Boy have we been busy with all the dirt trucks required to build the road to the next well sites. Monday Jim had 180 trucks, Tuesday was 130 trucks and Wednesday only 39 trucks to finish up. But they completed the road and one well site. Luckily we were able to keep the gate opened and Jim just sat outside and wrote down the license plate numbers and then made hash marks for repeat trips each truck made.
Each trip took about an hour turn around, so each truck made about eight trips. After they stopped about 6 p.m. the nights were pretty quiet. I only had the occasional oil crew member going out to town for dinner.
Since Wednesday it has been really, really quiet as they finished the road and first pad in only three days instead of the anticipated five days. So Thursday was basically dead. I drove to Three Rivers and did laundry and a little grocery shopping.
When I returned to Whitsett our friends, Nancy and Chuck Geno (Class of 2007) had arrived. They drove from South Carolina stopped to visit family in Ft. Hood and came to Whitsett to work as gate guards. I stopped and picked them up at the yard and brought them out to our gate to visit and do a little OJT. It has been since 2010 since we saw them in Quartzsite and then again at the Parker 425 Off Race. I forgot to take a photo but said I’d do it Friday when we were going to get together with Linda Mossman for lunch….wrong.
Nancy needed to find a doctor to renew a prescription Friday so didn’t make lunch and then low and behold, they got assigned a gate so off they go Saturday towards Tilden to their first gate. We are sure glad we had a couple of hours Thursday to visit, as we probably won’t see them again before we leave. Thursday night I only had two folks after midnight, so I made some cole slaw and potato salad.
Friday was again very quiet so I went ahead and met Linda for lunch and when I returned Jim put on some ribs to barbecue. Along with the cole slaw and potato salad we had a mighty fine dinner. Those were the best ribs Jim’s ever grilled!!! He grilled them till about 3/4 the way through then wrapped them in foil and put them back on the grill to finish up. They were so moist and tender….that’s the way to do them.
Tonight is again quiet so I’m knitting and watching some recorded TV shows to pass the time. Saturday and Sunday will also be quiet which will be nice as Monday it all changes with more dirt trucks to build the pad on the second well site.
Hopefully we will be gone before they start on the four mile road they will be building for the next four wells. They anticipate using 1,500 truckloads of dirt. By then we should be sitting on a beach in Port Aransas and enjoying a lot of fresh seafood dinners!!!!
Well, it’s time for my 3 a.m. snack…want to join me?
Remember, you are loved.
Blogger Labels: Port Aransas,Three Rivers,gate guard,dirt truck,truck,Whitsett,friends,Nancy,Chuck,Geno,yard,Quartzsite,Parker,Linda,Mossman,Tilden,beach,trucks,ribs
It's always wonderful to meet up with friends we have made as we travel down the road. We are looking forward to reading more about your time as a gate guarder.
ReplyDeleteAh! Port Aransas. I'm pretty sure you will have a great time there, especially after your "work!" I still hate that word! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to Colorado already!
Adding your blog to my list. It may take a while as Google takes about 5 minutes to load during the daytime out here...lol!
ReplyDeleteWe have been dealing with belly dump trucks here as well, but not as many as you guys have been, but we're just coming in on the tail end of the construction phase...no rig yet.