Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Apr 20 - 27

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Friday, April 20, 2018
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind ESE at 3 to 8 Mph, Humidity 59%, overcast.
Afternoon 81 Degrees, Wind SE at 11 to 24 Mph, Humidity 42%, mostly cloudy.

Rain shower about seven this morning, turned into only drops then continued overcast and windy. Sand trucks coming and going slowed and went to none and then a coiled tubing crew came in the gate. That basically means there is a problem down the hole. Some sand trucks did come in to top off the sand silo’s so that they were full when the frac started again. Otherwise they would be waiting a long time in the holding area. Now they get to go for another load possibly to a different well site. 


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Saturday, April 21, 2018
Morning 68 Degrees, Wind SE at 2 to 6 Mph, Humidity 80%, cloudy.
Afternoon 84 Degrees, Wind ESE at 10 to 17 Mph, Humidity 54%, mostly cloudy.

Slower day, sand trucks,

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Sunday, April 22, 2018
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind ENE at 5 to 8 Mph, Humidity 70%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 84 Degrees, Wind NNE at 8 to 16 Mph, Humidity 26%, mostly sunny.

Normal day, new sand trucks, our favorite are returning vehicles as there are less -operations to perform on the I Pad. Sometimes it feels like every truck in the company has been dispatched to our site instead of having the trucks return. The other thing is hours of service for drivers runs out and other drivers replace them. There are now seven different companies sending trucks to our site with sand

SensorTransmitter

Our sensor for the out going vehicles was not working so I changed the batteries but the problems persisted. L put up with that the rest of the day finally going the again and checking the connection from the semsor to the transmitter a USB plug, it was disconnected. Well I got it working for my wife’s shift. Some vehicles do something (too fast or too slow) and we do not get an alert. 

the black pipe detects vehicles

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Monday, April 23, 2018
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind ENE at 3 to 6 Mph, Humidity 75%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 86 Degrees, Wind SSE at 1 to 6 Mph, Humidity 32%, mostly sunny.

Monday traffic, busy.


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Morning 61 Degrees, Wind S at calm Mph, Humidity 76%,partly sunny .
Afternoon 94 Degrees, Wind SSE at 4 to 13 Mph, Humidity 26%, mostly sunny.

 
Word this afternoon is the frac will be done Thursday, yea right


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Morning 63 Degrees, Wind ESE at 1 to 3 Mph, Humidity 75%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 86 Degrees, Wind NW at 6 to 23 Mph, Humidity 88%, overcast.

The afternoon started off with a thunderstorm and lightening, everything got wet but no recordable accumulation. For the lightening, they shut down the operation for a Thursday completion is not going to be meet. This means the operations picked up overnight during my wife’s shift. 


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Thursday, April 26, 2018
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind NNW at calm Mph, Humidity 77%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 80 Degrees, Wind NE at 6 to 10 Mph, Humidity 46%, partly cloudy.

Sand trucks were waiting and started coming in right away and there were some already waiting on the well pad and they unloaded and were coming out. We are expecting them to finish overnight tonight. From there we are expecting to be here for about another week.

A pressure truck going out

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Saturday, April 28, 2018
Morning 64 Degrees, Wind SE at 1 to 3 Mph, Humidity 65%, partly cloudy.

Sand silo frame coming down 

Another oil company manager came in this morning and confirmed we are done today. So now to inform the company (gate guard) we are released and get out act together and move Buster. Yesterday I was talking to another coordinator he had a gate for us when released from here so I called him letting him know we were released. The new gate is close by.

Now the silo comes down

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Friday, April 27, 2018
Morning 58 Degrees, Wind SE at calm Mph, Humidity 90%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 80 Degrees, Wind SSE at 1 to 8 Mph, Humidity 44%, partly cloudy.

Frac completed this morning and the work now starts to shift to down rigging. 
Pressure trucks moved out in a ten truck convoy today. Sand silo’s went one and then a convoy of sand conveyers and silo’s (3) came out. Other companies are also moving their equipment out.

Silo rolling out

Started breaking down Buster’s camp area today in preparation to move Buster.



Thought For The Day – I was reading an instruction manual and got to the part about needing a screwdriver. So I got out the vodka and orange juice.

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Apr 16 - 19

Revised added some Pictures 4-30-18

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Monday, April 16, 2018
Morning 52 Degrees, Wind ESE at 1 to 4 Mph, Humidity 77%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 89 Degrees, Wind SSE at 11 to 18 Mph, Humidity 20%, sunny.

Tand Truck

Sand trucks slowed today, a break for us as we were running to the driveway frequently. There is no actual gate or cattle guard just a spot on the road leading into the work site. Driving in we did cross about five cattle guards that control where the cattle can graze. From us 83 it is another twelve miles on the paved road before the dirt road starts. Then another twelve miles to the main gate guard from there we are another nine miles in on the ranch, a long way driving at low speeds in Buster.


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Morning 56 Degrees, Wind SSE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 76%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 94 Degrees, Wind SSE at 11 to 17Mph, Humidity 28%, sunny.
 
Routine day for a Tuesday, more sand trucks than yesterday but not up to the expected amount. Sand truck drivers have DOT hours of operation logs to restrict how long they are on the job and for that reason it is hard to keep drivers coming to this site. Right now we have two sand truck companies supporting this job with deliveries of sand


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Morning 62 Degrees, Wind NNE at 2 to 4 Mph, Humidity 95%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 87 Degrees, Wind E at 9 to 15 Mph, Humidity 48%, partly cloudy.

Quieter day, the frac is not receiving sand trucks the way they are scheduled to receive. Driver hours of service or the ride/road out here. The one way trip for them is five hours, plus unload time and any wait time at the holding area.

A snake was found sleeping this morning next to the right front tire shade, he Did Not wake up.

Snake

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Thursday, April 19, 2018
Morning 63 Degrees, Wind ENE at 9 to 11 Mph, Humidity 49%, overcast.
Afternoon 82 Degrees, Wind E at 12 to 21 Mph, Humidity 20%, partly sunny.

Average vehicle traffic day, ins and outs and sand trucks. It is dark out here there are light towers brought in to light the job area and placed around the well pad. We started with three “work lights” normally we habe moreas we thing more light keeps varments away. I was speaking to a “company man” about he snake and he offered to have a light tower brought to our work area, great. Latter in the afternoon a pickup truck came to the gate with the light tower and asked where to locate it, I showed him and now we have light at night. The reason I was talking to the company man was we worked on the same job site in early twenty-seventeen. Even then he was the go to guy if we needed anything.





Thought For The Day – I want to grow my own food but I can’t find any bacon seeds.

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Apr 13 - 15

Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Friday, April 13, 2018
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity 75%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 94 Degrees, Wind W at 4 to 10 Mph, Humidity 26%, mostly sunny.

Busy day, the coordinator came to the main gate area where we parked overnight after nine and lead Buster into the work site. There or here we backed Buster onto the “spot” for our location on the road leading into the well site. This is nine miles from the “main gate”. Fracking is the work project going on and sand trucks are busy. There is a “holding or staging” area for them and a worker goes there and brings in a group of four or more sand trucks. Some times six or ten. There are four sand silos set up on the well site that the trucks try to keep them full.

I was told that one stage for the frac used nineteen truck loads. I asked how many stages a day, four stages (on a good day). Just in sand trucks that is seventy-six sand trucks in and out plus the shift change and day visitors and Friday is one of the heavy days of “extra visitors” over two hundred entries on th I-Pad.

Getting the jacks down on Buster and tire/wheel shades in place electric and water connected to Buster and other setup work a tiring day today. With the heat and bright sun I setup out canopy in front of Buster for a work station to keep our I-Pads out of the sun and the charging adaptor on the WORX table.


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Saturday, April 14, 2018
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind N at 2 to 4 Mph, Humidity 14%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 72 Degrees, Wind N at 8 to 24 Mph, Humidity %, mostly sunny.

A slower day but still plenty of vehicles in and out the gate. Pictures of the plate and vehicle side in and out records. Coming in recording (typing in) the plate number that sets the record of the vehicle and then the drivers name and company he works for and any other peolpe in the vehicle. Going out recalling the record by the company name or the plate number to then take the pictures again for the out log. The program adds the day and time of the record in and out.

I set up a deck area outside Busters front steps but I could do more but I do not expect to ne here more than two weeks. We have not had any rain since coming here but we need to be ready with a place to clean our shoes befor going inside Buster.


Buster’s Gate Catarina, TX - Sunday, April 15, 2018
Morning 6 Degrees, Wind W at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 51%, mostly sunny.
Afternoon 82 Degrees, Wind E at 5 to 9 Mph, Humidity 15%, sunny.

We are running like a smooth operating machine, as this is a nice change working with a different oil company. One thing that is noticeable is the licence plate numbers as not as close together like 123 and 124. They are coming from a wider area thus the letters and numbers are not close together. The actual work load is reduced on returning vehicles because once a record is made the server has memory and entering a partial of the licence plate number will call up the the rest and the persons name and company. That reduces our making a complete entry every vehicle visit.

I will post pictures when I have a better internet signal

Thought For The Day – I want to grow my own food but I can’t find any bacon seeds.

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Apr 6 - 12

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Friday, April 6, 2018
Morning 71 Degrees, Wind ESE at 2 to 4 Mph, Humidity 98%, cloudy.
Afternoon 89 Degrees, Wind S at 7 to 14 Mph, Humidity 45%, partly sunny.

We took a drive into San Antonio to Texas Rv as I need a new hose for the water bay and we are looking to get better bulbs for the bathroom light fixture. We purchased the hose and ordered the blubs, next week


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Saturday, April 7, 2018
Morning 61 Degrees, Wind NNE at 4 to 9 Mph, Humidity 82%, cloudy.
Afternoon 45 Degrees, Wind NE at 8 to 17 Mph, Humidity 52%, cloudy.

Slow day hanging around Buster


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Sunday, April 8, 2018
Morning 45 Degrees, Wind NNE at calm Mph, Humidity 73%, cloudy.
Afternoon 73 Degrees, Wind ESE at 6 to 12 Mph, Humidity 39%, mostly cloudy.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX -Monday, April 9, 2018
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind W at 1 to 5 Mph, Humidity 98%, cloudy.
Afternoon 67 Degrees, Wind ENE at 7 to 14 Mph, Humidity 71%, mostly cloudy.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Morning 53 Degrees, Wind NNW at calm Mph, Humidity 85%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 77 Degrees, Wind NE at 8 to 17 Mph, Humidity 28%, partly sunny.

We drove into San Antonio and picked up the bulbs we ordered today our excitement went down from there as the bulbs did not do what we were expecting them to do, brighten the room. These bulbs only concentrate the light in the down direction. On to plan C. 


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Morning 66 Degrees, Wind SE at 4 to 5 Mph, Humidity 69%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 8 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity %, .

My wife had her mammogram and sonogram this afternoon and on the way back to Buster I called our gate coordinator letting him know we are available for work. He did not answer but I left a message.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Thursday, April 12, 2018
Morning 67 Degrees, Wind ESE at 4 to 5 Mph, Humidity 90%, cloudy.
Afternoon 91 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity %, mostly sunny.

I got a call after ten this morning for a gate job starting tomorrow in Catarina, Texas. Someone else was to take the gate releasing the people there at the gate, another couple was assigned but had a breakdown, engine radiator problem. First I went shopping for some groceries and drinking water. We got busy to move Buster down the road today.

I moved Buster onto the parks road and connected Tan Jan and on the highway after two o’clock headed to Catarina. Buster stopped in Cotulla for diesel fuel drink and we arrived at a staging point at the ranch entrance about six o’clock. There was a spare generator there and we hooked up and had electrical power for the night. There are three couples that “operate this gate in three eight hour shifts, busy work.

The trip was only one hundred and twenty-seven miles but there was construction zones on TX 97 and FM 133 that were single lane traffic controlled by a traffic signal. This setup means there is no flagman and is in operation twenty-four hours. If you miss the green light there is a long sit time as there is time to clear traffic from your direction and the other direction before your light turns green for you to continue on to the next one. There were three zones on TX 97 and two on FM 133.





Thought for the Day:

I know the voices aren’t real, but they come up with some great ideas.

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Apr 6 - 12

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Friday, April 6, 2018
Morning 71 Degrees, Wind ESE at 2 to 4 Mph, Humidity 98%, cloudy.
Afternoon 89 Degrees, Wind S at 7 to 14 Mph, Humidity 45%, partly sunny.

We took a drive into San Antonio to Texas Rv as I need a new hose for the water bay and we are looking to get better bulbs for the bathroom light fixture. We purchased the hose and ordered the blubs, next week


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Saturday, April 7, 2018
Morning 61 Degrees, Wind NNE at 4 to 9 Mph, Humidity 82%, cloudy.
Afternoon 45 Degrees, Wind NE at 8 to 17 Mph, Humidity 52%, cloudy.

Slow day hanging around Buster


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Sunday, April 8, 2018
Morning 45 Degrees, Wind NNE at calm Mph, Humidity 73%, cloudy.
Afternoon 73 Degrees, Wind ESE at 6 to 12 Mph, Humidity 39%, mostly cloudy.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX -Monday, April 9, 2018
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind W at 1 to 5 Mph, Humidity 98%, cloudy.
Afternoon 67 Degrees, Wind ENE at 7 to 14 Mph, Humidity 71%, mostly cloudy.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Morning 53 Degrees, Wind NNW at calm Mph, Humidity 85%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 77 Degrees, Wind NE at 8 to 17 Mph, Humidity 28%, partly sunny.

We drove into San Antonio and picked up the bulbs we ordered today our excitement went down from there as the bulbs did not do what we were expecting them to do, brighten the room. These bulbs only concentrate the light in the down direction. On to plan C. 


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Morning 66 Degrees, Wind SE at 4 to 5 Mph, Humidity 69%, partly sunny.
Afternoon 8 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity %, .

My wife had her mammogram and sonogram this afternoon and on the way back to Buster I called our gate coordinator letting him know we are available for work. He did not answer but I left a message.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Thursday, April 12, 2018
Morning 67 Degrees, Wind ESE at 4 to 5 Mph, Humidity 90%, cloudy.
Afternoon 91 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity %, mostly sunny.

I got a call after ten this morning for a gate job starting tomorrow in Catarina, Texas. Someone else was to take the gate releasing the people there at the gate, another couple was assigned but had a breakdown, engine radiator problem. First I went shopping for some groceries and drinking water. We got busy to move Buster down the road today.

I moved Buster onto the parks road and connected Tan Jan and on the highway after two o’clock headed to Catarina. Buster stopped in Cotulla for diesel fuel drink and we arrived at a staging point at the ranch entrance about six o’clock. There was a spare generator there and we hooked up and had electrical power for the night. There are three couples that “operate this gate in three eight hour shifts, busy work.

The trip was only one hundred and twenty-seven miles but there was construction zones on TX 97 and FM 133 that were single lane traffic controlled by a traffic signal. This setup means there is no flagman and is in operation twenty-four hours. If you miss the green light there is a long sit time as there is time to clear traffic from your direction and the other direction before your light turns green for you to continue on to the next one. There were three zones on TX 97 and two on FM 133.





Thought for the Day:

I know the voices aren’t real, but they come up with some great ideas.

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Apr 1 - 5

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX -  Sunday, April 1, 2018
Morning 62 Degrees, Wind ESE at calm Mph, Humidity 98%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 86 Degrees, Wind SE at 5 to 16 Mph, Humidity 40%, mostly sunny.

Going into the service desk several times at the truck center I noticed a box on the on a display rack containing lug nut covers for the wheel lug nuts. Buster’s left front has been missing two for a while so I finally picked up the two I needed and installed them. I have never seen the them for sale and even better single pieces and there were also complete sets of lug nut covers and hub covers. When the tow truck driver pulled Busters axles for the tow he also removed the hub covers and lug nut covers to get the axle out. He had a tool to remove the lug nut caps and I was looking for that tool there but they did not carry that. I used pliers with a rag to protect the chrome plastic lug nut covers. Looking around on line I found a chrome shop in San Antonio that has these and the tool.

Lug Nut overs

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Monday, April 2, 2018
Morning 70 Degrees, Wind ESE at 3 to 5 Mph, Humidity 96%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 87 Degrees, Wind SE at 8 to 16 Mph, Humidity 45%, mostly sunny.

Doors cleaned, today I got busy and finished cleaning the doors under the slide out. With that done I then reset the jacks with the remade jack pads.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Morning 70 Degrees, Wind ESE at calm Mph, Humidity 92%, mostly cloudy.
Afternoon 88 Degrees, Wind SSE at 8 to 24 Mph, Humidity 51%, mostly sunny.

Today we drove to San Antonio chrome shop looking for the lug nut tool and rear axle hub covers. Busters are pitted from neglect. We were able to obtain (purchase) both there. The clerk was very helpful as the one I brought to the checkout was not the correct one (size) went and got the correct ones for Buster

Blue Lug Nut Tool

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Morning 56 Degrees, Wind NNE at 7 to 21 Mph, Humidity 67%, partly cloudy.
Afternoon 71 Degrees, Wind ENE at 13 to 21 Mph, Humidity 26%, partly sunny.

 Weather over night last night, thunder storm came thru with the cold front but a pretty nice day today. I installed the new rear axle hub covers today and using the wrench made that job very easy.

New Hub Cover

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Thursday, April 5, 2018
Morning 58 Degrees, Wind NNW at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 76%, partly cloudy.

Just laying around taking it easy here in Pleasanton waiting for my wife’s mammogram next Wednesday. 

Thought For The Day – Remember when you could refer to your knees as right and left, instead of good and bad? Good times, huh?

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Mar 30 - 31

Rush Truck Center - Laredo, TX - Friday, March 30, 2018
Morning 64 Degrees, Wind E at 4 to 7 Mph, Humidity 73%, partly sunny.

Picture of the three hundred and twenty mile key

I was up early and loaded some things into Tan Jan and after breakfast I drove to the truck center. I got busy putting on the engine cover with that in place and starting the engine again this morning I went inside to pay the damages. The sensor that was replaced is for the engine computer oil pressure input, in the drivers seat I was indicating engine oil pressure on the gauge but the computer was not and shutting down the engine.

Picture of the engine cover going into place

With the car emptied out I called my wife wake up call, and went back to the hotel for her and Rahlee plus the remainder of our things. With all of us back at Buster and getting ready to roll we are rolling to Pleasanton for a re due of my wife’s mammogram. My wife was on the phone with scheduling and the earliest is April 11. So we will be there for two weeks.


Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX
Afternoon 77 Degrees, Wind ENE at 8 to 14 Mph, Humidity 39%, mostly sunny.

Along the way Buster stopped for diesel fuel in Cotulla, Buster was down to half a tank, from three quarters of a tank that quarter was from running the generator for air conditioning and keeping the electric Refrigerator powered while at the truck center. The other quarter was driving. Only a one hundred and twenty-seven mile trip for Buster over familiar roads as we have traveled them (this route) a few times before. While here I need to due more on the right slide out repair and clean Buster out side after being parked on dirt.
 

Bar M RV Park - Pleasanton, TX - Saturday, March 31, 2018
Morning 60 Degrees, Wind ESE at 0 to 1 Mph, Humidity 97%, overcast, fog.
Afternoon 84 Degrees, Wind S at 6 to 16 Mph, Humidity 34%, mostly sunny.
 
Slowdown day, when the tow truck driver left Buster at the truck center the front tires were up on four by four blocks. Thursday afternoon after the engine was started I rolled Buster off of the blocks and my thoughts went to if I cut them in half I would have enough wood to remake two jack pads higher. So that was the extent of my day along with washing some of Busters lower compartment doors. Parked on dirt and rain splashes up and dirt sticks to Busters doors. With slide outs in the extended position it is difficult to do the doors that are below them.

                              Remade jack pad
 Thought for the Day:

I prefer not to think before speaking. I like being just as surprised as everyone else by what comes out of my mouth.