Chasing cows...

Well technically, it was a bull, not a cow, but it was a lot of exercise either way. Remember this guy?

I posted about the cows coming to visit us a week or two ago. Since then we have found out that they aren't on "our" ranch, but on a neighboring ranch. We didn't realize that the land on the other side of the fence behind our trailer isn't part of La Corona. Apparently, La Corona Ranch is on either side of another ranch ... we can't remember the name. Anyway, the seven cows are neighbors.

This past week I was logging the guys out around 4 p.m. as the "parade" came by, and one of them mentioned that the big bull had gotten himself stuck between two fences. The main fence that borders the west side of the road leading back to the oil pads runs parallel to the original fence between the two ranches, and the distance between the two fences is between four to six feet or so. There are only a couple of openings in the ranch fence where one can enter or exit, and this bull had discovered his own, private grazing land on that strip. The parallel sections run for just short of a mile, all the way from the back pad (A pad) to behind our trailer.

I called the landowner (he gave us his number for emergencies) to explain the situation and found that he was in Houston -- about 4 1/2 hours away. I had already tried the ranch foreman, but got his non-English speaking wife on the phone so I hung up. Anyway, the landowner asked if I would mind trying to persuade the bull to get on the other side of the fence. At this time, I didn't know how far down he was, but I was soon to discover that he was all the way down to the A pad. I drove down the road and when I found him, I turned the truck around and honked at him. He didn't even blink! Hmmmm, what to do now? I parked the truck, got out, and started waving my arms and yelling at him. After a minute or so, he got tired of listening to me and managed to turn himself around so that he was actually facing the right way, but then he simply continued grazing. I could see this was quickly going nowhere! I tried throwing some caliche rocks at him. They weren't big enough to hurt at all, but I hoped to get his attention since he was ignoring everything else. Unfortunately I had a hard time throwing them through the fence and only a couple of them found their mark. He looked up at me, blinked a couple of times, put his head back down and continued grazing. Aarrrgggghhhhh!

I walked back to the truck and found the steering wheel lock (The Club) that Wayne had purchased a few years ago. I discovered that the metal rod came out, so I started running it along the fence to make some noise. Eventually the yelling, waving arms, honking, rock throwing and metal rod on fence noise started to annoy him enough to make him begin walking down the "path" between the two fences. Every 10 feet or so he would stop to graze, but I just kept driving the truck toward him, honking, getting out of the truck to wave my arms and yell, etc. etc. etc., until finally I got him on a bit of a run. I quickly hopped back in the truck and managed to keep him going for about 1/2 mile just driving and honking. I was so glad that most of the guys were gone. Who knows what they would have thought of the crazy lady trying to herd the bull down the fence! Anyway, after working on it for almost a half an hour, I managed to get him almost all the way back down to our trailer where he found an opening in the ranch fence to walk through! Whew! I was hot, sweaty and tired, and very glad to be done with this project! I hope to avoid repeating this any time soon!

Random stuff~

Lately, we have been making plans for our departure from this area for a while. We plan on picking up stakes on or about March 23rd. We already have an appointment on Monday, the 26th at an RV dealer/repair shop in Selma, just north of San Antonio to address some problems with our 5th wheel. Of course we will get it cleaned first ... I mentioned that in my last post.
We had our black tank replaced last January while we were in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. (I just love spelling that!) Anyway, it hasn't really been right ever since. They apparently didn't seal it correctly at the top where it joins the toilet, so we have to make sure we are empty when we travel or it leaks underneath. We also have to be careful not to let it get too full, as rather than coming up into the toilet, it again leaks out underneath the trailer. Not that we let it get that full, but sometimes when we are cleaning it out, we want to fill it all the way up in order to get a good flush-out.
On top of a leaking black tank, the gray tank is now leaking as well. We have no idea what is going on with that one. It isn't leaking like it is broken which is good, but it shouldn't be leaking at all.
Another issue is the internal flush system for the black tank. It had never worked from the get go. We would have had it repaired to begin with if we had realized that, but when we bought the unit, we were both still working "9 to 5" jobs and had very little time in the trailer at all. We were well past the first year grace period when we found out it didn't work. When we were in Goshen, Indiana during September 2010, we had the opportunity to go to the Keystone factory for a tour, and they were willing to take a look at some of our issues and fix them for no charge. Part of what they found was that the hose for the internal flush had been crimped when the unit was built. They fixed that among other things, and we were finally able to enjoy using that system ... for about four months ... then it stopped again.
Last but not least, on our way to sub for Luke & Inez last month, we completely killed our back steps. There is a huge dip in the road going onto 468 or 469 (I can't remember which one) near Cotulla where the Schwope Ranch is located.  Wayne saw it and was absolutely creeping, but to no avail. We have hit the back steps before, and he has always been able to pound out the crookedness, but not this time. They were totaled. He took them completely off and tossed them in the trash trailer on site. So far we have managed to remember NOT to try to step out the back door ... it is a really BIG step.
Anyway, we plan to have all of these issues addressed before we head west this spring. It will be nice to have pretty much everything back in order and clean!
Prior to the appointment on Monday, we have other plans. We are going to head to the KOA in San Antonio on Friday, get set up, and then visit a gun shop or two. We have finally made the decision to invest in a couple of handguns. We toyed with the idea of getting a shot gun, but quite frankly, I almost can't lift the things. We had a .22 years and years ago, and we both enjoyed going out shooting. This time, we are looking at either a .38 or a .357. For self protection, either of these will be better. We have opted not to go the semi-auto route. We hope to never use them for anything other than a hobby at a shooting range, so neither of us felt the need to get the higher capacity/higher maintenance guns. We are also going to get a "Concealed Carry License" for both of us. It is a 10 hour class here in Texas. It should help us make sure we know what we are doing so that we can safely manage them. There are many states that have reciprocity with Texas, so getting the license will help us as we travel too. We have not yet actually seen any illegals ourselves, praise the Lord, but we are aware that they have been on this ranch a couple of times. We don't want to start waving a gun even then if it isn't warranted. Most of the time we understand they simply want water, and that we can do. However, there have been cases where gate guards have been in more dangerous situations, and it just seems wise to be prepared. Besides, it will give us something else we both enjoy that we can do together.
On to the gate ... there is little to report here. They have been able to get permitted again to burn off the H2S I talked about before. Pad B is producing oil, but they are still have trouble with Pad A. We had a couple of sand trucks in here a day or two ago, and we suspect they may be doing a little more flow-back to try to get rid of the excess water that is making the oil on A unusable. We had almost no traffic this weekend and not much yesterday either, but it has picked up some today. Of course now we are in a new weather pattern where we are supposed to get rained on today and tomorrow, with severe thunderstorms possible. We got a short rain shower this morning, but it only lasted about 3-4 minutes. I just have to say that we are most definitely NOT looking forward to more mud, but we will deal with it.

I know nothing ...

You know, I was reading another gate guard blog the other day where they mentioned that those of us in this business are like mushrooms ... kept in the dark and fed manure. Of course this can be said in a much less pleasant way, but I want to keep it clean. Anyway, they are sure correct. We hear so many conflicting things about what is, was, is going to be, or is not going to be happening on this ranch ... it just makes your head spin! One minute we hear that there are plans to drill several more wells, and the next minute practically everyone is leaving because they have shut the wells that ARE here down. I know I wrote recently about the landowner being upset with the smell of the dangerous H2S gas being vented from the wells. So far as we understand, this is still the reason everything has been shut down. However, they can't really leave it like that! One of the guys told me the tanks are just full of oil and they will have to empty them sooner or later. Another problem though is there is too much water mixed in with the oil, so the tankers can't load it. Sheesh ... someone had better figure out how to solve these problems.
Needless to say, this leaves us wondering what our status is. They are apparently building tanks or some sort of facilities back there, so we should be here for at least the next few weeks while they finish that. We are really hoping they come up with a solution that will allow them to move ahead with the plans to drill more ... we want to stay here until we need to leave at the end of March. We are quite comfortable at this gate, and we might not get one as nice if/when we have to move.
One thing we are both looking forward to is getting our 5th wheel washed as soon as possible when we get done gate guarding for the winter. It will be positively embarrassing to drive even one mile down the road with it looking the way it does. Of course, most everyone in these parts will understand why it is filthy. This isn't really the vacation capital of Texas! You have to go south and east for that, way down to the Brownsville area. Nonetheless, we want to get it cleaned right away. Wayne knows of a place fairly close by that we will use to get the job done. Then, while we are sitting at a campground for a day or two, I will either rent a carpet cleaner, or have someone come in and thoroughly clean the carpets. I can only do just so much here. The dust comes in through the screens and front door, and we track it in on our shoes. The central vacuuming system in the trailer is okay, but not as good as a more robust vacuum cleaner, but we just don't have the room for one so we just make do with what we have.

Our son Jon and his wife Cristen had some professional pictures done recently and I just have to share. Jon, Cristen, Anne and baby Madeline live in southern California, and Lord willing, we will get to see them in early April. I can't wait!!

Nice day today~

Wayne was a sweetheart and let me sleep for an extra hour this morning to rest my knee. Overall, that situation is going well. It is stiff, but it doesn't really feel all that bad. Praise the Lord!
I spent most of the morning while Wayne was sleeping reading my Bible, praying, and enjoying the sun. It was an extremely slow morning so I didn't have too many interruptions, and was able to avoid much walking.
I assumed the day would get busier as it got later, but no, the gate was slow all day. Wayne heard from one of the guys that they have shut the wells down for at least the weekend. They have been having a problem with an excess amount of H2S venting, and the landowner has been complaining about the smell. We have smelled it a few times too, and apparently, it is bad stuff if there is too much of it. They have talked about getting us a sensor that would let us know if the levels are too high, but that hasn't happened yet. We aren't even a mile from the site ... whatever.
We had a yummy dinner with leftovers for tomorrow. When I was at HEB yesterday, I took notice of a sale they had going on. If you bought whole wheat spaghetti, canned green beans, dried apricots and pork tenderloin, you got $4 off, plus they had recipes to use the ingredients. It looked good so I opted to try it. Mmmmm, glad I did ... Wayne agreed.
We have spent the afternoon and evening watching football. The SF 49ers won ... Yay! Now Denver and New England are playing. Wayne is going for NE and I am rooting for Denver. Unfortunately it looks like Wayne and NE are going to be the victors tonight. Oh well, it is just football!
Oh yes, it turns out we have cattle on this ranch. We didn't know that, as we had not seen any such critters at all. Deer, yes, but no cows! Well, they came to visit at dusk.

All in all, I just have to say, it has been such a nice day!

To close, I thought I would share something I found on the AARP website today~

With 50 in the Rearview Mirror

18 Things We Can Now Tell Our Kids

And why our grown-up children would be wise to pay attention to these words of wisdom

by: Jacquelyn Mitchard

1. Don't be a jerk. The one time you are will be the time everyone remembers.
2. A great handshake and an honest smile are free, and shine as brightly as any résumé.
3. Most of the time, people are doing the best that they can. Try to believe it.
4. Use sunscreen, but not just on your face. Remember the back of your neck and, above all, your hands!
5. There are no people so far beneath you that you can't learn something from them, or so far above you that you need permission to communicate with them.
6. Don't wait for someone else to hold you to account. Do it yourself.
7. Respect others' beliefs, but don't back off on your own.
8. Your gut is always, always right. Listen quietly to your intuition, and you'll see that you already know everything you need to know.
9. Take care of your feet. Buy the best shoes you can, if not the most expensive. Go for pedicures, as a couple. Oldie moldies won't take you far.
10. Follow your passion. You'll never "work" a day in your life.
11. Make empathy the default response.
12. Even if someone's mad at you, it does not mean you've done something wrong.
13. You'll never regret eating blueberries or working up a sweat.
14. Strive to keep half your promises. (I disagree...we should strive to keep ALL our promises.)
15. Treat yourself well. Other people will, too.
16. When you say something you think is smart, don't sniff. It telegraphs conceit.
17. Nothing ever got worse from talking about it. Just pick the right person to talk to.
18. The smaller the thing you can find to be grateful for — from good coffee to soft socks — the happier you will be.

Ouch!

Well, I have been delinquent in updating our blog lately ... not sure why ... I guess I just didn't have anything to write about. The new year seems to have squelched my writing brain or something.
Today was just another errands day. This morning while Wayne was sleeping, I worked on the menu for next week, made the shopping list and sorted the laundry. When he got up, I made some quick grilled cheese sandwiches with my homemade brown rice bread (yum) and got ready to go to Pearsall for the afternoon. Honestly, even though I "get out of here" for a few hours, I really don't look forward to it. I miss going shopping together, and as I have mentioned before, it just makes for a long afternoon.
Well today, it was even longer. Just five minutes before I left, my brain got distracted as I was walking down our steps and I partially dislocated my knee! Now mind you, this is the 15th time (yes, I have kept count) I have dislocated my knee. Anyway, I had to take it slow getting the laundry in and out of the laundromat, and walking around HEB. Needless to say, I was very glad to get home and sit down.
It isn't hurting all that much ... I am really doing ok. Just taking Aleve and being careful. I got a knee wrap at HEB, and I will be wearing that for a few days until I am sure it has healed. I don't want to finish dislocating it! That will take longer to heal for sure.

Fifth Wheel Food~

When we purchased our 5th wheel, one of the absolute requirements was a "real" oven. I didn't want to be limited by just a range top and microwave, especially since I usually make our bread. Now granted, the oven is smallish; no way I could cook a large turkey, you know? But then again, with only two of us, what in the world would we do with a large turkey? Anyway, since we have been on the road full time, I have discovered my inner "foodie". I have always enjoyed cooking but never really had the time to experiment with new things until now.
My love of cooking began when I was a little girl. My mother was a very good cook, and for that matter, an excellent seamstress. However, she had no interest in being a teacher. She wanted no one in her kitchen when she was cooking, and had no patience to try to teach sewing to a little girl. We had a great relationship, but it was not in those areas.
My dad was a different story. I don't remember him ever feeling well, as he developed rheumatoid arthritis by the time I was four years old or so. What he lacked in the ability to do things that required physical activity, he more than made up for in his willingness to spend time with me doing things that were easier on him. One thing we did together was cook! He didn't do a lot of cooking, but when he did, he allowed me to help. His repertoire consisted of awesome pancakes, chili and yummy hamburger gravy. We even experimented one Saturday morning and made doughnuts. These are some of my happiest memories as a little girl.
When Wayne and I married, I was extremely limited in my cooking knowledge. Pancakes, chili and hamburger gravy only go so far, you know? We both still remember my first attempt at roasting a chicken. I searched and searched in all my brand new cookbooks, trying to find something that would tell me the temperature for the oven and how long to bake the chicken but to no avail. I had to do something so I guessed ... incorrectly! I remember being so embarrassed when we sliced into the chicken and it bled all over the serving dish. Wayne was a great sport though. He quickly decided that the solution was simple. He cut the meat off the bones, we put it in a frying pan to finish cooking it, and made sandwiches.
Currently, I scour the Internet searching for interesting dishes, and we both watch Food Network constantly. Yesterday for instance, I decided to make homemade fish sticks using a recipe from a Giada de'Laurentiis show on FNC. They turned out so awesome, even if I used salmon instead of halibut. Believe you me, finding ingredients in south Texas is a challenge! Anyway, this afternoon, I made some Italian doughnuts called Zepoles. We watched "Giada at Home" a couple of days ago and this was one of the recipes she demonstrated. Of course it reminded me of making doughnuts with my dad, so I had to try them. Yum!

Zepoles ... Italian doughnut holes

Tonight I decided it was time for some comfort food so I made a huge pot of goulash using a Paula Deen recipe, and creamed peas from Pat and Gina Neely. Just because we live in a trailer doesn’t mean we have to eat out of a can!

A brand new year is born!

We have taken a break from blogging for a few days ... we just needed a breather as we began the new year. Not that anything much has changed mind you, although the work at the gate has most definitely picked up now that the holidays are over.

The temps lately have been quite pleasant in the daytime but very chilly at night. Poor Wayne ... he is always so cold when he comes in around 8 a.m. to go to bed. Of course, in a few short weeks we will probably be wishing for some chilly nights. Based on what I have read in other blogs, this cold business won't last long here in south Texas! That also means it won't be long before we have the dubious opportunity to meet the indigenous snakes in the area -- probably interesting spiders and scorpions as well. If we can get pictures from a safe distance we will. 

Sue held a tarantula years ago in a school classroom when she was a substitute teacher. It was a dare from one of the 5th graders ... not presented as such, but that is definitely what it was. Rather than let this mischievous young man have the upper hand, she remained completely calm and let him put it in her hand. Just in case you are interested, it was as soft as a newborn kitten (she petted it) and felt like it was about the same weight as a feather! She isn't afraid of spiders and snakes, but she doesn't like to be surprised by them either. When she is aware of their presence, she will run to get the camera for pictures rather than run, screaming for the top of the couch! One of her favorite websites for spiders is http://www.spiderzrule.com/commonspidersusa.htm. 

Lots of great pictures like this one:

Did we mention that the fence guys finished and we are rid of the ranch dogs! Like we said before, they are nice dogs but incredibly needed to the point of being a nuisance. 

Oh yes, Wayne also constructed a bee trap yesterday. Since Sue may be allergic to them, she is far more afraid of them than spiders! So far we have caught four bees. Even though she doesn't like bees in the slightest, she still feels bad watching them drown in fruit juice ... it takes a long time. She would rather they die quickly, but you can't attract bees with poison! Sue found the instructions online ... this is what it looks like:

Snakes, spiders, scorpions, bees ... what have we gotten ourselves into??