENE 4 & gusting to 9 Mph, Humidity 75%, mostly cloudy.

The showers never came today, as there was more rain overnight into today to keep our mud level ridiculously high. I do much prefer the dust than the mud. Today the traffic was little less but enough to keep me jumping up and down during the day.


Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Morning 63 Degrees, Wind SE 2 Mph, Humidity 97%, cloudy overcast morning rain showers forecast.  Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind ENE 4 & gusting to 9 Mph, Humidity 75%, mostly cloudy.

Trucks have been out there making ruts

The showers never came today, as there was more rain overnight into today to keep our mud level ridiculously high. I do much prefer the dust than the mud. Today the traffic was little less but enough to keep me jumping up and down during the day.


Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Thursday, March 19, 2015
Morning 66 Degrees, Wind E 1 Mph, Humidity 98% cloudy fog.
Afternoon 81 Degrees, Wind S 6 Mph, Humidity 61%, partly sunny.  

Welders have come in the past three days and today a work over rig with the support equipment making a very busy morning. The trailer trucks had a hard time negating the turns around Buster slipping and sliding one even got stuck but the best nothing was damaged.

Scraper rotated 

My "hoe" shoe scraper is working well removing the mud from the soles of my shoes and the edges also. I am experiencing the edge of the hoe rotating, as the handle is just laid on the ground with the deck holding the handle in place. I really need to clamp the handle to the under side of the deck to prevent the edge of the hoe from rotating under my foot.

By late afternoon the road has dried pretty good, in the center while the edge is still sloppy. This morning with the tractor trailers coming in with equipment and pipe one got stuck and needed to be pulled put by another truck. The driver was trying to keep it wide before turning left behind Buster but the slippery mud reached up and grabbed the steer axle tires and kept them in the mud. Now the bad news, more rain Friday into Saturday. I do not expect any tractor trailer trucks but I never know when they are coming. The trailer tires have been getting close to both fence posts

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 17

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind SE 2 Mph, Humidity 94%, mostly cloudy with showers (mud expected). Afternoon 74 Degrees, Wind SSE 1  & gusting to 2 Mph, Humidity 94%, mostly cloudy.  The hoe mud scraper is working well. One tenth of an inch of rain and this is the muddy road we get.

We had more traffic today as welders and parts came o=in to the well pad for assembly and construction of oil processing and storage. There was enough water from rain showers to make everything messy.

Muddy road

This is the second time working for this company and the services they supply are being provided on time at this site. The company has replaced the fuel and water guy who was a seven to ten day schedule person with two people one fuel and one water and they are on time every week the same day (different days, Monday & Thursday). This makes a gate guards life to know there supplies are delivered by people who are reliable to be there on time. Although we are not as "remote" as we were in 2013 it is always in your mind the generator needs diesel and the water in the tank for our washing and showering needs.

Locals Feeding

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 16

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Monday, March 16, 2015

Morning 60 Degrees, Wind ESE 5 Mph, Humidity 77%, mostly cloudy.

Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind ENE 2 Mph, Humidity 65%, mostly cloudy.

Still little traffic here at our gate overcast all day with a few sprinkles in the morning.

I know more work is coming it is just a matter of when it will start.

Last year we were at four locations with two in the spring and tqo in the late summer and fall. Springs first gate was just about a month February twenty-fifth to March twenty-five near Tilden. Then March twenty-five to May seventh west of Dilley, Texas.

The fall we were east of Tilden for two and a half weeks then north of Tilden until almost Thanksgiving. Not one of those gates were as busy as this gate was was for two and a half weeks during the fraking of four wells. This was the first frak we "gated" and I hope the last. 

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 14 - 15

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Saturday, March 14, 2015 - Pie Day
Morning 51 Degrees, Wind N 1 Mph, Humidity 88%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 81 Degrees, Wind N 6 Mph, Humidity 23%, mostly sunny.  

Sunrise Asherton, TX

Pie, 3.1415927
Another slow day as the grader and roller move out. Rest time for gate guards with very low number of vehicles coming and going thru the gate. This slow time is giving me time to catch up with things on my desk that have been put off during the past three weeks.

NASCAR from Phoenix, AZ and today I was able to enjoy the race without jumping up to answer the gate traffic entering or leaving the well pad. The other gate location also has vehicles coming into the "ranch" these just continue past Buster without turning left. There are usually a few "ranch" entry's on the weekend days.

Equipment going our the gate

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Sunday, March 15, 2015
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind ENE 10 & gusting to 16 Mph, Humidity 68%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind E 5 Mph, Humidity 55%, mostly cloudy.

NASCAR from Phoenix, AZ and today I was able to enjoy the race without jumping up but once about four o'clock for one oil company driver. Visited some time today with the gate guards at the road (about six hundred feet from Buster). They had more traffic than me as they had people come in for the ranch and they do not need to go thru thpad where the oil wells are located, that is our only concern. Maybe other work will start tomorrow.Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Sunday, March 15, 2015
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind ENE 10 & gusting to 16 Mph, Humidity 68%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind E 5 Mph, Humidity 55%, mostly cloudy.

NASCAR from Phoenix, AZ and today I was able to enjoy the race without jumping up but once about four o'clock for one oil company driver. Visited some time today with the gate guards at the road (about six hundred feet from Buster). They had more traffic than me as they had people come in for the ranch and they do not need to go thru to the pad where the oil wells are located, that is our only concern. Maybe other work will start tomorrow.

Add caption

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 13

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Friday, March 13, 2015
Morning 54 Degrees, Wind NNE 7 Mph, Humidity 82%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 75 Degrees, Wind W 4 Mph, Humidity 34%,  partly cloudy.

Today Bonnie and I watched the sunrise together then I went to town shopping and post office. The stores are small both Walmart and H E B Grocery and a limited selection compared to shopping in Pleasanton, makes us spoiled. I also stopped at the hardware store looking for a shoe scraper.

Shoe Brush Mounted to the Deck

Years ago the scrapers were mounted on the porch outside to clean mud off shoes. Not there now so I looked around Walmart no, but then the thought came of a hoe laid on the ground and the blade up, shoe scraper. I purchased a hoe and laid it on the ground under our walking deck to hold it in place. So far it is working great but there is very little mud right now. Maybe this will scare off any more mud coming here to this gate, we will see as the weather changes from winter into spring.

Hoe with handle under the deck

It has been quite here all week starting Sunday with the remainder of the move out of the frak equipment. A grader and roller have been brought in and working all week to cleanup the well pad after the frak equipment was moved out. OK there really was no work getting done Sunday and Monday even Tuesday, with the muddy conditions. Yesterday and today there were just over a dozen loads of caleche brought in by belly dump trucks filling the holes of the pad, for the next phase of the oil well completion.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 11 - 12

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Morning 51 Degrees, Wind SW 3, Humidity 94%, cloudy clearing slowly during the day.
Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind W 7 Mph, Humidity 68%, mostly sunny.  

The mud road is slowly going away thank goodness. We have been getting a needed rest with only a handful of pickup trucks coming in every day.
Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Morning 51 Degrees, Wind SW 3, Humidity 94%, cloudy clearing slowly during the day.
Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind W 7 Mph, Humidity 68%, mostly sunny.  

The mud road is slowly going away thank goodness. We have been getting a needed rest with only a handful of pickup trucks coming in every day.  We have had a mud shoe brush but there seems to be something ense is needed to remove the mud from collecting on the heels and soles of our shoes.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Thursday, March 12, 2015
Morning 47 Degrees, Wind N 4 , Humidity 100%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 74 Degrees, Wind NNE 9 Mph, Humidity 34%, sunny. The driveway is dry, the sun is out, very nice day with drying of the road.


i went to the Asherton Post Office first thing this morning, first a surprise audit was going to take place, no purchases until after the audit. The package from Amazon was delivered by UPS to the post office, when ordering I thought it would come parcel post, so I used general delivery as an address. UPS could not deliver to road one mile north of US 83.

Base electric or battery power

I had ordered a Chamberlain driveway alarm system for our gate, one base (A/C adapter or 4 AA battery power) and two sensors. The alarms provided by the company (will no longer be provided) are only good for a six hundred foot range need frequent re-booting and many stray alerts. I ordered the same type alarm we used at out at last four gates, Chamberlain and these have a half mile range, each sensor chimes differently (4 AA battery power), easier to know which direction the vehicle is coming from. After I returned to the gate and opened the packages installed batteries and programmed them it was time the pound in a stakes and mount the sensors on the stake, they are working as advertised. We are now happy gate guards.

One of two sensors

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 9 - 10

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Monday, March 9, 2015
Morning 56 Degrees, Wind N 1, Humidity 95%, mostly cloudy overcast.
Afternoon 59 Degrees, Wind 3 Mph, Humidity 92%, mostly cloudy. Some showers today.

I am extremely slow day as we are still slippery with mud and puddles of water on the road from Saturday nights rain and sundats showers. There will be a new phase of work starting soon.

We are recovering from the nonstop traffic coming and going here at the gate, the slower traffic has been a chance to get other things done around the house (Buster).

Gloves, last summer while in North Carolina my daughter Christine came home with a bulky item and asked me to help in removing it from her van. She offered me a pair of work gloves to use while removing the item. At first I refused, like normal I usually do not use (work) gloves. OK some times I do but it is for cleanliness or protection from cuts or sharp items. reluctantly I put the offered gloves on for the task. I liked the fix and the "sticky grasping" they offered. My daughter said keep them for my use. Well I have been using then and actually look to use them most of the time when going to do some "work". I was in "Dollar Tree" one day and found a pair of gloves there for $ 1.00 and could not leave without them. So now there three pair gray- orange my history gloves for only dirty things, my daughters supplied black gloves and my $ 1 white and red gloves. I am using both of these on a regular basis now while the gray & orange stay in the tool compartment.


Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Morning 50 Degrees, Wind W 4, Humidity 98%, cloudy, dense fog.
Afternoon 74 Degrees, partly sunny.

Slow again today and I still have computer problems, windows will not complete the boot-up cycle.  The problem starting Sunday working a document it would not move off the top line of the page. I am going to need professional help to bet up and running properly. The Vista computer was downloading and updating for a couple of hours today since it has been off line two years. Vista had a power up problem but it fixed it self after being off six months it powered up normally.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 6 - 8

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Friday, March 6, 2015
Morning 36 Degrees, Wind E 8, Humidity 65%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 54 Degrees, Wind S 4 Mph, Humidity 55%, partly sunny for a while mid day then mostly cloudy.

Drying the muddy road the last of the frak tonight, plenty of sand trucks there is a pause after the frack is finished overnight tonight, then the "rig down" and move out will take place Saturday. With the road drying (no mud) there is less stress for the drivers going wide around Buster, but they still try and drive the center of the road. While I am out there I try and motion to the drivers to keep the turn wide.

Empty trailer close to the gate post

Sand conveyors moving out

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Saturday, March 7, 2015
Morning 36 Degrees, Wind S 6, Humidity 61%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 64 Degrees, Wind SSE 7 Mph, Humidity 55%, partly sunny.  

Decent day the road is dry solid, no mud and partly sunny in the afternoon and turning to cloudy rain tonight.

Move out day for the frak companies, but extra vehicles need to come in for everything to move out making it even busier. The sand company moving out their conveyors (two) that each hold four of the sand boxes.

Sunrise

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Sunday, March 8, 2015
Morning 51 Degrees, cloudy. Rain last night enough for puddles and mud, again
Afternoon 74 Degrees, Wind Mph, Humidity 85%, mostly cloudy rain showers.

Still moving out and today moving out a temp housing unit on a five axle trailer, the house is over size wide and long, the gate post was hit. Turns out the horizontal bar going to the next post was not welded good with both welds failing. It resulted in very little other damage that the welds.

Computer problems, I am doing this on a old Vista computer an I have crashed my Windows 7 computer. It is like relearning all over again, but I am making do even with the function keys in other places (home & end).

Other wise a quite day traffic day yesterday, rain overnight into today with new mud and water puddles. If the house was moved latter yesterday there would hace been no problem for the gate post, with the dry road, but with the mud the trucks steer tires were slipping and little directional control for the driver.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 4 - 5

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Morning 34 Degrees, Wind NE 4, Humidity 95%, cloudy.
Afternoon 68 Degrees, Wind Mph, Humidity 95%, cloudy.

Coming in if the driver stays to the right side of the road before coming to the turn and stay's on the outside edge of the turn there is plenty of room to miss Buster and us standing there, but when they drive the center of the road the trailer wheels come inside the track of the tractor wheels then will run over the sign that is telling them to stop and sign in to the site. Today the driver runs over the stop sign and proceeds thru the open gate. Very close then backs up to turn the front more to the left bending the gate into a V. it was replaces later in the day with a temporary gate. So this one driver drives over the sign with left side trailer wheels and bends the gate into a V with the right side tractor wheels.

Bent gate, truck backed into the vertical bar, left center

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Thursday, March 5, 2015

Morning 37 Degrees, Wind N 22 & gusting to 33 mph, Humidity 75%, cloudy.

Afternoon 43 Degrees, Wind Mph, Humidity 45%, mostly sunny.    

Still cold today and windy but the wind is bringing drying of the muddy road, that is the reason I could put up with the wind and there was enough clearing to have a sunset after a number of days of no sun at all. A high number of sand trucks coming and going even over night to get the four wells fraked. Water comes in via a temporary pipeline from another direction. These are the biggest items of a frak by volume the components needed for the frak. Chemicals come in tank trailer or pallet containers. 

I had talked to two oil company men during the day, nothing. Bonnie talked to one at night and got it done, he was back with a man from the frak company and these cones and caution tape but the cone closest to the sign and the sign were run over the next day. The sign is now in two pieces, good thing it was not a new sign, it has been around a few years. 

The sign was run over by a truck coming  in, this truck is going out 

Bonnie got this setup last night

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Mar 1 - 3

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Sunday, March 1, 2015
Morning 41 Degrees, Wind N 1, Humidity 100%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 50 Degrees, Humidity 85%, mostly cloudy.

Wet mud Sand trucks keep coming day and night. On this gate Bonnie has had the most work she has had counting all the previous gates we have had gate guarding.

Today was my first time to travel into Carrizo Springs, Texas about fourteen miles from the gate. There is a small Walmart and a new small H E B to shop for Groceries.

 There is trouble down the hole last night so the frak stopped and other equipment is brought in to go fishing for a lost "tool".

A "Pole truck" came in and the sand trucks slowed and stopped. These poles are like a crane for lifting when on site with a winch at the back of the cab. In the picture the truck on the left
NASCAR Atlanta, GA, watched this going to bed tonight, not enough time during the day.

A new month and I am already behind in blogging and still trying to catch up (today is our slowest day at this gate (Monday, March 9,)

"Pole Truck" on the left

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Monday, March 2, 2015
Morning 48 Degrees, Wind NE 5, Humidity 100%, cloudy.
Afternoon 52 Degrees, Wind N 5 Mph, Humidity 95%, misty rain

Turned into a slower day no sand trucks, but the shift changes morning and night with daily deliveries and other "gusts & lookers" come for a short time and leave. Just enough to keep a person hopping up every so often. The picture below, the tire tracks of the trailers getting closer with the mud. Dry i had the sign further out making the drivers swing out more to avoid us and Buster. I do not want to clean the wheel spray of the vehicles tires off Buster, dry days it is dust.

Buster's Gate Asherton, TX - Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Morning 46 Degrees, Wind ENE 4, Humidity 100%, mostly cloudy.

Afternoon 64 Degrees, Wind ESE 6 Mph, Humidity 52%, mostly cloudy. 

Only a small number of sand trucks but very busy overnight last night really busy making a mess of the road, slippery sloppy and the trucks are cutting the corner too close to Buster. We finally have the trucks making a wider track around Buster. The drivers are leery of doing that on the wet days as they are concerned about slipping and getting stuck and are trying to drive the center of the road. I am concerned about Bonnie, Buster and I being safe and uninjured and undamaged here at this gate as there is a turn at each end of Buster for the traffic going and coming from the well pad. The sign has been partly or totally run over at least six times. Coming in is more of a concern as they do better going out. We all know trucks make wide turns but the thought of getting stuck makes these drivers try to come close to us and Buster.

Some of the "locals" feeding around the gate area