Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 24 - 26

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX -  Sunday, July 24, 2016
Morning 77 Degrees, Wind E variable, calm to 3 Mph, Humidity 92%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 101 Degrees, Wind SSE at 6 to 8 Mph, Humidity 37%, Scattered Clouds.

Drilling is done, well completion is next. We are here a while for that. The rig should move over the next three days or so, that will be a busy gate days. The afternoon turned out to be very busy that I did not go town shopping today. My wife was late getting up from her day sleep and I was tired from all the traffic and gate openings.

Cattle on Buster's right side

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Monday, July 25, 2016
Morning 77 Degrees, Wind E variable, calm to 3 Mph, Humidity 93%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 102 Degrees, Wind ESE at 3 to 9 Mph, Humidity 32%, Scattered Clouds.

Cement trailer used to cement the casing pipe in place

 Busy day, making up for all the slow days we have had. A lot of trucks in and out all day, six tankers making three rounds each. Drilling company flat bed trucks removing equipment, other companies removing their equipment. Trucking companies removing unused drilling products for the drilling “mud”. I was ready to cry “uncle” today, the last couple of hours I was really dragging. It seamed like I would get the gate closed and sit down inside Buster and there was another vehicle wanting to go thru the gate.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Morning 77 Degrees, Wind E variable, calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 91%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 98 Degrees, Wind S at 6 to 12 Mph, Humidity 34%, mostly cloudy.

 Not as busy as Monday. But the things moving out today I can “feel” the level of traffic go back down. We had a show tonight, cattle a large heard did a walk thru and coming to Buster’s side of the road attacking the cone again. Usually after we stop seeing them on the left side of Buster “show is over” and that is it, today I went to the door opening it and took pictures of them there on the right side and there was a watcher (one of the cows) making sure I did not come towards them.

Later in the morning the state had a road grader working the shoulders of the road in front of our gate. Vehicles coming from the north use the shoulder before turning left into the gate. That road grader moving up and down caused me to start as the slow movement I was sensing a vehicle wanting to come in the gate.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 21 - 23

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX -  Thursday, July 21, 2016
Morning 73 Degrees, Wind E variable, calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 95%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 99 Degrees, Wind ENE at 2 to 18 Mph, Humidity 46%, Scattered Clouds with a shower.

Slow day for us gate jock’s, pay is the same.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX -  Friday, July 22, 2016
Morning 72 Degrees, Wind S variable, calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 91%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 99 Degrees, Wind NE at 4 to 9 Mph, Humidity 39%, Scattered Clouds.

Slow day, we have not been getting our cattle show I the evening either.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX -  Saturday, July 23, 2016
Morning 75Degrees, Wind E variable, calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 92%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 101 Degrees, Wind ESE at 4 to 12 Mph, Humidity 38%, sunny.

We had s small group of cattle tonight, just enough to keep us interested. Today was busy with the trucks in and out of the gate, wait a minute it’s Saturday? Well this drilling does not know anything about what day of the week it is with the traffic.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 18 - 20 Moon Day

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX -  Monday, July 18, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind ESE at 4 to 9 Mph, Humidity 85%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 99 Degrees, Wind ESE at 2 to 11 Mph, Humidity 39%, sunny.

Yes I did drive back to Buster about seven miles without any further problems.  I attempted to access the spare tire and rejected that idea. I contacted a tire shop in Hebbronville, they are procuring two tires and well be here tomorrow an replace both front tires.

We had a cattle show tonight, not really coming up the road but coming out of the brush and gathering on Buster’s left side before going north northwest (Buster’s right side). There was a vehicle that came in and that sent most of them back into the brush. The ones that stood their ground waited and finally one  continued moving as they usually do and with one to leading they all tend to follow. Even the one’s that went into the brush came out and walked on up the road. But now going they were like single file no stopping to graze just walking to get past Buster and the generator trailer. I am still not sure if the generator running noise or flapping of the window awning bothers them or makes them nervous about being near.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Morning 75 Degrees, Wind E & variable, 1 at  to 3 Mph, Humidity 84%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 98 Degrees, Wind NE at 6 to 12 Mph, Humidity 45%, Scattered Clouds.


Tan Jan has new tires on the front now, I had replaced the rear tires in twenty-fifteen. These two one had a parch inside and the other had a slow air leak. My wife got up late afternoon but I still went to Rio Grand City for groceries and pickup a prescription that was ready at the Walmart pharmacy and I was back to the gate about seven-thirty. I did better time wise as I only did two stores. I also got gasoline for Tan Jan, $!.799 per gallon. Driving into town there were roads wet from a recent local shower and I did drive thru some showers further down the road. Te new tires felt good even without the balancing.

No cattle today, maybe there were too many trucks today, besides we were busy putting away groceries and having dinner.

Right Front tire

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX -  Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Morning 74 Degrees, Wind NE & variable, calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 94%, mostly sunny.

 Moon Day, July 20, 1969 United States landed two men on the moon for the the first time. I was a small part of the launch teem loading propellants and gases on the Lunar Module at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Both front tires together

Lunar Module 

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 17 tireTire tread missing

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Sunday, July 17, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind E variable, calm to 3 Mph, Humidity 91%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 101 Degrees, Wind NE at 1 to 11 Mph, Humidity 34%, partly sunny.

My wife got up early from her day sleep for me to go to Rio Grand City for groceries. That did not go well, I got about seven miles down the road at highway speed (70) when the right front tire tread came off. I slowed and pulled off onto the shoulder to check and found the tread gone but not flat, still holding air alligator (tread) was on the road, I moved the tread to the roadside.

Tire tread missing

Well turn around and go back to Buster’s gate site as I did not want to unload the rear and change the tire here.  I was able to limp home at twenty-five iles per hour on the Tire. When I got back up the road I had enough cell phone signal to call my wife and let her know I was returning and the tire had lost the tread.  It was is hot to do anything tonight I will try the spare tire tomorrow morning.

Thought for the Day:

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 14 - 16

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Thursday, July 14, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind SSW at 5 to 10 Mph, Humidity 87%, sunny.
Afternoon 104 Degrees, Wind SSE at 4 to 14 Mph, Humidity 28%, sunny.

Busy gate today with vehicles coming and going. We do not get and cattle coming up the road when there has been a busy traffic day.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Friday, July 15, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind NE at 2 to 7 Mph, Humidity 89%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 104 Degrees, Wind S at 5 to 12 Mph, Humidity 38%, sunny.

No cattle show tonight too hot of a day today.

These were holding a "meeting" after the truck came behind Buster 

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Saturday, July 16, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind SE at 4 to 10 Mph, Humidity 90%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 102 Degrees, Wind SSE at 6 to 15 Mph, Humidity 36%, sunny.

 Busy morning with tank and pipe trucks along with pickup trucks today. When we first saw one cow in the evening I went out and picked up the cone and put the cone on the generator trailer. After getting the cone I looked down the road see a large group of cattle watching me retrieve the cone. After coming back inside Buster the cattle continued coming towards Buster even coming to Buster’s side of the road. A little later there was a flatbed truck coming in the gate delivering a large valve assembly. I informed the driver there was cattle on the road on the other side of our motorhome to be aware of them driving to the work site. After closing the gate and coming inside Buster the truck had passed and the cattle were gathering together, to us it looked like they were having a meeting to decide weather or not to continue coming up the road. Some had gone into the brush on the other side of the road while the rest had stayed there on the side of the road. Slowly e few were walking and eating. Then stopping and looking. Finally one bull came walking out of the pack and walked up the road past Buster. With that they all stopped eating, kind of single file they all walked past Buster, shows over for tonight.

Cattle going past Tan Jan & Buster on the road

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 10 - 13

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Sunday, July 10, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind S at 3 to 9 Mph, Humidity 86%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 100 Degrees, Wind SE at 8 to 16 Mph, Humidity 60%, sunny.

Sunday slow gate day, and a grocery trip into Rio Grande City. The trip was quicker this week as I now know where things are located now.

We heard the early warning sensor and there was no vehicle coming there there were repeated sensor alarms so the cattle are coming. My wife got me to go and bring in the close vehicle sensor and cone so the cattle would not be attracted to it. There was another large group of cattle with most coming up the dirt road on Busters side and more than half of them coming along the fence there were three younger ones got pretty close to the front of Buster before turning and moving back to go around the back of Buster. A good show tonight keeping the eastern rookies occupied for a half hour.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Monday, July 11, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind S at 1 to 12 Mph, Humidity 84%, sunny.
Afternoon 102 Degrees, Wind E at 8 to 17 Mph, Humidity 31%, sunny.

It must be Monday, I actually had WORK today. There was a lot of truck traffic in and out all day today mostly water tank trucks. There were other vehicles so all this traffic on the road must have upset the cattle coming to and passing the gate today. In the last hour of daylight I took our trash into the trash trailer at the work site and saw three small groups of cattle along the way in and out.  

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Morning 77 Degrees, Wind SE at 8 to 9 Mph, Humidity 89%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 100 Degrees, Wind SE at 8 to 16 Mph, Humidity 43%, partly sunny.

Those water tank trucks did not come today so our work level was down to a “normal” low volume of vehicles coming to our gate. I think the cattle were still upset from all the vehicles yesterday so there no cattle sightings this evening. Remembering the first week we were here things started with the rig move in which required  a large number of big trucks and other vehicles using the ranch road in and out. Thinking back to that time we did not see any cattle for days here and I did not know there were any cattle on this part of the ranch.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind SSE at 5 to 8 Mph, Humidity 88%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 101 Degrees, Wind SSE at 8 to 18 Mph, Humidity 38%, sunny.


Cattle, cone, cattle run. That story is upon seeing the first cattle coming up the road tonight my wife said go and get the cone, me not seeing any calf’s thought the cone would not be bothered with, wrong. The calf’s showed latter part of the group and as it came time to start moving along up the road the cone came to their attention and pushed it over then it is me going into action to retrieve the cone. To busy and no thought to take pictures, as I walk out there the cattle are stopped watching me then and start moving away back down the road.  As I bend down and get the cone looking up and seeing the cattle quick stepping away from me and never comeback our way today.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 8 - 9

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Friday, July 8, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind ESE at 3 to 10 Mph, Humidity 83%, sunny.
Afternoon 100 Degrees, Wind SSE at 9 to 18 Mph, Humidity 47%, sunny.

The gate traffic slowed again today, nice. There were three “sales” vehicles I turned away because if they are not on the vendor list, they need to call for an appointment to be able to enter the site. These non vendors that come to the gate with an appointment the company man calls me for the OK to allow them in the gate to see him.
Then the wait until the cattle came for a show. There were a larger group of cattle today with a few venturing to Buster’s side of the road eating the grass. This is the first time we have seen them on this side. There is “evidence” of them being here before Buster parked last month.

Cattle grazing on Busters side of the road

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Saturday, July 9, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind SSE at 5 to 6 Mph, Humidity 89%, sunny.
Afternoon 102 Degrees, Wind SSE at 8 to 14 Mph, Humidity 40%, sunny.

Weekend mode with low gate traffic, they are still drilling and I find there is a slower gate vehicle in and out traffic compared to gate where the oil company is fracking.
There was a large group of cattle tonight with most coming to Buster’s side of the road.  They split into two groups going on each side of the pile of bulldozed trees to Busters left side. The ones coming up close to the fence in front of Buster turned toward the ranch dirt road as they got close to the generator trailer and Buster. Behind the generator trailer and near the ranch dirt road we have a sensor set to alert us to vehicles coming out of the work site. One of the calf’s got interested in the cone and when it started to push it over I went out there to retrieve the cone and sensor. OK the hole heard backs away when I come around the back of Buster going to the cone and they retreat back down the road from where they came from. That ended our viewing for tonight. ttt

Cone and sensor

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 3 - 7

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Sunday, July 3, 2016
Morning 80 Degrees, Wind S at 4 to 11 Mph, Humidity 86%, overcast to partly cloudy.
Afternoon 103 Degrees, Wind SE at 7 to 13 Mph, Humidity 40%, partly sunny.

My wife stayed up this morning and I went shopping in Rio Grand City. This is the second time, I stopped for water filling our jugs then up two blocks there is a spray car wash giving Tan Jan a spray to remove the road dirt that has coverd the car as the big truck go in and out from the work site.  Then to Walmart and then to H E B. That was our big activity today as we are inside this afternoon during these temperatures.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Monday, July 4, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind S at 6 to 9 Mph, Humidity 84%, sunny.
Afternoon 103 Degrees, Wind SSE at 2 to 15 Mph, Humidity 30%, sunny.

One thing about the July fourth holiday out her in the pucker bush there are no close neighbors to fie off firecrackers going during the day. My wife also had a quite night and there were no amateur fireworks displays either. Holiday routine with a few vehicles coming in our gate and leaving latter in the day.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind S at 7 to 14 Mph, Humidity 88%, sunny.
Afternoon 103 Degrees, Wind SSE at 6 to 11 Mph, Humidity 36%, sunny.

The low volume of gate traffic continued today, I guess the workers are resting up after their weekend off.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind SSE at 7 to 9 Mph, Humidity 87%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 104 Degrees, Wind SSW at 8 to 19 Mph, Humidity 41%, sunny.

The cattle are coming from this direction

Today there was more activity here with the gate traffic increasing from the weekend lows. In the last two hours of daylight we are seeing a few cows coming from Buster’s left along the dirt road that goes in the ranch to the work site. Usually they are in the far side (left of the picture) between the road and the tree line (high brush) slowly walking and eating grass.

Looking at the generator trailer and Buster

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Thursday, July 7, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind ENE at 1 to 11 Mph, Humidity 89%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 101 Degrees, Wind SSW at 8 to 18 Mph, Humidity 33%, sunny.

Another day with more gate traffic bringing in casing pipe for the well. We see varring numbers of cattle every day as few as six to as many as two dozen or more. The dirt road does curve back coming to the gate from inside and out buzzer goes off when they pass thru. Some days it is a longer time before we see them, eating I guess. But so far all of a sudden they stop walking and stop eating and look over at the generator trailer and Buster. Usually one will look continually while others will go back to eating.

Cattle go here in the grass area and on up the fence line

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - July 1 - 3

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Friday, July 1, 2016
Morning 76 Degrees, Wind NE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 94%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 102 Degrees, Wind E at 2 to 10 Mph, Humidity 19%, sunny.

Here we are starting the second half of 2016. Good luck with the generator today, no hard shutdowns and we ave learned that the temperature gauge has a high limit shutdown that was set for two hundred twenty degrees. Now that has been re-adjusted to two hundred thirty degrees. The radiator air passages have been cleaned and the water pump belt tightened. Since the last hard shutdown the generator has been operating with the doors open and the engine operation temperature yesterday during the afternoon was one hundred ninety-five degrees.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Saturday, July 2, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind S at 2 to 8 Mph, Humidity 87%, sunny.
Afternoon 100 Degrees, Wind SSW at 7 to 16 Mph, Humidity 34%, sunny.

Operating the generator with the doors open and checking the coolant temperature a few times during the day proved the theory that the closed box was holding in the heat in causing engine coolant over temperature. The engine cut off set point was never reached at any time today. The highest temperature I saw was one hundred ninety five degrees with an ambient temperature of one hundred degrees. A typical Saturday gate wise with just a few in’s and out’s kind of normal Saturday.

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Jun 25 - 30

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Saturday, June 25, 2016
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind SE at 3 to 9 Mph, Humidity 88%, overcast.
Afternoon 96 Degrees, Wind SE at 10 to 20 Mph, Humidity 38%, partly sunny.

My wife had some casual traffic last night with a guy’s truck breaking down just past our gate. It takes time even to get friends out this far to help with pickup truck repairs.

Closeup of the cows other side of the road

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Sunday, June 26, 2016
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind S at 3 to 4 Mph, Humidity 92%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 94 Degrees, Wind NE at 6 to 16 Mph, Humidity 59%, partly cloudy.

Overall there is more gate activity as the drill rig company has man power shift change. My wife got up early this afternoon so I could trip into Rio Grand City for groceries. I also stopped to purchase drinking water, seven gallons we use this for cooking and drinking. We find the other water has too many minerals that leave deposits on the pots.

There are cows on the other side of the dirt road

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Monday, June 27, 2016
Morning 75 Degrees, Wind E & variable & calm to 3 Mph, Humidity 95%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 98 Degrees, Wind S at 3 to 11 Mph, Humidity 42%, partly sunny.

Busier gate traffic today day today as drilling supplies and people coming in and leaving. Compared to the weekend, triple the traffic (but it is not a busy gate.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Morning 73 Degrees, Wind E & variable & calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 96%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 99 Degrees, Wind E at 1 to 9 Mph, Humidity 40%, partly cloudy.

The vehicle traffic is more like the weekend today. There were a few ranch cows mosy up the dirt road behind Buster (in the evening) but shortly after I stepped outside to get a picture they stopped eating the grass and looked up at me. Then turning and going back from where they came from. I did not know I had the “power”, one look at me and they were “outer here”.

Red box are the gauges and switches to control the engine

Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Morning 73 Degrees, Wind SE variable & calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 94%, sunny.
Afternoon 100 Degrees, Wind SW at 1 to 7 Mph, Humidity 45%, partly cloudy.

The generator that supplies Buster with electric is having “issues”, in the afternoon heat. It is shutting down as I now know the unit has a temperature shut down circuit. That circuit operates at two hundred and twenty degrees water temperature. There is an over ride button but I am not going to stand there and hold it to keep the unit operating. I called for help and the gate company man said fuel that there was a new filter available in the storage box. I have been thru the fuel system replacing the filter coming out of the tank to the unit that lasted two days without a hard shutdown. Then the third day another hard shutdown in the three to five o’clock time of the afternoon when air conditioners are most important to be operating. In the beginning I was thinking the load was a problem operating the three air conditioners and the microwave oven getting dinner. Calling for help again the gate company man came and replaced the fuel filter on the engine, then restarting the unit he noticed the radiator was clogged with straw and dirt. He cleaned that out and we are running.


Busters Gate Jim Hogg County TX - Thursday, June 30, 2016
Morning 74 Degrees, Wind S & variable & calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 93%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 99 Degrees, Wind SE at 7 to 8 Mph, Humidity 34%, sunny.

Another hard shutdown of the generator after three o’clock today, generator water temperature was two hundred twenty degrees. Ambient temperature ninety nine with a seven mile an hour wind, that was blowing at the radiator exhaust. I got the engine running using the override switch, the temperature came down some as I had the door open with more ambient air getting to the engine as the engine-generator is in a closed box. There is another door on the other side and I opened that also to allow more ambient air to the engine. In this setup the operating temperature did come down some more and the unit continued to run OK the rest of the day.

Radiator and door other side off